World Matchplay darts: Day five predictions, odds, betting tips, accas, order of play & TV times

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The second round concludes at the Winter Gardens on Wednesday night, with the likes of Rob Cross, Peter Wright and Daryl Gurney in action.

Here, I'll run through this evening's four games and throw in some predictions, best bets - let's just hope we have the same success as Tuesday! Although aside from the winning tips, my best prediction was saying Glen Durrant v Michael van Gerwen "could also be one of those classics which gets talked about for years to come." It sure will.

World Matchplay: Wednesday July 24

Click on the odds for more Sky Bet match markets

• TV Coverage: Sky Sports (1900 BST)
• Second Round: Best of 21 legs

Daryl Gurney (2/5) v Keegan Brown (2/1)

Head-to-head: 3-0
2019 Meetings: 1-0
PDC Titles this season: 1-0
Career PDC Titles: 4-2

On paper you may look at tonight's line-up and fear it could be something of an After The Lord's Mayor's Show in comparison to last night's epic darting drama and I'm hoping this particular match is as routine as they come.

Daryl Gurney, one of my 25/1 outright selections, looked pretty impressive without being spectacular in a 10-7 victory over Ricky Evans that would have been more convincing had he not wobbled so much on his doubles.

The 2017 World Grand Prix and 2018 Players Championship Finals winner is facing the unseeded Keegan Brown but that is no great surprise given he's been in better form than his first-round victim Jonny Clayton.

The Needle rose the Winter-fell Gardens roof with four ton+ checkouts in that clash and the last two of those came at crucial stages when he trailed 7-6 and level at 8-8, with Clayton waiting on a simple finish - so he can clearly cope with the pressure of the big stage.

Had he not managed that then he probably wouldn't be throwing here tonight and I'm slightly sceptical if he can produce similar - and probably necessary - heroics against Gurney, if the Northern Irishman plays to the standard we expect of a two-time major winner.

I'm going for Gurney to win, score over 4.5 180s (he hit nine against Evans) and manage a checkout of over 101.5 at 11/8.

Prediction: 11-7

Bet Bet: Gurney to win, over 4.5 180s & checkout of over 101.5 at 11/8

Stephen Bunting (2/1) v Ian White (2/5)

Head-to-head: 8-5
2019 Meetings: 1-0
PDC Titles this season: 0-2
Career PDC Titles: 2-12

It feels quite a distant memory to recall the last time these two were up on this stage - but if you can remember as far back as the weekend you'll know their matches couldn't have been more different.

Ian White annihilated Joe Cullen 10-0 on Sunday while Stephen Bunting kept his cool to melt the Iceman Gerwyn Price in a sudden death leg the previous night.

As much as I believe White can finally show the TV audience his world class talents this week - and have tipped him to do so at 40/1 each-way - you can't really read too much into his first-round tie because he was never put under any pressure the out of tune Rockstar.

My pre-tournament concern for Diamond was the potential of a clash with the fiery showman Price, who can always rattle someone who isn't quite so natural on stage, so it comes as some comfort for him to be playing a Mr Nice Guy like Bunting.

They'll both get on with their games in an incident free match where the best player will win, and on current form you have to say that's White, who has won two European Tour events this season and has generally been once of the most consistent performers all year.

Considering the 48-year-old hit four 180s and a 121 checkout in 10 legs last time out, I don't think it's asking too much for him to score over 4.5 maximums and checkout over 120.5 in this clash - combined with the victory that's 3/1.

Prediction: 8-11

Bet Bet: White to win, over 4.5 180s & checkout of over 120.5 at 3/1

Rob Cross (1/4) v Krzysztof Ratajski (3/1)

Head-to-head: 4-2
2019 Meetings: 1-1
PDC Titles this season: 0-1
Career PDC Titles: 7-4

Rob Cross will be itching to get back on the Winter Gardens stage having waited since Saturday night, when he saw off Chris Dobey 10-3 with a performance in keeping with much of his season.

Another average over 100, plenty of 180s and well over 50% on his doubles as he laid down a serious marker so early in the tournament.

Such are his high standards, however, that he wasn't that impressed with how he played and feels he needs to do even better against the dangerous Krzysztof Ratajski, who already has four PDC titles to his name having picked up three in 2018 when he wasn't even a Tour Card holder.

The Polish Eagle is improving all the time now he's getting more chances to mix it with the very best but let's be honest, he's yet to properly shine in any stage event apart from a thrilling early-round victory against Gerwyn Price at last year's Players Championship Finals and last time out he averaged just 89 in seeing off Darren Webster in a poor game.

I've predicted plenty of shocks this tournament so far - including defeats for Anderson and MVG last night - but I just can't see it happening in this one.

Cross to win, score over 4.5 180s and checkout over 102.5 is the way to go here at 11/8. But if you think it'll be a longer match than I think, then the next grade up is 5.5+ 180s and a 120.5+ checkout at 7/2.

Prediction: 11-5

Bet Bet: Cross to win, over 4.5 180s & checkout of over 102.5 at 11/8

Peter Wright (2/7) v Simon Whitlock (13/5)

Head-to-head: 17-9 (1 draw)
2019 Meetings: 1-0
PDC Titles this season: 3-0
Career PDC Titles: 25-17

It'll take a brave man to back against Peter Wright at the moment but Simon Whitlock is well capable of making his life difficult tonight.

Snakebite, who won the German Darts Masters and back-to-back Players Championship events heading into this tournament - as well as last month's World Cup of Darts - made it 19 match victories on the spin when ousting Vincent van der Voort as recently as Monday.

His average of 102.04 was the highest of the 16 first-round winners and it was the 10th time in this hot streak that he's recorded a three-figure mark, so maybe he's finally struck gold with his latest set of darts.

However, as I've written before, we can't suddenly take this to mean he's the force of 2017 again quite yet and I'd say he really needs to get to at least the final here with more great displays to prove those are the heights he's heading back to.

Last year he defeated Whitlock en route to the semi-finals here but since then the Wizard got the better of him in two televised tournaments - the European Championship and World Series of Darts Finals - so the head-to-head record isn't as lopsided as it may look on the surface.

I do think Snakebite will edge it but I think it's worth looking at those 'any other scoreline' options in the correct scoreline market, which is effectively saying you think the match will go to a tie-breaker situation.

Wright is 8/1 and Whitlock is 12/1 so - like I suggested yesterday in Wade v Suljovic and MVG v Durrant - backing both players could pay off.

Prediction: 12-10

Bet Bet: Wright to win by 'any other scoreline' at 8/1 and Whitlock to win by 'any other scoreline' at 12/1

Wednesday's darts acca

• Gurney (-2.5 legs), White, Cross (-2.5 legs) & Wright at 5/1
• Click here to build your acca

Schedule for Thursday July 24

Thursday July 25 (1900 BST)
Quarter-Finals (Best of 31 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports

• Glen Durrant v James Wade
• Michael Smith v Mervyn King

Full World Matchplay draw and schedule

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