Sporting Life
Gary Anderson will face Dave Chisnall in the semi-finals
Gary Anderson will face Dave Chisnall in the semi-finals

PDC World Championship darts: Semi-finals predictions, odds, betting tips, accas, order of play & TV times

By Chris Hammer
20:34 · SAT January 02, 2021

It's semi-final day at the PDC's William Hill World Darts Championship and our match-by-match previews include predictions, statistics, head-to-head records, best bets and a suggested double.

Just four players remain in the race to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy but incredibly one of them isn't Michael van Gerwen after he suffered a 5-0 mauling at the hands of Dave Chisnall on Friday night.

New tournament favourite Gerwyn Price, who can now replace MVG as world number one by winning the title, faces Stephen Bunting in the first semi-final before Chizzy returns to the stage to take on former two-time world champion Gary Anderson.

Here we look back on how all four players got this far, their tournament statistics and head-to-head records, while we've now revealed our predictions and best bets.

World Championship: Saturday January 2

  • TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts (1800 GMT)
  • Semi-finals: Best of 11 sets, no tie-breakers in any set

Saturday darts double

  • Bunting (+1.5 sets) & Chisnall to win with most 180s at 4.25/1
  • Name the finalists: Bunting v Chisnall at 11/2
  • Scroll down for individual match bets
  • Click here to build your acca

Stephen Bunting (13/5) v Gerwyn Price (2/7)

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD (Bunting first)

  • Overall H2H: 3-6
  • Televised Meetings: 1-0
    13-12: 2019 World Matchplay (R1)
  • 2020 Meetings: 0-2
    3-7: Players Championship (SF, February 23)
    4-6: Players Championship (QF, November 12)
  • Senior Career PDC titles: 1-17
    Televised PDC Titles/Finals: 0/0 - 5/7
    Titles this season: 0-8 (TV: 0-3)
  • PDC Order of Merit: 3rd - 26th
  • Previous PDC World Championship appearances: 6 - 6
  • Previous PDC World Championship Best: Semi-Final (2020) - Quarter-Final (2015)

Stephen Bunting won their only previous major showdown when edging a World Matchplay classic in 2019 that went to a sudden death leg but Gerwyn Price holds the upper hand overall with six victories out of nine in all competitions.

Interestingly, on both occasions they met in 2020, the Iceman prevailed en route to picking up two of the four Players Championship titles won during the season, while Bunting last banked a winners' cheque in any PDC event way back in 2016.

This is Price's second successive World Championship semi-final having lost at this stage to Peter Wright 12 months ago but former Lakeside champion Bunting is competing in his first as he chases a maiden major final spot.

2021 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STATS (Bunting first)

  • Tournament Average: 96.73 - 96.74
    Tournament Best: 101.01 - 99.74
  • Total 180s: 26 - 27
    180s per leg: 0.24 - 0.27
    Most 180s in a match: 10 - 9 (x2)
  • 100+ checkouts (Highest): 10 (170) - 12 (160)
    Checkout percentage: 37.97%% (60/158) - 42.54% (57/134)
    Best match checkout: 52.78% (19/36) - 51.85% (14/27)
  • Sets won/lost: 16/10 - 16/10
    Legs won/lost: 60/50 - 57/43

There's little to split either player when it comes to their overall average throughout the tournament but Gerwyn Price holds the advantage when it comes to his rate of hitting 180s and indeed those blockbuster 100+ checkouts.

While he's only hit one more maximum and two more ton+ outs than Stephen Bunting , he has played 10 fewer legs throughout his journey while his finishing percentage is also noticeably higher.

