Michael Smith and Gerwyn Price (Picture: Kieran Cleeves/PDC)

Premier League Darts 2023: Night 12 predictions, betting tips, acca, order of play and Sky Sports TV time

By Chris Hammer

Darts

Thu April 20, 2023 · 3y ago

The Cazoo Premier League Darts season continues in Rotterdam on Thursday so check out Chris Hammer's match-by-match guide to the action.

Darts betting tips: Premier League night 12

1pt Dobey to beat Clayton and hit most 180s at 5/2 (Sky Bet, Paddy Power)

1pt over 8.5 legs, a checkout over 101.5 and more than 4.5 180s in Smith v Price (Sky Bet)

1pt Dimitri Van den Bergh to beat Peter Wright at 6/5 (General)

SL Acca: Dobey, Price and Van den Bergh all to win at 7/1 with Sky Bet

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

https://m.skybet.com/lp/acq-bet-x-get-30?sba_promo=ACQBXG30&aff=681&dcmp=SL_ACQ_BXG30

Thursday April 20: Night 12

TV Coverage: Sky Sports (1900 GMT)
Format: Quarter-Finals, best of 11 legs
Venue: Rotterdam Ahoy

Chris Dobey (6/5) v Jonny Clayton (4/6)

Head to Head: 4-5 (TV: 0-2)
2023 Head to Head: 0-1 (TV: 0-1)
PL Average: 96.86 - 94.34
PL 180s per leg: 0.29 - 0.21
PL checkout percentage: 40.96% - 42.64%
Legs won with 100+ checkout: 14.70% - 8.04%

If you'd told Chris Dobey ahead of night nine in Berlin that he'd average 99, 106 and 103 in his next three Premier League quarter-finals, he would have expected at least two wins.

Instead he arrives in Rotterdam on the back of three successive defeats and seven points adrift of Jonny Clayton, who currently holds the last play-off spot following his resurgence which began by triumphing in Berlin.

And although the Ferret's six-match winning streak was eventually ended by Michael Smith in last week's quarter-finals, he quickly bounced back to weigh in with some highly-impressive performances during the Players Championship weekend - winning eight of his 10 matches and averaging over 100 on four occasions, including a pair of 108s.

Dobey didn't win as many matches - four to be precise - but he too fired in some big numbers and managed three ton+ averages so his performance levels must not be overlooked.

It could well be a high-class start to the night and I'm going for Dobey to upset the odds somewhat and also hit most 180s considering his maximum per leg this season is significantly higher than Clayton's.

Scoreline prediction: 6-4

CLICK HERE to back Dobey to win and hit most 180s with Sky Bet

Michael Smith (13/10) v Gerwyn Price (4/7)

Head to Head: 21-19, 2 draws (TV: 11-9, 2 draws)
2023 Head to Head: 2-3 (TV: 1-2)
PL Average: 96.98 - 97.99
PL 180s per leg: 0.35 - 0.31
PL checkout percentage: 37.59% - 40.84%
Legs won with 100+ checkout: 13.40% - 6.4%

Gerwyn Price is playing the best darts on the planet at the moment and Michael Smith isn't too far behind, so expect some fireworks between the pair in Rotterdam.

This is of course a repeat of last week's final in Brighton where the Iceman averaged over 100 for the third time on the night to clinch his fourth Premier League nightly title of the season to close the gap on Michael van Gerwen to just two points.

Price, who also reached a PL personal best of 115.97 against Chris Dobey and 108 vs MVG, has now produced 16 ton+ averages in his last 20 matches in all competitions which is (*insert expletive here*) phenomenal!

He's dropped below 100 once in his last nine matches and that was 99.85!

The Welshman missed the weekend's Players Championship tournaments to enjoy a well-earned holiday in Tenerife so it'll be interesting to see if the R&R makes him a little rusty or even more energised to maintain his incredible levels.

Smith has also been abroad too this week, but he went further afield to Las Vegas, where he's been sharing photos of him in jacuzzis, smoking cigars and winning $12,000 jackpots in the casinos!

He'd have struggled to win that much at the weekend's Pro Tour events but he'd love to add a further £10,000 to his earnings by winning another Premier League night in Rotterdam.

All things considered, I think two happy, relaxed and confident players can give us a fair amount of fireworks but I'm going to give the edge to Price.

Scoreline prediction: 4-6

CLICK HERE to back over 8.5 legs, a checkout over 101.5 and more than 4.5 180s with Sky Bet

Dimitri Van den Bergh (6/5) v Peter Wright (4/6)

Head to Head: 4-12, 1 draw (TV: 2-3, 1 draw)
2023 Head to Head: 1-0 (TV: 1-0)
PL Average: 95.96 - 94.75
PL 180s per leg: 0.27 - 0.23
PL checkout percentage: 39.32% - 39.26%
Legs won with 100+ checkout: 9.09% - 14.02%

We've probably reached the point in the season when Dimitri Van den Bergh and Peter Wright are both drinking in last chance saloon and the loser may have to kiss their play-off chances goodbye.

