PDC World Championship predictions, darts betting tips & where to watch

Betting preview and free tips for the William Hill World Darts Championship quarter-finals on Friday at Alexandra Palace, London.

When to watch

Live on Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Arena, from 12.15pm Friday

Best bets

G Anderson (Approx 1.30pm)
2pts 5-6 general

D Chisnall +2.5 sets (Approx 7.45pm)
1pt 6-5 Betfred, Hills

Preview

Michael van Gerwen had his doubters going into the William Hill World Championship but the Dutch darting machine is proving that timing is everything as he homes in on a fourth title.

Van Gerwen, an easy-to-back 5-2 shot heading to Alexandra Palace three weeks ago, goes into his quarter-final showdown with Dave Chisnall as a 5-6 shot to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy on Sunday.

Mighty Mike hasn't put a foot wrong so far, averaging 107 in blitzing Ryan Murray and Ricky Evans and then showing he's got the guts to go with the game by fending off Joe Cullen in a spellbinding fourth-round epic.

The only other former champion left is 12-1 chance Gary Anderson – seeded to meet Van Gerwen in the last four – while Gerwyn Price, the best darter on the planet in 2020, is 7-2 to win a maiden world title and be crowned world number one.

(15) Krzysztof Ratajski v (26) Stephen Bunting

Head to head: Ratajski leads 2-1

Krzysztof Ratajski has reached the quarter-finals of the World Series, the World Matchplay and now the William Hill World Championship and the Polish Eagle can go on to reach his first PDC major semi-final by beating Stephen Bunting.

The world number 15, one of the game's massive improvers over the past two years, is a Tour winner this year, has beaten Bunting twice this autumn (albeit in Home Tour events) and is averaging almost 96 at the Palace.

Both men have shown their mettle – Ratajski pipping Gabriel Clemens in an epic and Bunting taken all the way by both Andy Boulton and Ryan Searle – but the layers make the Pole is favourite and the prices are hard to quibble with.

Bunting, the 2014 Lakeside champ, has had a rotten year and while his revival has been impressive, he may struggle to sustain it over the longer best-of-nine-sets format. Ratajski's consistency, on the other hand, is there for all to see.

Bunting is 8-11 to land most 180s which also makes sense. The St Helens star is averaging one every 3.6 legs and Ratajski one every 4.4.

(13) Gary Anderson v Dirk van Duijvenbode

Head to head: Anderson leads 4-1

Cranky Gary Anderson has moaned and groaned his way to the last eight and the Scottish curmudgeon might not be done just yet.

Experience is a pretty handy weapon to have at the end of a major competition, even one as odd as this one without any fans.

Anderson is blessed with bags of experience as a two-time winner and he can use that to his advantage to end the remarkable run of Dirk van Duijvenbode.

The Dutchman has been sensational this season, reaching the Grand Prix final – he beat Anderson on the way – and the coming from 3-1 down to topple Premier League winner Glen Durrant last time out.

Duzza let him off the hook, though, and Anderson surely won't. The Scot has been poor in bursts but is getting better as the tournament goes on and if his mind is right and Van Duijvenbode throws at his usual pace, the Scot should fancy this challenge.

At 5-6 against a non-seed on the biggest stage of all he looks too good to turn down.

(3) Gerwyn Price v (11) Daryl Gurney

Head to head: Price leads 9-3

Gerwyn Price boasts a 9-3 head-to-head record over Daryl Gurney who he can take apart, just as he did Mervyn King in the previous round.

Gurney, like King, hasn't had much of a year. And if he falls behind against the irresistible force that is The Iceman he may struggle to pull it back.

Maximums are in for 16.5 and the bookies can't split them in the most 180s market with good reason. They have each hit 18 so far, Gurney in three fewer legs, though the Welshman averages a 180 every 3.6 legs on the Pro Tour and Gurney one every 4.1 legs.

(1) Michael van Gerwen v (8) Dave Chisnall

Head to head: Van Gerwen leads 48-9

Michael van Gerwen has not lost any of his last 27 matches against Dave Chisnall, an incredible sequence which dates back almost five years.

Chizzy, a Grand Prix semi-finalist, has a scoring power which will always keep him competitive and he's averaging around 99, so is playing well. Well enough to give Van Gerwen a game.

Sets play is all about those crucial odd legs and so far in his matches that have gone to a fifth leg, Chisnall boasts a 3-1 success record.

That's heartening and no matter how well Van Gerwen is playing, we know he can be got at. Joe Cullen almost toppled him and this hasn't been a vintage year for the Dutch world number one.

Van Gerwen's checkout percentage of 48.1 is the best of the eight players left and if that drops a fraction the man in yellow should be in close attendance because he scores so heavily. This could be closer than many think.

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