ROUTES TO THE SEMI-FINALS

STEPHEN BUNTING

  • Rd 2: 3-2 Andy Boulton (1-3, 3-2, 3-0, 0-3, 3-2)
    Average: 92.98
    180s: 5
    Finishing Doubles: 10/28 (35.71%)
    100+ Checkouts: 148, 120, 109
  • R3: 4-2 James Wade (2-3, 1-3, 3-1, 3-1, 3-2, 3-2)
    Average: 93.18
    180s: 6
    Finishing Doubles: 15/49 (30.61%)
    100+ Checkouts: 121
  • R4: 4-3 Ryan Searle (3-1, 3-2, 2-3, 1-3, 3-0, 1-3, 3-2)
    Average: 98.08
    180s: 10
    Finishing Doubles: 16/45 (35.56%)
    100+ Checkouts: 110, 107
  • QF: 5-3 Krzystof Ratajski (3-1, 3-0, 3-2, 2-3, 3-2, 1-3, 1-3, 3-0)
    Average: 101.01
    180s: 5
    Doubles: 19/36 (52.78%)
    100+ Checkouts: 170, 127, 116, 106

Stephen Bunting has survived two last-leg deciders to get this far but he was pretty nerveless on both occasions. An 11-darter finished off Andy Boulton in round two when his opponent waited on 81 while he also withstood intense pressure to pin tops for a 13-darter against Ryan Searle, who had just scored 170 to leave 16 in a superb crescendo to a thriller.

The Bullet also defied a nine-darter from James Wade during his run of winning four sets on the trot from 2-0 down, but he saved his best performance by far to take out the dangerous Krzystof Ratajski and reach the World Championship semi-finals for the first time. His average of 101 would cause anyone problems while his reeling in of the Big Fish was the highlight of his breathtaking finishing. If he's on the upward curve and growing in confidence, then Gerwyn Price could be in trouble.

GERWYN PRICE

  • Rd 2: 3-2 Jamie Lewis (1-3, 3-1, 3-1, 0-3, 3-0)
    Average: 91.97
    180s: 5
    Doubles: 10/29 (34.48%)
    100+ Checkouts: 160, 116, 104, 100
  • R3: 4-3 Brendan Dolan (3-2, 0-3, 3-0, 2-3, 3-0, 2-3, 3-2)
    Average: 99.74
    180s: 9
    Doubles: 16/32 (50%)
    100+ Checkouts: 170, 138
  • R4: 4-1 Mervyn King (3-0, 1-3, 3-0, 3-1, 3-0)
    Average: 97.71
    180s: 4
    Doubles: 14/27 (51.85%)
    100+ Checkouts: 148, 116, 115
  • QF: 5-4 Daryl Gurney (3-1, 3-0, 1-3, 1-3, 3-1, 3-2, 0-3, 0-3, 3-2)
    Average: 96.36
    180s: 9
    Doubles: 17/36 (36.96%)
    100+ Checkouts: 143, 108, 107

If nothing else, Gerwyn Price has proved what a tremendous competitor he is in the heat of intense battle, even when he's struggling to produce the kind of form that has helped him win so many titles this season.

Three of his four matches have gone the full distance in sets and two of those - against Brendan Dolan and Daryl Gurney - went to sudden death legs, with Price pinching them both then his opponents waited on 72 and 52 respectively.

That means of the 15 matches in the entire tournament that reached deciding legs, Bunting and Price have been involved in four of them! Can we expect a similar scenario tonight?

The Iceman, who can now become world number one if he lifts the trophy, did beat Mervyn King at a canter but even then his average of 97.71 won't exactly strike fear into Bunting and he'll need to up his game to the standards we expect of him if he's to win this one much earlier than the 11th set.

PREDICTION AND BEST BET

As you can see from the stats and analysis in the previous sections, this could be a lot closer than the odds suggest and I really feel it could be one of those occasions we get a surprise finalist that nobody saw coming.

The former BDO world champion has openly spoken about how close he came to walking away from the sport having struggled to fulfil his rich potential in the PDC over the past few years but he's worked hard on the practice board and with sports psychologists in an attempt to turn his career around.

Bunting, who frequently mentions how much confidence his new Target darts have given him, has also been revelling in the role of being the outsider, saying: "I've looked at the bookies' odds [before the quarter-finals]. I was the total outsider for the whole event, which was great for me. I know I'm playing well, I know what I can do. Let people write me off at their own peril, because I'm here to win this. I'm not here to make the numbers up."