I've not done the maths but whoever is bottom after tonight will surely need to win three of the remaining four nights and the way they've been playing, that really isn't likely.

I can't quite get my head round the fact that Wright has managed just one 100+ average in his last 25 matches in all competitions and Van den Bergh has managed it just once in his last 16. I know averages are just a guide but you'd normally expect to see way more A-level standard performances from players of this calibre.

Van den Bergh, who won their previous Premier League meeting earlier this season, did at least find some winning momentum at the weekend when reaching the Players Championship 10 semi-finals, when he lost a last-leg decider to eventual winner Dirk van Duijvenbode while he averaged in the high 90s for the day.

Wright decided to rest up again and hasn't featured in a floor event since February 12 so you have to wonder if he's 'over' managing his calendar and potentially taking too many breaks. That said, he can't win from that perspective. If he plays in too many of them, some will say he's too old and needs to take more rest!

I'm going to give the nod to van den Bergh here but I'm not sure he'd go much further than the semi-finals, especially if he runs into Michael van Gerwen, who he's never beaten on TV.

Scoreline prediction: 6-4

Michael van Gerwen (1/3) v Nathan Aspinall (9/4)

Head to Head: 14-6, 1 draw (TV: 10-3, 1 draw)
2023 Head to Head: 3-1 (TV: 3-1)
PL Average: 98.56 - 95.84
PL 180s per leg: 0.31 - 0.33
PL checkout percentage: 38.99% - 33.60%
Legs won with 100+ checkout: 9.92% - 12.04%

It's been a relatively quiet few weeks for Michael van Gerwen in terms of winning titles and Premier League nights but don't let that fool you into thinking he's been playing poorly.

Since winning a Players Championship event on March 19, MVG's hopes of success in all competitions have been ended five times by an inspired Gerwyn Price while Jonny Clayton is the only other player to have beaten him in his last 20 matches - and that happened twice.

He's averaged over 100 in eight of these matches and only dropped below 95 four times, so he's a very fair favourite to overcome Nathan Aspinall for the fourth time out of five this season.

The Asp is enjoying a very solid Premier League campaign and is well in the mix to reach the play-offs but MVG has a point to prove as he seeks his first five-point haul in this event since March 9 in Liverpool.

Scoreline prediction: 6-4

The Premier League Darts table after week 11

Premier League Darts 2023: Averages, 180s and checkout statistics

After week 11

TOURNAMENT AVERAGE

Michael van Gerwen: 98.05
Michael Smith: 97.39
Gerwyn Price: 96.73
Chris Dobey: 96.54
Dimitri Van den Bergh: 96.00
Nathan Aspinall: 95.71
Jonny Clayton: 94.47
Peter Wright: 93.85

MOST 180s & 180s PER LEG

Michael van Gerwen: 61 (0.29)
Michael Smith: 56 (0.33)
Nathan Aspinall: 56 (0.33)
Gerwyn Price: 54 (0.28)
Chris Dobey: 41 (0.29)
Dimitri Van den Bergh: 37 (0.27)
Jonny Clayton: 37 (0.22)
Peter Wright: 25 (0.20)

DOUBLES AND CHECKOUT PERCENTAGE

Jonny Clayton: 83/196 (42.35%)
Chris Dobey: 66/160 (41.25%)
Peter Wright: 53/132 (40.15%)
Gerwyn Price: 107/268 (39.93%)
Dimitri Van den Bergh: 68/171 (39.77%)
Michael van Gerwen: 120/310 (38.70%)
Michael Smith: 82/222 (36.94%)
Nathan Aspinall: 78/227 (34.36%)

100+ CHECKOUTS, HIGHEST CHECKOUTS & % LEGS WON WITH 100+ CHECKOUT

Michael van Gerwen: 12 (10.0% legs won with 100+ checkout)
100+ Checkouts: 170, 150, 142, 125, 114, 112x2, 106, 106, 105, 104, 101
Michael Smith: 11 (13.41%)
100+ Checkouts: 148, 140, 137, 130, 122x2, 121x2, 115, 111, 110
Nathan Aspinall: 10 (12.82%)
100+ Checkouts: 143, 140, 136, 130, 116, 112, 110, 108, 100x2
Chris Dobey: 9 (13.63%)
100+ Checkouts: 170, 160, 148, 137, 121, 114, 112, 103, 100
Peter Wright: 9 (16.98%)
100+ Checkouts: 156, 133, 130, 125, 122, 121x2, 120, 116
Gerwyn Price: 7 (6.54%)
100+ Checkouts: 156, 138, 116, 110, 106, 100x2
Dimitri Van den Bergh: 6 (8.82%)
100+ Checkouts: 140, 127x2, 126, 121x2
Jonny Clayton: 6 (5.60%)
100+ Checkouts: 142, 120x2, 116x2, 112