Paddy Power Champions League of Darts: free betting tips and where to watch

Free darts tips, best bets and analysis for the Paddy Power Champions League of Darts.

Where to watch

BBC1 1.15pm Saturday
BBC2 6.30pm Saturday, 1.15pm Sunday & 6.30pm Sunday

Best bets

Michael van Gerwen
2pts 6-5 bet365, Betway Red Zone
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Gerwyn Price to win Group B
2pts 7-2 bet365, Betway Red Zone
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Tournament preview

Michael van Gerwen has never won the Paddy Power Champions League of Darts but at odds-against he looks well worth backing to claim the title for the first time.

In 2016 MVG qualified for the knockout stages and averaged 105.67 in an 11-5 semi-final win over Gary Anderson. The Green Machine followed that with an effort of 100.92 when losing to Phil Taylor 11-5 in the final.

Van Gerwen managed 97.46, 97.18 and 102.89 in his three group matches in 2017 yet somehow failed to qualify from a top-class section containing Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld and Adrian Lewis.

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And last year the Dutchman topped Group A with an 102.89 average before losing 11-9 to Peter Wright in a high-quality semi-final.

As those statistics suggest, despite never winning this event there has been no real drop in Van Gerwen's performance level. If anything the leg-play format is likely to suit the tournament favourite better than the double-in set-play at the BoyleSports World Grand Prix, which he won last week.

MVG is clearly the best player in the field and there doesn't seem to be anyone playing well enough on a consistent basis to stop the world number one being crowned champion.

In Group B Gerwyn Price has been supported from 9-2 into 7-2 to top the section but there could still be some juice in that price. The Welshman may be underrated after a first-round defeat to Dave Chisnall in the Grand Prix but Chizzy was the form thrower going into that event and only MVG could stop the St Helens man in the final.

It's not as if section rivals Rob Cross, Peter Wright and Daryl Gurney were flying in Dublin and Price probably starts this event in the best form of the four chuckers in Group B.

The Iceman's last two meeting with Cross were near pick 'em affairs and Price won both matches so it's hard to see why there is such a big gap between them in the group betting.

Wright would be a danger if he throws anything like he did in the Pro Tour event in Barnsley earlier this week but given the amount that Snakebite tinkers with his darts that is far from guaranteed.

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