World Matchplay Darts: Phil Taylor v Peter Wright final predictions, odds, betting tips, statistics & TV time

The 2017 World Matchplay reaches its climax at the Winter Gardens tonight (live on Sky Sports from 1900 BST) as darts legend Phil Taylor bids for what would be an emotional 16th title on his Blackpool farewell.

The Power, who retires at the end of the season, was a 20/1 outsider before a dart was thrown but is now the odds-on favourite for glory after rolling back the years during a memorable run which saw him destroy world number one Michael van Gerwen 16-6 along the way.

His opponent Peter Wright is gunning for his second major television title having broken his duck at the UK Open earlier this year while back in May he also ended Taylor's Premier League dream in the semi-finals.

Here, we look at both players' routes to the best-of-35 legs final, their tournament statistics, head-to-head records, career facts, the latest Sky Bet odds while we also bring you a betting preview and verdict from our darts expert Chris Hammer.

Taylor v Wright: World Matchplay final details

When is it and where can I watch? The final takes place tonight (Sunday, July 29) with television coverage beginning at 1900 BST on both Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action.

Who is the bookies' favourite? Phil Taylor is Sky Bet's 1/2 favourite to win his 16th World Matchplay title in his final appearence in Blackpool after following up his 16-6 thrashing of previous odds-on jolly Michael van Gerwen with another impressive 17-9 victory over Adrian Lewis in the semi-finals. His opponent Peter Wright, who saw off Daryl Gurney 17-15 in a nervy encounter, can be backed at 13/8. Sky Bet's final Price Boost is Taylor to win, hit more 180s and have the highest checkout at 7/2 from 5/2.

SCROLL FURTHER DOWN FOR OUR BETTING PREVIEW & PREDICTION

How many legs are needed to win? The final is best of 35 legs but the match must be won by two clear legs, with up to a maximum of five additional legs being played before the sixth additional leg is sudden-death.  

How much prize money is up for grabs? The winner takes home a cheque for  £115,000 while the runner-up receives £55,000.

Routes to the World Matchplay final

Click here for the tournament results in full

PHIL TAYLOR

First Round
10-5 v Gerwyn Price
Three-dart average: 94.04
100+ thrown: 27
140+ thrown: 8
180s thrown: 2
Highest checkout: 151
Checkout percentage: 45.45% (10/22)

Second Round
11-3 v Raymond van Barneveld
Three-dart average: 102.27
100+ thrown: 21
140+ thrown: 15
180s thrown: 4
Highest checkout: 96
Checkout percentage: 50% (11/22) 

Quarter-Final
16-6 v Michael van Gerwen
Three-dart average: 101.85
100+ thrown: 30
140+ thrown: 13
180s thrown: 10
Highest checkout: 122
Checkout percentage: 57.14% (16/28)

Semi-Final
17-9 v Adrian Lewis
Three-dart average: 102.74
100+ thrown: 28
140+ thrown: 27
180s thrown: 8
Highest checkout: 86
Checkout percentage: 34.69% (17/49)

PETER WRIGHT

First Round
10-8 v James Wilson
Three-dart average: 89.26%
100+ thrown: 23
140+ thrown: 15
180s thrown: 2
Highest checkout: 147
Checkout percentage: 30.3% (10/33)

Second Round
11-4 v Cristo Reyes
Three-dart average: 104.18
100+ thrown: 28
140+ thrown: 15
180s thrown: 3
Highest checkout: 106
Checkout percentage: 78.57% (11/14) 

Quarter-Final
16-12 v Darren Webster
Three-dart average: 100.19
100+ thrown: 39
140+ thrown: 28
180s thrown: 5
Highest checkout: 101
Checkout percentage: 41.03% (16/39)

Semi-Final
17-15 v Daryl Gurney
Three-dart average: 93.92
100+ thrown:44
140+ thrown: 33
180s thrown: 4
Highest checkout: 108
Checkout percentage: 29.31% (17/58)

Overall tournament statistics

Legs won-lost
Phil Taylor: 54-23
Peter Wright: 54-39

Three-dart average
Phil Taylor: 100.59
Peter Wright: 96.39 

180s thrown
Phil Taylor: 24
Peter Wright: 14

Finishing percentage
Phil Taylor: 44.63% (54/121)
Peter Wright: 37.50% (54/144)

Ton + checkouts
Phil Taylor: (3) 151, 121, 106
Peter Wright: (6) 147, 108, 106, 101, 101, 100 

Taylor v Wright: Head-to-head record

Overall
Wright 10 wins, Taylor 20 wins, 3 draws

Last 10
Wright 5 wins, Taylor 5 wins, 1 draw

2017 meetings
Taylor 10-5 Wright - Masters QF
Peter Wright 5-7 Phil Taylor - Premier League Week 8
Phil Taylor 3-7 Peter Wright - Premier League Week 13
Peter Wright 10-9 Phil Taylor - Premier League SF

