It's the final day of PDC World Darts Championship action before the Christmas break so check out Chris Hammer's match-by-match predictions, best bets and a suggested acca.
It's been a long wait for today's eight seeds to get their campaigns under way and Christmas will be ruined for any that lose.
Here, we look ahead to all eight matches with seasonal statistics to help...
Darts betting tips: World Championship day nine
1pt Over 4.5 180s in Dolan v Hendriks at evens (General)
1pt both Cross and Williams to hit five or more 180s at 9/4 (Sky Bet)
1pt Martin Schindler to win, hit most 180s and the highest checkout at 5/2 (Betfred)
1pt Danny Noppert to win, hit most 180s and the highest checkout at evens (General)
1pt Jonny Clayton to win, hit most 180s and the highest checkout at 12/5 (Paddy Power)
SL Acca: Cross, Schindler, Smith (-1.5 sets) and Clayton (-1.5 sets) all to win at 10/3 with Sky Bet
World Championship: Friday, December 23
AFTERNOON SESSION
- TV Coverage: Sky Sports, 1230 GMT
- Round and Format: Rounds 1 & 2 (Best of five sets)
- In the below stats (courtesy of @CarlyFletch) and his @DartsTracker), the averages and 180 per leg data is for all PDC events in 2022, while checkout percentage is for stage events only.
Brendan Dolan (2/9) v Jimmy Hendriks (3/1) (R2)
- Head to Head (TV): 0-0 (0-0)
- 2022 Head to Head (TV): 0-0 (0-0)
- Three-Dart Average (2022): 92.77 - 86.58
- 180s per leg (2022): 0.13 - 0.13
- Checkout % (Stage Events 2022): 34.07% - 29.73% (2023 Worlds)
- 100+ checkout per leg won (2022): 14.29% - 12.79%
- Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 14.58% - 7.46%
I really hope there weren't too many youngsters watching darts for the first time when Jimmy Hendriks played Jamie Hughes.
Those people won't be tuning in again any time soon and certainly won't be interested enough to be reading this preview of Hendriks' next match.
The Dutch debutant averaged 78 compared to his opponent's 79 and contributed 26 of the 56 missed darts at doubles in the match. At one point I think we were all worried it would never end.
Thankfully it did and I'll now stop wasting more time writing about it.
Brendan Dolan's methodical style of play means this clash is highly unlikely to set the pulses racing either and he arrives at the Ally Pally on the back of an uneventful season aside from winning his fourth Pro Tour event in as many years back in July.
The Northern Irishman crashed out at his first hurdle in last year's World Championship, Masters, UK Open, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and Players Championship Finals while he didn't qualify for the other televised majors.
WATCH: Paul Nicholson and Chris Hammer predict the Ally Pally draw!
That said, if he can perform close to his seasonal average of 92.77 then he should have enough but don't be surprised to see four or five sets.
Statistically, neither player are big maximum hitters with matching seasonal 180 per leg ratios of 0.13 and Hendriks only just exceeded that by firing in three in 18 legs against Hughes.
It's not asking a lot of any player competing at World Championship level to get at least two or three (even China's Xicheng Han managed four in 11 legs!) so I think the bookies offering even money for just five or more in any match is quite generous.
That happened in 23 of the 32 first-round matches and 17 of the 24 second-round encounters so far and we could well be adding this match to the list if we can get four or five keenly contested sets. If you think I'm completely barking up the wrong tree, it's 13/8 that there's under 3.5.
Scoreline Prediction: 3-1
Chris Dobey (2/5) v Martijn Kleermaker (5/2) (R2)
- Head to Head (TV): 1-0 (0-0)
- 2022 Head to Head (TV): 0-0 (0-0)
- Three-Dart Average (2022): 95.26 - 89.95
- 180s per leg (2022): 0.31 - 0.22
- Checkout % (Stage Events 2022): 31.88% - 37.39%
- 100+ checkout per leg won (2022): 9.73% - 11.47%
- Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 28.57% - 20.65%
I don't want to get involved in Martijn Kleermaker games.
His 130 checkout against Joe Cullen in a deciding set of a thrilling encounter this time 12 months ago caused me to accidentally break my TV with a swizzle lolly and last time out he was unable to complete my 'match treble' tip in a ridiculously easy 3-0 victory over Xicheng Han.
