Sporting Life
Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price, Peter Wright, Michael van Gerwen and Michael Smith are well backed for the Masters
Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price, Peter Wright, Michael van Gerwen and Michael Smith are well backed for the Masters

Masters 2022: Free darts betting tips, predictions and preview for the ITV4-televised major in Milton Keynes

By Chris Hammer
Darts
Sat January 29, 2022 · 3y ago

The ITV4-televised Ladbrokes Masters takes place this weekend and our Chris Hammer brings you his tournament tips.

Darts betting tips: Masters

2pts Michael van Gerwen to win the title at 4/1 (General)

0.5pts Clayton, Smith, Wright & MVG to win their quarters at 20/1 (Sky Bet)

0.5pts Ratajski, Searle, Cullen, van Duijvenbode and Humphries all to win at 7/1 (Sky Bet)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

The new PDC darts season gets under way with a bang at the Marshall Arena as a star-studded field of 24 chase the coveted Masters trophy and a cheque of £60,000, while there's potentially a Premier League spot on the line for those who haven't realistically already sealed one.

Eight players will be confirmed in the line-up after Sunday's final and although many feel it should be based solely on the Order of Merit - which won't obviously change during this non-ranked event - it's fair to say that if a big crowd-pleasing name like Rob Cross or Dimitri Van den Bergh from outside the top eight can emerge triumphant then they could easily force their way in.

Just look at what such a scenario did for Jonny Clayton 12 months ago as he went on to win his maiden TV title before winning the Premier League itself, the World Grand Prix and the World Series in a spectacular season, and I feel it does give this tournament some added spice knowing it could be a career changer.

One player who doesn't need such a boost is Peter Wright as he begins his second reign as a world champion.

It's been an incredibly proud - and hectic - start to 2022 for Snakebite having walked his daughter Naomi down the aisle not long after lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy and he'll no doubt be riding a crest of a wave heading into the traditional curtain-raiser.

Wright became the third player to win this event after landing the world title back in 2020 - with Phil Taylor (2013) and Michael van Gerwen (2017, 2019) being the others - which shows just how little he was affected by the media attention and commitments that followed reaching the pinnacle of the sport.

Few would dispute that he looked like 'the' best player on the planet just a few weeks ago, especially during the business end of the tournament.

He dealt with every scare along the way with nerveless class and the manner in which he won nine of the last 10 legs in the final against Michael Smith was nothing short of sensational. He averaged 114 during that run, which began when he trailed 5-4 in sets and 2-0 in the 10th, and you wouldn't need a whole hand to count other players capable of summoning that magic in such a scenario.

Nevertheless, the 51-year-old is third favourite for the title at 5/1, just behind Michael van Gerwen (4/1) and Gerwyn Price (4/1) and clear of Jonny Clayton (7/1) and Michael Smith (9/1) in what the bookies think will be a five-horse race.

MVG is probably still feeling aggrieved about his Covid-enforced exit at the World Championship and we can't forget how he headed into that tournament with the highest average of the season despite failing to win a major title. I tipped him to win the worlds based on the promising signs he was showing towards the end of 2021, albeit without success, and it's a shame we didn't get to see a potential semi-final with Wright. Not that we needed much more drama than we were treated to, however.

Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton were both dumped out in classic encounters by Bully Boy, who'd I'd tipped each-way, although nine-dart hero Iceman did miss match darts when leading 4-3 and would have been heavily expected to brush aside James Wade in the same manner as Smith did.

Price may have been disgruntled by his treatment from sections of the crowd but he did vow to hit the practice board hard in a bid to get back to major-winning ways. And as we look at both halves of the draw, you'll see why he better have stayed true to his word.

Top half

  • (1) Gerwyn Price v (16) Ryan Searle/(17) Mervyn King
  • (8) Jonny Clayton v (9) Dimitri Van den Bergh/(24) Ian White
  • (4) James Wade v (13) Dave Chisnall/(20) Stephen Bunting
  • (5) Michael Smith v (12) Krzysztof Ratajski/(21) Gabriel Clemens

Best odds to win quarter one: Price 11/10, Clayton 2/1, VDB 7/1, Searle 11/1, King 16/1, White 40/1

Best odds to win quarter two: Smith 5/4, Wade 3/1, Ratajski 15/2, Chisnall 15/2, Bunting 14/1, Clemens 14/1

If Price is to lay down a serious marker at the start of the season then he'll need to hit the ground running super quick considering he starts up against either rising star Ryan Searle or the player who knocked him out 12 months ago - Mervyn King - before a probable meeting with defending champion Clayton.

