Chris Dobey and Michael van Gerwen (Picture: Jonas Hunold/PDC Europe)

PDC World Darts Championship 2023: Day 14 quarter-final predictions, betting tips, acca, order of play and TV time

By Carl Fletcher

Darts

Sun January 01, 2023 · 3y ago

The Cazoo World Darts Championship quarter-finals take place on New Year's Day so check out Carl Fletcher's match-by-match predictions, best bets and a suggested acca.

The eight remaining players return to the Ally Pally at the start of a new year to see if they can continue their quest for the Sid Waddell Trophy.

Here, we preview all four matches spanning two sessions...

Darts betting tips: World Championship day 14

1pt Clayton to win and Van Den Bergh to hit the most 180s at 9/4 (Sky Bet)

1pt both Price and Clemens to each have 2+ 100+ checkouts at 11/8 (Sky Bet)

2pts van Gerwen to win and Dobey to hit the most 180s at 11/10 (Sky Bet)

SL Acca: Van Den Bergh & Dobey to hit the most 180’s & Price (-2.5 sets) to win at 4/1 with Sky Bet

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

World Championship: Sunday, January 1

AFTERNOON SESSION

TV Coverage: Sky Sports, 1230 GMT
Round and Format: Quarter-Finals (Best of nine sets)
Statistics: The below stats are from this year's World Championship but the ones in brackets (courtesy of @CarlyFletch and his @DartsTracker) are their seasonal data. The averages and 180 per leg data is for all PDC events in 2022, while checkout percentage is for stage events only.

Dimitri Van Den Bergh (5/4) v Jonny Clayton (4/7)

Statistics are from this year's World Championship. The figures in brackets are their seasonal data.

Head to Head (TV): 7-5 (4-4)
2022 Head to Head (TV): 1-2 (1-1)
Three-Dart Average: 94.86 (95.66) - 96.51 (96.73)
180s per leg (2022): 0.24 (0.30) - 0.29 (0.23)
Checkout %: 47.14% (40.41) - 50.65% (40.90)
100+ checkout per leg won: 3.03% (11.10) - 7.69% (14.06)
Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 66.66% (23.31) - 66.66% (12.87)

The head-to-head record suggest there’s not much between these two at all. It slightly favours Dimitri at 7-5 but they can’t be split in televised games with them each winning four in their eight encounters.

Van den Bergh has seemingly reverted back to his old darts and looks a better player. He’s won 3-0, 4-1 and 4-0 to reach this quarter-final stage and hasn’t really had to be at his best although his 4-1 defeat of Krzysztof Ratajski probably flattered him a tiny bit. He’s averaging 94.86 for the event which he’s capable of stepping up on and may need to here.

Clayton has played 20 legs more than Van Den Bergh to reach this stage including an epic 4-3 victory over Josh Rock in the last round. Prior to that he’d beaten Danny Van Trijp 3-0 then Brendan Dolan 4-1, although every set in that latter game went to a deciding leg. Clayton seems to be doing the right things at the right time in his games and I think that could be significant here. He’s averaging 96.51 for the event so slightly higher than his Belgian opponent and I think he could just have too much in this one.

One other area to mention however is the 180 count. Over the course of 2022 Van Den Bergh has been hitting them at 0.30 per leg, higher than that of Clayton at 0.23 per leg and it is quite well known that ‘The Ferret’ is much more of a 140 hitter. In their three clashes this year, Clayton has won two but in each of these games it was the Belgian who won the 180 count by counts of 6-5, 6-2 and 4-0. This is forming the basis of the selection in this one.

Scoreline Prediction: 3-5

CLICK HERE to back Clayton to win and VDB to have most 180s with Sky Bet

Michael Smith (2/7) v Stephen Bunting (5/2)

Statistics are from this year's World Championship. The figures in brackets are their seasonal data.

Head to Head (TV): 5-8 (1-3)
2022 Head to Head (TV): 1-0 (0-0)
Three-Dart Average: 98.17 (96.83) - 98.01 (94.85)
180s per leg (2022): 0.32 (0.35) - 0.37 (0.29)
Checkout %: 40% (39.46) - 39.39% (34.04)
100+ checkout per leg won: 10.52% (10.20) - 20.51% (11.94)
Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 33.33% (32.00) - 66.66% (26.36)

There's been 13 previous meetings between these two and you might be surprised to learn that Bunting leads 8-3 - largely thanks to seven consecutive victories between the end of 2014 and 2018.

However, Smith edges that record by 2-1 in all meetings over the past two years, including their last two encounters and their only match this year.

Bully Boy came into this tournament as third favourite and the betting suggests it’s likely to be him or Gerwyn Price facing Michael van Gerwen in the final in a few nights time. He needs to be very weary of the threat of Stephen Bunting first however as ‘The Bullet’ has looked sublime in his last two matches.

ALSO READ: PAUL NICHOLSON'S REVIEW OF THE SEASON

Scroll down for Paul Nicholson's darting moments of the year

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO READ NICHOLSON'S REVIEW OF THE SEASON

Bunting defeated Dave Chisnall 4-2 with an average of 102.24 as ‘Chizzy’ was once again defied by a player in terrific form and then swept aside an under the weather Luke Humphries 4-1 in his latest game. He was always in control and never relented, ending up with a 99.43 average. A semi-finalist here two years ago he’ll be in buoyant mood and hoping to emulate that achievement with victory here.

There have been signs, however, of Smith starting to find his form and peaking at just the right time. He defeated Nathan Rafferty 3-0 in his opener without losing a leg, than found a late burst when looking bang in trouble against Martin Schindler, winning the last three sets to fightback and win 4-3. He then dispatched of Joe Cullen 4-1 with a 103.25 average and condemning a highly dangerous opponent to a straightforward defeat despite having everything thrown at him.