Anyone who finds themselves stumbling Darts Gold on Sky Sports from time to time will have seen 'that' quarter-final defeat to Raymond van Barneveld in 2015 countless times as well as the post-match interview on stage where the Dutchman tells everyone what a star Bunting will be. Whenever it comes on I wonder whether Bunting quickly turns off the TV in regret that he hasn't lived up to that hype, but now he suddenly has the chance to do just that.

The Liverpool fan told Sky Sports: "I'm a bit like Jurgen Klopp, to be honest. I'm the normal person. I'm the normal one. I'd love to win this title. It would mean the world to me."

As already mentioned in previous sections, Gerwyn Price has not looked the same formidable force during his road to the semi-finals as he's looked for large periods of the season and the Bullet will hold no fears.

I'm going for Bunting on the handicap as well as a bolder bet for him to win with Price hitting the most 180s at 8/1, while the Match Action targets below are also easily attainable by both players at evens.

  • Score Prediction: Bunting 6-5 Price
  • Suggested Bets
    Bunting (+1.5 sets) at 13/8
    Bunting win and Price hit most 180s at 8/1
    Match to have over 31.5 legs, highest checkout to be over 130.5 and over 16.5 total 180s at evens

Dave Chisnall (8/11) v Gary Anderson (11/10)

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD (Chisnall first)

At first glance, Gary Anderson obviously has the superior head-to-head record but it's nothing compared to the dominance that Michael van Gerwen had over Dave Chisnall prior to last night's demolition job!

This is seemingly a new Chizzy with a stronger mindset and having overcome that huge mental block against the world number one in some style, he'll be focused to do the same against the Flying Scotsman.

In any case, when it comes to these head-to-head records, they haven't played each other since December 2018 so the reliability is very limited.

2021 TOURNAMENT STATS (Chisnall first)

  • Tournament Average: 101.64 - 96.26
    Tournament Best: 107.34 - 101.07
  • Total 180s: 38 - 20
    180s per leg: 0.45 - 0.24
    Most 180s in a match: 10 (x2) - 6
  • 100+ checkouts (Highest): 7 (144 x2) - 9 (161)
    Checkout percentage: 45.95% (51/111) - 40% (52/128)
    Best match checkout %: 50% (13/26) - 52.17% (12/23)
  • Sets won/lost: 16/5 - 16/5
    Legs won/lost: 51/34 - 52/30

Two 100+ averages - including a 107 against MVG - and another just shy of 99.69 means Dave Chisnall has the highest tournament average of the remaining four players by quite some distance.

Even his lowest of 97.45 was higher than three of Gary Anderson's four while the rate of 180s he's been throwing is on another level compared to the rest with 38 from just 85 legs played!

He's also been considerably more clinical on his finishing than the Flying Scotsman, who can at least say he's leading the 100+ checkout count with nine from his 82 legs including the highest of 161.

Both players will feel pretty fresh tonight having remarkably only lost five sets apiece each while Anderson won't have to worry about being involved in such a long arduous affair like he did with Mensur Suljovic on Monday - even if this goes to 11 sets!

ROUTES TO THE SEMI-FINALS

DAVE CHISNALL

  • Rd 2: 3-1 Keegan Brown (2-3, 3-2, 3-1, 3-2)
    Average: 97.45
    180s: 6
    Doubles: 11/25 (44%)
    100+ Checkouts: 144
  • R3: 4-2 Danny Noppert (0-3, 0-3, 3-0, 3-1, 3-1, 3-0)
    Average: 99.69
    180s: 11
    Doubles: 12/29 (41.38%)
    100+ Checkouts: N/A (Highest: 81)
  • R4: 4-2 Dimitri Van den Bergh (3-1, 3-1, 3-2, 0-3, 1-3, 3-1)
    Average: 101.76
    180s: 7
    Doubles: 13/26 (50%)
    100+ Checkouts: 144, 106, 102
  • QF: 5-0 Michael van Gerwen (3-1, 3-2, 3-2, 3-1, 3-1)
    Average: 107.34
    180s: 14
    Doubles: 15/31 (48.39%)
    100+ Checkouts: 141, 130, 114

Dave Chisnall has stormed into his first ever World Championship semi-final without any scares and that's probably the best way for a player with so many battle scares from past major disappointments to finally get the job done.