The giant Dutchman now has another opportunity to drive me mad when coming up against my pre-tournament quarter four tip, Chris Dobey, but I'm still hopeful of a stress free second-round tie.
The Northumberland man is third favourite to come through his mini section behind Rob Cross and Gary Anderson but statistically he's not far behind either, with a seasonal averages of 95.58 compared to 96.58 and 95.70 respectively, while he's been churching out a lot of wins in the second half of 2022 despite not turning his form into titles.
Dobey played very well in reaching the World Grand Prix quarter-finals, where he suffered at the hands of an inspired MVG, but he would get his revenge over the world number three for the first time in his career at the European Championship en route to the semis.
Dobey has reached the fourth round in three of the last four years, losing 4-3 thrillers on each occasion, but let's hope this is more one-sided.
Kleermaker's seasonal average in the high 80s is similar to what he managed in each round of last year's surprising run to the fourth round but Dobey's levels should be too much for him.
Scoreline Prediction: 3-1
Ross Smith (1/6) v Darius Labanauskas (7/2) (R2)
- Head to Head (TV): 2-1 (0-0)
- 2022 Head to Head (TV): 1-0 (0-0)
- Three-Dart Average (2022): 94.10 - 89.27
- 180s per leg (2022): 0.34 - 0.10
- Checkout % (Stage Events 2022): 38.83% - 24.64%
- 100+ checkout per leg won (2022): 11.11% - 12.14%
- Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 26.17 % - 2.50%
Ross Smith has become formidable force in recent months and he should have far too much firepower for Darius Labanauskas.
The European champion is one of the most prolific 180 hitters on the circuit and even managed to hit nine in an unforgettable 5-4 defeat to Michael van Gerwen at the Grand Slam of Darts, with one coming in every leg.
It would be easy to suggest going high on maximums when Smith is involved but I wouldn't be surprised if there's only around 12 legs in this clash given the gulf in clash and it'll be a tall order for him to get much more than five.
And you can't expect his Lithuanian opponent to weigh in with many either and boost the match count. He managed two in 22 legs during his arduous 3-2 victory John O'Shea, in which he averaged just 84, and his seasonal 180 per leg ratio of 0.10 is one of the lowest on the circuit.
Scoreline Prediction: 3-0
Rob Cross (2/5) v Scott Williams (7/4) (R2)
- Head to Head (TV): 1-1 (0-0)
- 2022 Head to Head (TV): 1-1 (0-0)
- Three-Dart Average (2022): 96.58 - 92.91
- 180s per leg (2022): 0.26 - 0.31
- Checkout % (Stage Events 2022): 37.92 - 40.79%
- 100+ checkout per leg won (2022): 13.13 - 11.64%
- Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 21.57% - 25%
This could be a real Christmas cracker to end the afternoon session as former champion Rob Cross comes up against the blossoming late developer Scott Williams.
Voltage, who has also won the World Matchplay and European Championship (twice) since he lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy five years ago, has shown some encouraging signs this season that more majors are just around the corner in a career that keeps going up and down like a yo-yo.
Cross reached three European Tour finals in the first half of 2022 - losing to Michael van Gerwen and Luke Humphries (twice) - and won a couple of Pro Tour titles in the second half, while he ended his run of early exits in the majors by reaching the climax of the Players Championship Finals last month.
He produced some brilliant performances in Minehead - averaging 104 in a 10-3 victory over Dirk van Duijvenbode in the quarter-finals, 98 against Jonny Clayton in the semis and even reached 100 during his 11-6 defeat to a relentless MVG.
His seasonal average of 96.58 puts him inside the top 10 and is superior to Williams' 93.
However his opponent managed a sparking 100.32 in a pulsating 3-1 victory over Ryan Joyce that featured a whopping 17 maximums, including 10 from Williams, while he also weighed in with a 164 checkout and pinned over 55% of his doubles.
To do that on debut made his display all the more impressive and there were certainly no signs of stage fright at any point.
The 32-year-old didn't have a Tour Card this season but he regularly featured in Players Championship events as a second or third reserve and even managed to win one of them back in June when beating Nathan Aspinall in the final.
Numerous other lengthy runs enabled him to pick up enough prize money to qualify for the Ally Pally via the Pro Tour Order of Merit so there won't have been many fans shocked by how well he performed the other night.
