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Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen (Picture: PDC)

World Matchplay darts 2024: Day three predictions, betting tips, acca, order of play and TV time

By Chris Hammer

21:37 · MON July 15, 2024

The 2024 Betfred World Matchplay continues at the Winter Gardens on Monday night so check out Chris Hammer's match-by-match predictions, best bets and a suggested acca.

Darts betting tips: World Matchplay day three

1pt both Michael Smith and Gary Anderson to hit 6+ 180s at 2/1 (Sky Bet)

1pt Luke Littler to beat MVG and hit most 180s at 6/4 (Sky Bet)

1pt Chris Dobey to beat Ritchie Edhouse and hit most 180s at 11/10 (Sky Bet)

SL Acca: 0.5pt Searle, Smith (+2.5), Littler & Dobey (-2.5) all to win at 8/1 with Sky Bet

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

Evening Session (1900 BST)

TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Format: First round, best of 19 legs

Damon Heta v Ryan Searle

Three-Dart Average (2024): 95.60 - 95.86
180s per leg (2024): 0.28 - 0.26
Checkout % (2024): 42.87% - 41.03%

Ryan Searle started the season like a train by reaching the first three Pro Tour finals of the season and picking up one title along the way thanks to a 107 average against Gary Anderson.

Heavy Metal hasn't gone beyond the quarter-final of any tournament since but he's consistently averaging in the mid-90s with a smattering of 100+ efforts so his form has hardly dropped off a cliff.

Damon Heta also picked up his sole title early on in the campaign but he's also thrown in some other blockbuster performances including a 106 average to knock Luke Littler out of the UK Open and then a monstrous 117.48 in a European Tour back in March.

Overall they are so very closely matched and it really good go either way in 'extra legs'.

Verdict: 9-11

CLICK HERE to bet on Heta v Searle with Sky Bet

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Michael Smith v Gary Anderson

Three-Dart Average (2024): 95.19 - 99.60
180s per leg (2024): 0.30 - 0.41
Checkout % (2024): 38.04% - 42.18%

I think most would strangely agree that while Gary Anderson is slightly more likely to win this match, Michael Smith would be a better bet to win the tournament.

When it comes to the statistics that everyone talks about the most the Flying Scotsman is the player of the season as he boasts the highest average across all competitions and has the most prolific 180 per leg rate at a whopping 0.41.

He's also reached three finals and won two of them, including his first on the European Tour for over a decade, but without taking too much away, it's all short format darts.

At his age, can he last the distance of the long format matches in the latter stages of this most elite of majors?

I'm not sure he can. But in best of 19, he can most certainly end Bully Boy's hopes in a close match that promises plenty of maximums.

Their brisk style compliments one another which explains why they've both beaten each other 15 times down the years and I wouldn't be surprised to see this go extra legs. It's 2/1 that both players achieve six 180s each and based on their maximum hitting prowess, that seems reasonably manageable.

Verdict: 11-9

CLICK HERE to back both players to hit 6+ 180s with Sky Bet

CLICK HERE to bet on Smith v Anderson with Sky Bet

Michael van Gerwen v Luke Littler

Three-Dart Average (2024): 97.03 - 98.26
180s per leg (2024): 0.28 - 0.35
Checkout % (2024): 40.21% - 40.99%

Luke Littler has already produced more magic moments - and more titles - than most players could ever dream of achieving and it would be extremely dangerous to assume that he's 'due' a quiet month!

He's picked up a title in every month so far and hit FOUR nine-darters on his various debuts on the Pro Tour, European Tour, World Series and, of course, his maiden Premier League final.

It's got to the point where we almost expect him do it again at some point during his debut World Matchplay en route to lifting the Phil Taylor Trophy - perhaps even tonight.

I've already advised 10/1 on him to hit the nine-darter during the campaign just like I did at the start of the Premier League but as far as this match is concerned, I fancy him to brush a struggling Michael van Gerwen aside and hit most 180s as well.

Although MVG has got the better of Littler in five of their nine meetings this year, he's averaging in the low 90s and 80s far too many times for his liking over the past couple of months while Littler's 180 per leg rate is far superior this season.

Verdict: 7-10

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

CLICK HERE to bet on MVG v Littler with Sky Bet

Chris Dobey v Ritchie Edhouse

Three-Dart Average (2024): 96.76 - 92.71
180s per leg (2024): 0.31 - 0.28
Checkout % (2024): 38.38% - 40.65%

Chris Dobey is one of my outright selections to go all the way at the Winter Gardens so obviously I'm expecting him to breeze through a relatively 'easy' opening round tie.

That's no disrespect to Ritchie Edhouse whatsoever because it's a fine effort from anyone outside the world's top 16 to qualify for Blackpool but based on statistics and career achievements, Dobey could have had a much tougher draw than this one.

Hollywood can't be complacent, but if he plays his high scoring game then I'd expect this to be fairly one sided, with Dobey also hitting the most 180s.

Dobey boasts a slightly higher 180 per leg rate than Edhouse this season but we know how much he cranks it up on the big stages whereas his opponent wouldn't be the first debutant to struggle at the Winter Gardens.

Verdict: 10-5