Klaasen to post improved display in his homeland

Week seven
Sky Sports 1, 7pm Thursday

Wade v Klaasen
Head-to-head: Wade leads 21-5
Jelle Klaasen is currently the most generous arrowsmith in the Betway Premier League – and it’s a tag he’d dearly love to get rid of on his home stage.

Klaasen has thrown away leads in four of his six matches to date and needs to stop the bleeding or he’ll be eliminated two weeks from now.

The last two weeks have been the most disappointing – he blew a 6-3 lead against Kim Huybrechts and lost from 4-1 up against Raymond van Barneveld – and he knows full well that the redoubtable James Wade will snap up any crumbs offered as they near the finishing line.

At the Rotterdam Ahoy he’ll have the crowd on his side (though Dutch darting fans are a well-mannered bunch, who certainly won’t be jeering the Englishman) and if he can see the match out, he could land the odds. It’s a big if, however.

Wade, too, is missing more doubles than usual and over the last few weeks the big scores have dried up as well. Averaging over 97 over the first three weeks, he has dipped to 91 over the last three and Klaasen can claim the better average, if not the two points.

Recommendation
J Klaasen higher three-dart average
2pts 5-6 Betfair

Wright v Chisnall
Chisnall leads 11-8
Peter Wright beat Dave Chisnall 10-5 when they met in the Coral UK Open in Minehead less than two weeks ago and can see off the St Helens man again.

Apart from his one purple week in which he played and won twice, Chisnall has had a completely forgettable Premier League and certainly looks held by the sizzling Scot.

Chisnall had another disap­pointing weekend on the floor, culminating in a first-round exit against Darren Johnson, and Wright seems to merit an 8-13 quote.

Chisnall will still bang in the 180s – he hit four in a poor effort against Gary Anderson last Thursday – but if he’s not winning many legs then he won’t be nailing many big finishes. He’s in for a top outshot of 96.5, a number he’s failed to reach in his last four league games.

Chisnall is well worth a look at 2-1 to be eliminated. His final game is against Michael van Gerwen so it’s quite possible he’ll finish the regular campaign on six points and with the three men below him in the table all having three games to play and easier schedules, Chizzy is in serious bother.

Recommendation
D Chisnall under 96.5 high checkout
1pt 5-6 general

Gary Anderson averaged over 101 last weekCredit: Harry Trump

Van Barneveld v Anderson
Anderson leads 18-14
Gary Anderson managed to miss 16 darts at doubles last week and still wound up with an average of 101.7 against Dave Chisnall.

Three-figure averages without playing that well are a measure of what the double world champion can do so he should have no trouble clearing 101.5 against Raymond van Barneveld.

Anderson is 8-11 to win and given that he has won their last 11 meetings – seven of them on TV – it’s hard to argue with the price.

Recommendation
G Anderson over 101.5 average
2pts 5-6 Betway

Huybrechts v Lewis
Lewis leads 10-6
Nine of Kim Huybrechts last 11 league games have gone the distance so you can make a case for Sky Bet’s 5-4 that this match goes over 11.5 legs.

It’s less easy to make a case for either player.

Adrian Lewis beat Phil Taylor last week despite carrying the worries of his wife being in hospital (she’s happily out now) and he did play well.

But Huybrechts is also playing well and must be kicking himself for not beating Michael van Gerwen last week – he missed 14 darts at doubles, which is unforgivable.

The Belgian is a big price though the draw’s worth keeping on side.

Recommendation
K Huybrechts draw no bet
1pt 7-4 Coral

Taylor v Van Gerwen
Taylor leads 31-23
TV bosses have shunted this Phil Taylor v Michael van Gerwen showdown back to the top of the bill, and that’s no surprise.

That said, this could be one of the more routine games of the night with the world number one set to dot up fairly well.

Judged on last week’s effort against Kim Huybrechts – 7-5 win, 106 average, six 180s – there’s clearly nothing wrong with his back and The Power doesn’t have the scoring power to live with Van Gerwen.

Interestingly, Taylor has won the last three meetings between them but tonight, in front of his adoring faithful, Van Gerwen should outscore and outdouble his opponent.

Recommendation
M van Gerwen to win and score more 180s
2pt 5-6 Sky Bet