James Wade value to end Van Gerwen's dominance

ITV4, 7pm Thursday

When Mensur Suljovic goes off second favourite for a major TV darts event you know things aren’t quite as normal and arrers punters have plenty to mull over as they assess the European Championship from Dortmund.

Likeable Austrian Suljovic is certainly in good form, having followed a run to the Matchplay final with semi-final appearances at the Champions League and Grand Prix.

But he’s a remote 28-1 for the worlds at the end of the year so what is occurring in Germany to have produced such a curious-looking book?

And, because it is so curious, don’t be afraid to look at James Wade and Ian White for a means to profit over the weekend. More of them in a bit.

First things first, though. Michael van Gerwen is back to defend his title, having won the last four runnings, and the 10-11 shot is in sizzling form after a mixed summer.

But the seedings for this 32-man field are based on 13 European qualifiers – of which Van Gerwen won eight – and they have thrown up a draw which sees Peter Wright and Rob Cross in the same half as the Dutch favourite. As for Gary Anderson, he’s swerved the competition altogether.

Many think Van Gerwen will dot up whoever is in his half but it certainly makes it hard to argue a case for the others in his section.

Suljovic, meanwhile, has slipped into the bottom half, hence his 8-1 outright quote.

It looks an absolutely wide-open half in which Wade is more than capable of dominating.

Wade celebrated becoming a dad by reaching the final of the European Darts Trophy a few days later, with a clinical 6-3 win over Cross the pick of his results.

The left-hander loves the stage and there is every reason to think he can have a decent run here.

The same applies to White, a player not usually at ease under the TV lights. Winner of the Dutch Championship last month, Diamond is 7-1 to win a quarter in which the favourite is Cross, a player you would readily oppose at the moment. There are other dangers – Michael Smith, for one – but White can make the last four.

There are eight first-round matches on Thursday evening over the best-of-11 format. Two outsiders worth siding with on the handicap are the Dutch pair of Danny Noppert and Jermaine Wattimena against Cross and Wright respectively.

Recommendations
J Wade
1pt each-way 28-1 general
I White to win second quarter
1pt 7-1 bet365
D Noppert +1.5 sets
1pt 5-4 general
J Wattimena +2.5 sets
1pt Evs Betfair, Paddy Power

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