Bank on Klaasen to start his climb off the bottom

Week four in Brighton
Sky Sports 1, 7pm Thursday

Chisnall v Klaasen
Head-to-head: Klaasen leads 6-4
Jelle Klaasen is rock bottom of the Betway Premier League heading into round four at the Brighton Centre, but his cause is not quite as bleak as it first appears.

Three defeats out of three and a minus ten legs difference might hint at a player struggling, but the Dutchman’s first trio of games were against the world’s top three so the ‘easier’ fixtures are yet to come.

He ought to fancy, for example, that he can overcome Dave Chisnall in a match that looks tighter than the odds suggest.

Klaasen boasts the superior head-to-head record and won their only meeting this year, in a UK Open qualifier earlier this month.

Chisnall has won just once from three games and has been his usual erratic self – 180s galore but plenty of weak visits to go with them – and if Klaasen gets on a roll he can beat anyone.

Recommendation
J Klaasen
1pt 2-1 Betfair, Betway

Van Gerwen v Lewis
Van Gerwen leads 31-13
There’s nothing to suggest Michael van Gerwen won’t beat Adrian Lewis comfortably enough.

Their one meeting this year was an 11-5 success to Van Gerwen in the Masters semis last month, and everything that has happened since has merely confirmed that the Dutch world number one is close to unbeatable and that Jackpot looks troubled.

The most startling aspect of last week’s defeat by James Wade was that Lewis had just 18 ton-plus scores – shocking from such a prodigious scorer.

He still has enough power on his own throw to win a few legs but a couple of correct-score punts might be the way to go.

Recommendations
M van Gerwen to win 7-3
1pt 11-2 Paddy Power
M van Gerwen to win 7-4
1pt 9-2 Coral

Anderson v Wade
Anderson leads 28-16
James Wade has won five of his last six meetings with Gary Anderson – a sequence which includes a stunning 6-0 whitewash of the Scot at the European Championship – and the left-hander is playing with real purpose.

Given how well Anderson is playing – the world runner-up has chalked up three ton-plus averages to date – this could well be a belter.

Recommendation
J Wade +2.5
1pt 20-21 Boylesports

Taylor v K Huybrechts
Taylor leads 11-1
Here we go again with Kim Huybrechts playing well but unable to find a way of crossing the line.

His first tilt at the Premier League ended early with just one win from nine matches, yet he finished with a tournament average a shade under 98 and was competitive every week.

The Belgian has one point to show for his three outings and he will struggle to improve on that even if The Power is a long way from his best.

Where The Hurricane does have an edge is in hitting 180s.

He has spanked in seven so far compared to Taylor’s three, so the 5-4 he out-maxes the 16-time world champ looks decent
value.

Recommendation
K Huybrechts most 180s
1pt 5-4 Coral

Van Barneveld v Wright
Van Barneveld leads 8-5
All five Premier League meetings between Barney and Snakebite have gone the distance and you can get 6-5 it happens again tonight.
Wright, after an indifferent couple of efforts, got his act together against Gary Anderson last week and a repeat of that form ought to be good enough.

Barney almost seemed fazed by playing Phil Taylor in what is becoming something of a Power Farewell Tour, and subsequently didn’t deliver.

If the Scot’s consistency has returned – and three floor wins already this year suggests he’s found his touch – the world number three will be too strong for anyone.

Recommendation
P Wright
1pt 11-10 Skybet