Premier League Darts: Predictions & betting tips for MVG v Rob Cross from three-time world champion John Part

The new season of Premier League Darts kicks off in Dublin on Thursday night and three-time world champion John Part has linked up with us for a third successive year to bring you his insightful week-by-week predictions and betting tips.

Scroll further down for those, which include a 33/1 tip for MVG v Cross and a 7/1 treble, but throughout the season Darth Maple will also be the key ingredient of our all-new Sporting Life Darts Podcast (available for FREE on itunes and soundcloud) which features our resident darts expert Chris Hammer (who is still dining out on tipping Rob Cross to win the World Championship at 16/1!) and host Dom Newton-Collinge, who, let's just say, doesn't yet know his Shanghai from his 'big fish'.

On this week's show the trio discuss the fresh looking line-up, John's memories of playing in Dublin, a host of season-long bets, this week's predictions, why listening to music at the oche should be allowed, and how Gerwyn Price tries to use his 'best body in darts' to gain an advantage over his opponents.

Click here to listen to episode one of the Sporting Life Darts Podcast for free!

Scroll down for his week one treble and predictions

John Part's Week One treble & best bets

TREBLE: Mensur Suljovic, Raymond van Barneveld and Peter Wright at 7/1 - click here to back it at Sky Bet!

• Mensur Suljovic to win, hit over 1.5 180s & over 82.5 checkout - Back it at 2/1 with Sky Bet!
• Peter Wright to beat Gerwyn Price - 8/13 with Sky Bet!
• Raymond van Barneveld to beat Daryl Gurney - 11/10 with Sky Bet!
• Michael Smith to hit more 180s than Gary Anderson - 11/8 with Sky Bet!
• Michael Smith to win, score over 2.5 180s and checkout over 66.5 - 5/1 with Sky Bet!
• Rob Cross to win, score over 5.5 180s & checkout over 121.5 - 33/1 with Sky Bet!
• Raymond van Barneveld to win the title - 40/1 with Sky Bet!

Part's Predictions: Who will win the Premier League?

It's so hard to predict - the first job is to figure out who will make the semi-finals and then who is best equipped to win from there.

I think we have to two clear-cut performance favourites in Michael van Gerwen and Rob Cross - although MVG more so.

He's been in all these types of venues many times before and he's been a great number one and world champion - when he has been.

I really see him winning it in the end because he is that good.

Rob Cross is the world champ but he's still developing and a work in progress.

Sure he can get better but he can have some hiccups and some growing pains under the world's expectations.

If he hadn't won the world title and still been selected, he wouldn't be far off his current odds because the consistency level of his high averages means he should make the top four.

It might be harder for him being in the Premier League as the world champion rather than the up-and-comer because expectations levels will put so much pressure on him and what he feels he ought to achieve.

He doesn't yet own MVG by any means just because of what happened at the worlds - it's still the other way around considering he has lost nearly all of the other matches between them.

Raymond van Barneveld is the best outsider at a Price Boosted 40/1 with Sky Bet.

He has all the experience and looked really good at the Masters over the weekend.

He senses this is another good opportunity to get another title or at least figure prominently. In his mind he ought to be finishing in the top four.

He's the best value of the outsiders, for sure.

Mensur Suljovic (10/11) v Simon Whitlock (2/1)

I like Suljovic here at almost even money.

He's looking strong and steady and I don't think Whitlock, who likes to get on with his game, likes the whole slow Suljovic experience.

I know he did beat him at the Grand Prix but that was the first time in a while and it also had the variation of double in double out.

The only thing that worries me about Mensur is he can have a slow start in these short formats and that could be a trouble over the season.

But having worked so hard to get back into the Premier League, Whitlock has the pressure of trying to justify his selection and stay in it - and that could put too much weight on him.

I like the player performance bet for Suljovic to win, over 1.5 180s and over 82.5 checkout at 2/1. That's pretty reasonable if you want more than even-money for him just to win. He should meet those other criteria.

Gary Anderson (1/2) v Michael Smith (4/1)

I'm concerned about Gary not always coming out of the gates flying as far as I can remember and he's better motivated in general against people he dislikes.

That anger works for him although that hasn't stopped him producing great darts against other players. And a match which sticks in my mind was when he played Michael Smith in the Grand Slam of Darts last year. He was down but then produced all kinds of crazy darts to smash him up.

The other thing that bothers me is the talk over his bad back and how that affected him at the World Championship and then the Masters this past weekend.

At his age, when you start making adjustments to solve one problem it can be a dangerous spiral because it affects your game in other areas. The injury worries have become a conscious distraction for him.

That said I don't always believe Gary. He doesn't build himself up - he tries to take pressure off himself in this way sometimes.

I don't like this match in terms of just picking a winner but I would side with Michael Smith to hit most 180s at 11/8 and the low player performance bet for him.

He only needs to get over 2.5 180s, over 65.5 checkout and a win at 5/1 - which is a great bet if it is his day and an off-day for Anderson.

Daryl Gurney (15/8) v Raymond van Barneveld (11/10)

Daryl Gurney is back in Dublin where he had his greatest success at the World Grand Prix but since then he didn't have a great World Championship or a good Masters.

There's a lot of pressure on him to be this great new player and potential world champ - and it seems to be telling on him judging on recent performances.

This will continue to be an issue for him because he's still growing as a player.

It's a tough world right now in the pro game and it's been harsh on some of the guys who have fallen out of the Premier League, hence why we've got this fresh line-up.

I kind of like Barney a lot in this one - and will back him just to win at 11/10.

Although you'd think the Dublin venue suits Gurney, the sheer size and spectacle of that audience might be overwhelming for him.

If anyone can get the crowd away from an Irishman in Ireland - it's Barney, especially if he plays well and steady like he did at the weekend.

Michael van Gerwen (8/13) v Rob Cross (7/2)

Michael tries a little too hard against Rob Cross because he recognises the threat.

But if he just players to his usual ability it should be enough.

This is all new to Cross and this particular style of tournament and it'll be interesting to see how he holds up.

It's a really good - yet scary - venue for getting your heart pumping but it will be tough for him to open up against the world number one.

I think this match will go deep, with a lot of legs, but I don't want to pick a winner at the standard prices as it could even be a draw.

So it could be a chance to nail a big one - at 33/1.

That's for Rob Cross to win, hit over 5.5 180s and a checkout of over 121.5.

If you want a 'silly' bet, that isn't as silly as the price would suggest you're getting. I'm not saying it will happen but can see it happening - it's a distinct possibility. And 33/1 is a good price.

Probably MVG edges a close game or it's a draw, but if Rob does win, those numbers could come in for him.

Peter Wright (8/13) v Gerwyn Price (3/1)

Gerwyn Price likes to stir things up with everybody but Peter Wright is pretty-level headed and calm.

Snakebite has a great record against Price and I'm going to back him here despite the questions about his health, weight loss and the changing of his darts.

I'm not sure how well he'll perform numbers wise but I expect him to use his experience to work the crowd in Dublin and get the win.

It's 8/13 but it's a decent price against someone he hasn't lost to in the last seven going back to 2016.

Where he goes from here I'm not too sure but the cards are stacked in his favour on this occasion.

Click here to listen to episode one of the Sporting Life Darts Podcast for free!

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