Both players have prolific 180 per leg stats this season and although Williams has the superior ratio of 0.31, Cross fired in 32 across 84 legs at the Players Championship Finals (0.38 per leg) - including 10 against MVG - which underlines how dangerous his scoring power can be.
If we can see at least four sets in this one, then the 9/4 about them both to hit five or more has a very strong chance.
Scoreline Prediction: 3-2
EVENING SESSION
- TV Coverage: Sky Sports, 1900 GMT
- Round and Format: Rounds 1 & 2 (Best of five sets)
- In the below stats (courtesy of @CarlyFletch) and his @DartsTracker), the averages and 180 per leg data is for all PDC events in 2022, while checkout percentage is for stage events only.
Martin Schindler (4/7) v Martin Lukeman (5/4) (R2)
- Head to Head (TV): 3-2 (0-0)
- 2022 Head to Head (TV): 2-2 (0-0)
- Three-Dart Average (2022): 94.95 - 92.36
- 180s per leg (2022): 0.33 - 0.19
- Checkout % (Stage Events 2022): 37.88% - 38.12%
- 100+ checkout per leg won (2022): 10.27% - 12.44%
- Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 34.29 - 21.43%
I didn't tip Martin Schindler in my pre-tournament preview as I do favour Michael Smith and Dave Chisnall in his section of the draw - but I did stress how he could be the potential spoiler for me.
I'd flagged him up in previous previews, acknowledging that nerves or pressure on the big stage are frustratingly holding him back from performing to the fantastic levels he shows away from the TV cameras. Incredible he's never
The German has lost all three of his first-round games at the Ally Pally and until the recent Players Championship Finals, he'd failed to go beyond the second round of any major except the UK Open, when many of the early rounds are played away from the main stage. In fact, he's lost 10 of his 17 opening-round matches in majors and nine of his 12 round-robin games in the Grand Slam of Darts.
It's a crying shame really because he's enjoyed some great runs on the European Tour and the Pro Tour this season and lost a Players Championship final to Michael van Gerwen back in March - so goodness knows what it is about the TV cameras rolling? He's one of the best 180 hitters around and also wins 34.29% of his matches in all competitions by brining up the 'treble' of most maximums and the high checkout. That's the third highest on tour behind Dirk van Duijvenbode and Damon Heta!
The Wall should have qualified from his Grand Slam of Darts group this year but seemingly choked at the finishing line against Rob Cross but picked up a couple of good wins at the Players Championship Finals to grow his confidence and that will stand him in good stead against an opponent of Martin Lukeman's lesser calibre.
No disrespect to debutant Lukeman, who has enjoyed the best ever year of his journeyman career by reaching a European Tour final back in April and qualifying in which a run to a European Tour final and qualifying for five major tournaments. He picked up a famous win over James Wade en route to the World Grand Prix quarter-finals but it was early exits in the others, including at the Players Championship Finals when he averaged just 83 against Dimitri Van den Bergh.
Against Nobuhiro Yamamoto, he didn't throw a single maximum in 12 legs and his high checkout was 68.
Most of their four games this season have been close, with both winning two each, but over a longer format, I'm fairly confident Schindler can dominate all areas of this contest.
Scoreline Prediction: 3-1
Danny Noppert (1/9) v David Cameron (5/1) (R2)
- Head to Head (TV): 0-0 (0-0)
- 2022 Head to Head (TV): 0-0 (0-0)
- Three-Dart Average (2022): 95.44 - 88.72
- 180s per leg (2022): 0.28 - 0.17
- Checkout % (Stage Events 2022): 40.33% - 28.21% (2023 Worlds)
- 100+ checkout per leg won (2022): 12.90% - 11.71 %
- Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 25.52% - Unavailable
Danny Noppert became a popular ante-post pick for World Championship glory earlier in the season when he won his maiden major title at the UK Open and he proved that was no flash in the pan by reaching the semi-finals of the World Matchplay as well as two quarter-final runs at the European Championship and Players Championship Finals.
In fact, it shows how far he's come over the past couple of seasons that he would have actually been disappointed with those latter two exits and a good run at the World Championship would go a very long way to securing a Premier League spot.
As a relatively quiet player with a lack of big stage persona or huge fanbase, he's currently relying on his darts to do the talking and so far that's serving him very well.