He doesn't want to be embroiled in any drama in terms of last set deciders so instead he's been blasting out of the blocks - apart from against Danny Noppert when he lost the opening six legs before winning nine of the next 11 - and never looking back.

The perfect example of this was against Michael van Gerwen, who he hadn't beaten in 27 previous meetings dating back to February 2016. Five of those had come in his seven career televised finals and it certainly felt as if his fast style played perfectly into van Gerwen's hands.

Not this time, however. He showed no sign of wobbles during the two sets that went to deciding legs before blitzing him 3-1 in each of the last two sets to ensure there was no drama other than his astonishing standard of darts.

He needs to go out there with exactly the same attitude against another fast and furious player in Anderson, and ensure it complements his ability rather than the other way round.

GARY ANDERSON

  • Rd 2: 3-1 Madars Razma (3-0, 1-3, 3-1, 3-2)
    Average: 96.86
    180s: 4
    Doubles: 10/26 (38.46%)
    100+ Checkouts: 161, 101
  • R3: 4-3 Mensur Suljovic (3-2, 2-3, 3-2, 0-3, 0-3, 3-0, 3-0)
    Average: 92.49
    180s: 5
    Doubles: 14/47 (29.79%)
    100+ Checkouts: 156, 130, 106, 102
  • R4: 4-0 Devon Petersen (3-0, 3-2, 3-2, 3-0)
    Average: 95.55
    180s: 5
    Doubles: 12/23 (52.17%)
    100+ Checkouts: 160
  • QF: 5-1 Dirk van Duijvenbode (1-3, 3-1, 3-0, 3-0, 3-1, 3-2)
    Average: 101.07
    180s: 6
    Doubles: 16/32 (50%)
    100+ Checkouts: 131, 127

Aside from all the controversy that followed his bizarre battle with Mensur Suljovic on Monday night, Gary Anderson has coasted into his sixth World Championship semi-final with very little fuss and has shown very little sign of the injuries or consistency issues that had led him to 'write off' the season.

He dropped a combined 11 legs against Devon Petersen and Dirk van Duijvenbode, who have both been two of the breakthrough stars of 2020, thanks largely to his ruthless finishing of over 50% which was a significant improvement on what he managed against Madars Razma and Mensur Suljovic.

He'll certainly need to be this clinical with the chances he gets tonight, especially if Chizzy continues to pile on the pressure with his astounding rate of scoring.

PREDICTION AND BEST BET

For anyone backing Dave Chisnall to win tonight, you've simply got to throw the 180s in as well for the statistics and reasons given above.

If both players can play to the form we saw last night and we see at least 10 sets then the 'most 180s in a World Championship match' record of 42 - which was set by Anderson and MVG in the 2017 final - could also be under threat. Anderson's tally of 22 that night is the most that any individual has ever managed in a single game and we've already seen Joe Cullen go close with 19 against Michael van Gerwen.

For Chizzy to hit 14 in just five sets featuring 22 legs last night is astonishing and works out at 0.64 per leg. While we won't be able to expect that kind of level to be sustained for a match potentially double the length, I still think a record breaking feat could easily be on the cards.

Both players have also been highly impressive on their 100+ checkouts so the match action targets - as well as Chizzy's player performance ones - should be comfortably attainable although with that bet it obviously doesn't matter who wins.

  • Score Prediction: Chisnall 6-4 Anderson
  • Suggested Bets
    Chisnall to win with most 180s at evens
    Dave Chisnall to win the match, score over 10.5 180s and checkout over 118.5 at 13/8
    Match to have over 37.5 legs, highest checkout to be over 145.5 and over 22.5 total 180s at 11/4

CLICK HERE FOR FULL TOURNAMENT DRAW, RESULTS & SCHEDULE

More World Darts Championship content