Outlook is far from bright for Ian White against Devon Petersen

Sky Sports Arena & Main Event, 12.45pm & 7pm Friday

Raymond van Barneveld, Joe Cullen, Simon Whitlock and Peter Wright have already exited the Alexandra Palace stage left and another fancied runner Ian White could join the casualty list when he takes on Devon Petersen.

White is the number 11 seed in this year's William Hill World Championship but his record in north London is pretty poor.

A quarter-final in 2014 is the best 'Diamond' has managed in the PDC showpiece and that record includes three first-round defeats. White clearly struggles to produce his excellent floor game on the TV stage and while he is the higher-ranked player, Petersen produces his best performances when the spotlight is on.

Dancing Devon averaged just 84.79 in a scrappy first-round victory over Wayne Jones and will need to improve on that. However, there's a different dynamic to this clash with the pressure on White and that should help the South African relax.

Steve West and Richard North could serve-up a Christmas cracker and going over Betway's 8.5 maximum line looks a tasty wager.

North is a ferocious 180 thrower and hit ten in his first-round tussle with Robert Marijanovic. Northy has struggled to produced his best game on the TV stage but he is gaining experience and he should be buoyed by that 3-2 victory.

West is no slouch when it comes to maximums and the Essex boy is finally starting to fulfill his potential. It wouldn't be a surprise to see this pair spur each other on and, while Simply can be fancied to prevail, it should be a classy contest.

A 3-0 first-round win over Karel Sedlacek reads well for Keegan Brown but that contest was far more competitive than the scoreline suggests and Jelle Klaasen could sew up a victory over the Needle.

The last 12 months have been a struggle for Klaasen but there have been enough bright spots to suggest that the Dutchman could still produce the sort of darts that saw him reach the semi-final here in 2016. Klaasen's wife gave birth to their second child last month so the Cobra's mind should now be clear of baby worries.

It's not as if Brown has been flying on the Pro Tour anyway and perhaps he is being overrated after that opening triumph.

Recommendations
D Petersen
1pt 9-2 BoyleSports
D Petersen +2.5 sets
3pts 8-13 Betfred
Over 8.5 180s in S West v R North
2pts Evs Ladbrokes
J Klaasen
2pts 5-4 Betfair, Betfred, Sky Bet

Read every day for no-nonsense previews and expert sports betting tips

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport

Like us on Facebook RacingPostSport