Smith hasn’t been hitting the maximums like you expect him to with just 19 so far, four less than Bunting in the event. He stated he was going to be practising to improve that aspect of his game after his latest victory and if he finds the range on the red bit, he should still be on course for back to back finals in this event.

Scoreline Prediction: 5-4

EVENING SESSION

TV Coverage: Sky Sports, 1900 GMT
Round and Format: Quarter-finals (Best of nine sets)
Statistics: The below stats are from this year's World Championship but the ones in brackets (courtesy of @CarlyFletch and his @DartsTracker) are their seasonal data. The averages and 180 per leg data is for all PDC events in 2022, while checkout percentage is for stage events only.

Gerwyn Price (1/5) v Gabriel Clemens (10/3)

Statistics are from this year's World Championship. The figures in brackets are their seasonal data.

Head to Head (TV): 4-0 (2-0)
2022 Head to Head (TV): 0-0 (0-0)
Three-Dart Average: 93.76 (97.44) - 95.96 (92.30)
180s per leg (2022): 0.29 (0.28) - 0.27 (0.27)
Checkout %: 34.31% (40.71) - 40.66% (34.13)
100+ checkout per leg won: 11.42% (14.98) - 16.21% (9.94)
Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 66.66% (24.67) - 100% (21.24)

These two have met four times previously and it is the Welshman who’s won on all four occasions with a leg count in his favour of 28-18.

Their last meeting was in the 2020 World Cup of Darts semi-final and that was won by Gerwyn Price 4-2 in the year Wales became champions. They also have two other significant meetings; the first being in a Players Championship final in 2019 when Price prevailed 8-4 but the second in the 2020 UK Open required a last leg decider for the Iceman to edge it 10-9. Clemens actually led 9-8 in that one but couldn’t get over the line as Price fired an 11 dart break of throw in the decider in a game that he hit 8 of his 13 attempts at double 20.

It was that particular double that posed all sorts of problems for him in his latest game as he hit just one of his 16 attempts at it. He’ll be hoping to find his range on that segment as that was crucial when he won this title two years ago. It didn’t stop him defeating Jose De Sousa 4-1 and building on his 3-1 and 4-0 victories over Luke Woodhouse and Raymond Van Barneveld respectively.

CRAZY DARTS MOMENTS OF 2022! Paul Nicholson's review of the year

Clemens rode his luck to some tune and survived a match dart from Jim Williams in his second game but he got over the line 4-3 in the end and that’s all that matters. That aside he was impressive in defeating William O’Connor 3-0 in his first game, who of course was the conqueror of Beau Greaves in the first round. He then produced a professional display to beat Alan Soutar in his latest game 4-1. After an exchange of sets in the first two, he won three successive sets to close out the game a bit closer than the scoreline suggests.

In each of his three games so far Clemens has registered two 100+ checkouts and Price has registered one, two and oneacross in his three games. Over this longer format I think he could definitely notch two himself when you consider he’s won almost 15% of his legs this year in this way. That’s the angle I like here where I think Price is plenty short enough against a dangerous opponent.

Scoreline Prediction: 5-2

CLICK HERE to back Price and Clemens to have 2+ 100+ checkouts each with Sky Bet

Michael Van Gerwen (1/7) v Chris Dobey (4/1)

Statistics are from this year's World Championship. The figures in brackets are their seasonal data.

Head to Head (TV): 11-1 (2-1)
2022 Head to Head (TV): 2-1 (1-1)
Three-Dart Average: 104.03 (98.43) - 95.66 (95.26)
180s per leg (2022): 0.31 (0.27) - 0.35 (0.31)
Checkout %: 42.53% (39.01) - 37.78% (31.88)
100+ checkout per leg won: 8.10% (13.78) - 11.76% (9.73)
Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 33.33% (26.71) - 66.66% (28.57)

The quarter-finals conclude with strong tournament favourite Michael Van Gerwen taking on Chris Dobey.

Van Gerwen’s price has shortened considerably as the event has unfolded thanks to opening up the event with three victories and three 100+ averages. Two of these games were routine victories over Lewy Williams and Dirk Van Duijvenbode but the other win was in a mesmeric match against Mensur Suljovic who threw the kitchen sink at Mighty Mike.

It’s not unexpected though as since Chris Dobey defeated him at the European Championship, MVG has played 14 games and averaged 100+ in 10 of them while his overall average in that run - which included the Players Championship Finals title - is a staggering 102.02. He’s looked imperious once again in this event and will take some stopping.

That aforementioned victory by Dobey in Dortmund was ‘Hollywood's’ sole success against the Dutchman after 11 consecutive defeats. With how confident he’s looked this week, perhaps it was a springboard for him to use to build upon here considering he wasn’t at his best to defeat Martijn Kleermaker 3-0 in his opener and has since defeated two ex-world champions in Gary Anderson and Rob Cross, the latter match he withstood a stunning barrage early on. Both are playing well, there’s no doubt about that.

During this event Van Gerwen is averaging 104.03 and hitting maximums at 0.31 per leg whereas Chris Dobey is averaging 95.66 and hitting maximums at 0.35 per leg. Dobey also boasts a better 180 per leg ratio over the year at 0.31 per leg compared to the 0.28 of ‘The Green Machine’.

Dobey will know he needs to produce something special to advance and his 180 hitting power will give him a chance. He’ll be buoyed by how Mensur Suljovic pushed MVG but ultimately I can see him falling just short.

Scoreline Prediction: 5-4