The Ferret averaged over 102 during his three matches at the World Championship, starting with a 100+ checkout masterclass against Keane Barry before eventually losing out to Smith in a belting fourth-round tie and if he can reproduce that kind of standard then he really could make that 2/1 to win the first quarter look pretty big.

Price never looked as convincing as Clayton did during his corresponding three games at the Ally Pally - averaging as low as 92 in a match he could have easily lost against Kim Huybrechts - although he did raise his game towards the 100 mark in his own aforementioned classic with Smith.

I'd favour Clayton to come through this section even though the dangerous Dimitri Van den Bergh potentially awaits first up, but I really struggle to call what would be a mouthwatering semi-final against Bully Boy, who does have the 'easiest' route to the last four.

Smith demonstrated just how much he'd combined his new-found phycological strength to his undoubted ability over the past few months as he reached his second World Championship final and there really wasn't much more he could have done to stop Wright snatching the title away with 'that' burst in the final 10 legs.

Overall the tournament would have given him more belief than ever rather than anguish at yet another major final defeat and I expect him to go very close to ending that drought this weekend.

Bottom half

  • (2) Peter Wright v (15) Dirk van Duijvenbode/Simon Whitlock
  • (7) Jose de Sousa v (10) Rob Cross/(23) Brendan Dolan
  • (3) Michael van Gerwen v Devon Petersen/(19) Luke Humphries
  • (6) Gary Anderson v (11) Joe Cullen/(22) Daryl Gurney

Best odds to win quarter three: Wright 5/6, De Sousa 5/1, Cross 5/1, Van Duijvenbode 15/2, Dolan 14/1, Whitlock 16/1

Best odds to win quarter four: MVG 10/11, Anderson 5/2, Humphries 7/1, Cullen 10/1, Gurney 14/1

As alluded two in the opening section of this preview, I'd fully expect Wright to maintain his World Championship-winning momentum just like he managed to do two years ago when there was perhaps even more media attention and hysteria surrounding his maiden triumph.

He could have easily taken his eye of the board back then having finally achieved his lifelong ambition but this is a player who is always hungry to reach new heights in this game, so don't expect complacency this weekend.

Neither Dirk van Duijvenbode nor Simon Whitlock should be a big problem in his opening game and then he'd next meet either Jose de Sousa, Rob Cross or Brendan Dolan.

De Sousa really struggled at the World Championship - averaging just 84 in an arduous defeat to Alan Soutar - while Rob Cross just didn't quite reach the levels many fans and pundits expected him to during his run to the fourth round, eventually losing 4-3 to Gary Anderson with a 93 average.

Voltage is definitely on an upward curve but he faces a tricky best-of-11 legs opener against Brendan Dolan, who is probably still wondering how he lost 3-0 to Callan Rydz with a 100 average.

As for MVG, well he topped the averages last season and produced some mesmerising displays to put him there or thereabouts in numerous tournaments but ultimately fell short at key moments.

He reached just one major final at the European Championship, where he lost to Rob Cross, and it's fair to say that his fear factor of old has significantly diminished for the time being.

Covid ruined his Ally Pally campaign but if anything, that will surely have made him more fired up ahead of the new season and he'll at least be refreshed to stamp his authority on the game again.

His quarter of the draw is as reasonable as he could have hoped although he'll probably be opening up against the ever-improving Luke Humphries, who stunned him last year's UK Open semi-finals and reached the World Championship quarter-finals for a third time in four years.

After that it'll be Gary Anderson, Joe Cullen or Daryl Gurney but I'd expect him to come through in any of those eventualities.

If van Gerwen does meet Wright in the semis it would be their 82nd career meeting and although the Dutchman has won 58 of them, Snakebite has taken the last three including the quarter-finals of the Players Championship Finals and the World Matchplay semi-finals.

Overall, I'm going to stick with MVG like I did ahead of the worlds but from all the evidence over the past few months, I can't see past the 'big five' in Milton Keynes.

First round predictions

The first round takes place on Friday night, with each match being best of 11 legs. This is obviously such a short format between players of similar high-class ability, so there's very few ties with particularly strong favourite.