He's consistently challenging for titles on the floor and the stage so this test against David Cameron shouldn't prove too taxing, although the Canadian showed enough quality against Ritchie Edhouse to suggest he could nick a set.
The World Seniors Masters champion averaged in the high 80s despite only hitting 28% of his doubles and if he brushes up on the outer ring then he could thwart those who go for the 3-0 scorelines.
However, the 'Match Treble' could be a safer option when you consider Noppert has a very healthy 180 per leg ratio this season of 0.28 and he also wins just over a quarter of his matches in all competitions this way. Cameron only hit two maximums in 20 legs last time and although he managed a 102 checkout, the odds won't be in favour of throwing the highest if Noppert wins the vast majority of legs.
Scoreline Prediction: 3-1
Jonny Clayton (1/8) v Danny van Trijp (9/2) (R2)
- Head to Head (TV): 0-0 (0-0)
- 2022 Head to Head (TV): 0-0 (0-0)
- Three-Dart Average (2022): 96.73 - 88.92
- 180s per leg (2022): 0.23 - 0.23
- Checkout % (Stage Events 2022): 40.90% - 33.33% (2023 Worlds)
- 100+ checkout per leg won (2022): 14.06% - 7.21%
- Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 12.87% - Unavailable (but did it against Beaton)
Jonny Clayton may have been expecting to come up against Steve Beaton but instead he faces the much lesser known Danny van Trijp, who stunned the Bronzed Adonis 3-0 on his Ally Pally debut.
The Dutchman, who will head to Q School in January, plies his trade predominantly on the Challenge Tour, where his seasonal average was in the mid 80s, but he also managed to feature in half of the Players Championship events as a reserve when Tour Card holders withdrew.
Against Beaton, he averaged 87 and threw four maximums in the 13 legs played, so if he repeats that kind of ratio then punters will fancy him to have a fighting chance in the maximum markets.
Clayton may not have had his best season by any means having failed to win a ranking title and suffered early exits in all the majors except for the recent Players Championship Finals - but he did capture the televised New South Wales Darts Masters against James Wade and reached a couple of other finals.
More importantly, he found some momentum by reaching the last four in Minehead last month despite not playing to 100+ average levels and his seasonal mark of 96.73 is still inside the top 10.
He's found 180s hard to come by this year and his maximum per leg of 0.23 is the same as van Trijp but nevertheless, I'll still go for the match treble given he should score heavier and put his inexperienced opponent under the kind of pressure that will make it harder to find his range.
As for high checkout shooting, Clayton manages 100+ finishes in 14% of the legs he wins which is fifth highest on the tour, so if he wins most legs than that part of the treble should be relatively safe.
Scoreline Prediction: 3-1
Joe Cullen (1/4) v Ricky Evans (11/4) (R2)
- Head to Head (TV): 10-3 (1-1)
- 2022 Head to Head (TV): 2-0 (0-0)
- Three-Dart Average (2022): 94.44 - 91.34
- 180s per leg (2022): 0.30 - 0.21
- Checkout % (Stage Events 2022): 38.63% - 44.17%
- 100+ checkout per leg won (2022): 13.97% - 9.38%
- Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 27.85% - 18.75%
If Joe Cullen had maintained the hot streak of form he enjoyed in the first part of 2022 then he could well have headed to the Ally Pally as one of the leading favourites for glory.
The Rockstar broke his major drought back in January by winning the Masters and then two more Pro Tour titles followed before a memorable debut Premier League campaign ended with him coming agonisingly close to beating Michael van Gerwen in a thrilling final.
Such a hectic schedule understandably took it's toll as he ran out of steam over the next few months but a European Tour title in September and runs to the quarter-finals of the Grand Slam of Darts and Players Championship Finals gave his season a late lift.
His averages in those tournaments were similar to his seasonal mark of 94.44 and that's not a level that will strike fear into Ricky Evans, who defied the pressure and unfamiliar sound of boos to overcome Fallon Sherrock 3-1 last time out.
Rapid threw five 180s in the 19 legs played and also weighed in with a couple of 100+ checkouts so he is a danger to Cullen in the sub markets. This should be an entertaining clash to bring the curtain down for the Christmas break.
Scoreline Prediction: 3-1
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