Taylor v Wright: Player factfiles

PHIL TAYLOR
Age: 56
Country: England
Seeding: 8
Nickname: The Power
Walk-on music: I've Got The Power, Snap
PDC career highlights: 14x PDC World Champion, 15x World Matchplay champion, 11x World Grand Prix champion, 5x UK Open champion, 6x Grand Slam of Darts champion, 6x Premier League champion, 4x European Champion, 3x Players Championship Finals champion, Masters champion, Champions League of Darts champion, 4x World Cup winner, over 100 other PDC titles
2017 tournament wins: 0

PETER WRIGHT
Age: 47
Country: Scotland
Seeding: 3
Nickname: Snakebite
Walk-on music: Don't Stop The Party, Pitbull
Career highlights: UK Open champion, World Championship runner-up (2014), Premier League runner-up (2017), 16 non-televised PDC titles and four more televised final appearances.
2017 tournament wins: 9

Taylor v Wright: Betting preview & verdict

By Chris Hammer

Should we all be so surprised that Phil Taylor is contesting his 17th World Matchplay final tonight?

A little over a week ago the Power headed to his all-time favourite venue for one last time as a 20/1 outsider to mark his Blackpool farewell with a "fairytale" 16th title. 

That was in no small part down to the fact that he'd be facing Michael van Gerwen in a potentially draining best-of-31 legs quarter-final should he previously avoid slip-ups against Gerwyn Price and old foe Raymond van Barnveld.

But Taylor rolled back the hands of time to brush them all aside 10-5, 11-3 and remarkably 16-6 before another vintage display helped him thrash Adrian Lewis 17-9, winning 10 of the last 12 legs played. 

Anyone who read our pre-tournament preview will know I expected him to bow out against MVG. I felt the relentless class and mental steel of the world number one appeared would be too hard for Taylor to break down over a long format. 

In hindsight more attention should have been paid to the fact he's far more rested and recharged than the game's other top stars having opted to fly home before the US Darts Masters in Las Vegas due to a stomach bug while he doesn't play the regular tournaments on a busy PDC calendar.

And despite his tough draw, he's still yet to have any hard-fought mental battles having breezed through his four matches so far with a legs aggregate of 54 won and just 23 lost.

Peter Wright, by contrast, toiled during his wins over James Wilson, Darren Webster and Daryl Gurney although he did produce a brilliant display to thrash Cristo Reyes 11-4 in the second round.

But I'm still not buying this "playing without pressure" line Taylor's been trotting out because we all know how badly he wants another big major before he retires at the end of the season.

He admitted nerves got the better of him during the Premier League semi-final defeat to Snakebite when he missed a match dart at 9-8 up before losing 10-9 and there's no doubt his heart will be pounding again should he find himself on the brink of victory on Sunday night. 

He'll have targetted this tournament with the same - if not more - desire as the Premier League so don't expect him to have a laid back attitude in what I fully expect to be a really tense affair.

Don't forget the Power last got his hands on one of the established TV majors (if we ignore the non-ranking Champions League of Darts last September) back at the 2014 Grand Slam of Darts and has lost four finals since then so you have to wonder if that desperation to taste glory again has been a negative force.

Wright has also faced mental blocks to win titles in the MVG era and had to wait until the Dutchman was absent from the UK Open back in March to finally clinch his maiden TV crown at the age of 46.

But Snakebite badly wanted to beat MVG for a bigger prize only to blow his chance in the Premier League final when missing six match darts before going on to lose 11-10.

Now Taylor has done the dirty work for him here, I doubt you'll see that same kind of choking if he gets into a winning position, especially given how he has a decent enough recent record against the 15-time champion, as detailed above.

Sure, Wright may faff around with changing his darts too much but this routine - or even superstition perhaps - has helped him become a regular winner on the circuit, with nine tournament titles to his name this season.

He may not have been on top form so far but he's a dangerous opperator and will be ready to capitalise if the emotion of the occasion gets too much for Taylor. At 15/8 I'd say he's worth a shot.

If you want a bigger price then how about 7/2 on Wright to win and hit the highest checkout?

As you can see from the stats above, Snakebite has hit considerably more ton-plus checkouts so far - albeit having played more legs - and those who watched the Premier League campaign would know how danferous he is taking out high finishes.

The stats also show just why the bookies expect Taylor to nail the most 180s - he's managed 10 more than Snakebite so far and played a lot less legs while in all their previous meetings this year the Power has out maximumed him.

Therefore you could put all that into the melting pot and get 10/1 on a Wright win, Taylor to hit most 180s and Wright to get the highest checkout. 

Final score prediction: Phil Taylor 15-18 Peter Wright