  • Krzysztof Ratajski (4/6) v Gabriel Clemens (13/10)

Krzysztof Ratajski's seasonal average of almost 97 was considerably better than Gabriel Clemens' 93 and although he suffered a disappointing early exit to Steve Lennon at the Ally Pally, his German opponent only averaged in the mid-80s during his matches against a struggling Lewy Williams and a breathtaking Jonny Clayton. I'm going with the Polish Eagle to advance.
Prediction: 6-4

  • Dave Chisnall (8/11) v Stephen Bunting (5/4)

Dave Chisnall's World Championship was ruined by Covid following what looked to be an encouraging 3-0 victory over Mike de Decker, in which he averaged 96, whereas Stephen Bunting couldn't get above 90 as he crashed out to Ross Smith in his first match. Statistically they were pretty similar last year although the Bullet did managed to win a title so this really feels like a coin flip game.
Prediction: 5-6

  • Ryan Searle (4/7) v Mervyn King (5/4)

Ryan Searle is a worthy favourite to come through this test having enjoyed a brilliant season prior to a disappointingly flat ending against Peter Wright in the fourth round at the Ally Pally. Heavy Metal couldn't reproduce the same standards that gave Snakebite such a scare in the climax of the Players Championship Finals but don't let that deflect away from how dangerous a player he's become. Mervyn King shouldn't be overlooked having been runner-up here 12 months ago but he struggled with mid 80s averages in his last two matches at the Ally Pally - a battling 4-3 victory over Ray Smith before a crushing 5-0 defeat at the hands of James Wade.
Prediction: 6-3

  • Rob Cross (4/7) v Brendan Dolan (5/4)

Many expected Rob Cross to go deep at the World Championship due to his resurgence in the second half of the season and he could well have done that had he not lost a deciding set to Gary Anderson in the fourth round. He's played brilliantly to beat Daryl Gurney 4-3 in the previous round with an average of 99 and a similar standard would have probably been enough against Anderson. He needs to win this tournament to earn a Premier League spot from outside the world's top eight and will have worked extremely hard in January for this. I fancy him to be too strong for Brendan Dolan.
Prediction: 6-3

  • Dimitri Van den Bergh (7/15) v Ian White (19/10)

Dimitri Van den Bergh was one of the shock early exits at the World Championship but still managed an average of almost 102 against the impressive debutant Florian Hempel. If he can play to the levels we expect of him these days then he should have too much in the tank for Ian White, who will probably still be hurting from blowing a 3-0 set lead against Gary Anderson at the Ally Pally.
Prediction: 6-2

  • Joe Cullen (4/5) v Daryl Gurney (11/10)

Daryl Gurney finally showed some encouraging signs of form towards the very back end of the season - first reaching the quarter finals of the Players Championship Finals, where he averaged 102 in a 10-9 defeat to Ryan Searle, and then running Rob Cross close in a tremendous third-round match at the Ally Pally. There had been nothing to write home about before then and you wonder if he's on the cusp of getting his career firmly back on track. Joe Cullen, meanwhile, was widely fancied to go deep in his quarter of the World Championship draw following an impressive season but after sneaking past Jim Williams, he was left stunned by Martijn Kleermaker despite valiantly battling back from 3-0 down to force a decider. He averaged 95 compared to the Dutchman's 89 but he can't afford those costly spells if he's to make a huge statement in a major tournament. Really hard to call this one but there will be a lot of 180s if it's close.
Prediction: 6-4

  • Dirk van Duijvenbode (4/7) v Simon Whitlock (6/4)

Dirk van Duijvenbode went missing during his World Championship clash with Gerwyn Price as he averaged just 83, threw just three 180s and lost 12 legs on spin during a 4-1 defeat but hopefully the Milton Keynes fans will see the real Aubergenius turn up this weekend. Simon Whitlock's poor season ended with an early exit at the hands of Martijn Kleermaker and it's becoming increasingly difficult for the Wizard to sprinkle his old magic on the major stages these days.
Prediction: 6-3

  • Devon Petersen (7/2) v Luke Humphries (1/4)

Luke Humphries is the shortest-priced favourite of the night and it's no surprise really considering how he capped off a fine season by reaching his third World Championship quarter-final in four years, whereas Devon Petersen's awful 2021 ended in a 3-0 thumping at the hands of Ray Smith in round two.
Prediction: 2-6

First-round acca: Ratajski, Searle, Cullen, van Duijvenbode and Humphries all to win at 7/1

Darts: Related content