Premier League Darts Night Nine predictions and PDC darts betting tips

PDC darts tips, best bets and player analysis for Night Nine of the 2022 Premier League at the First Direct Arena, Leeds.

Where to watch

Live on Sky Sports Action, from 7pm Thursday

Best bets

P Wright to beat M Smith
2pts 8-11 general

P Wright most 180s v M Smith
3pts 15-8 Betfair

J Cullen under 95.5 average v J Clayton
3pts 5-6 Betfair

J Wade +1.5 handicap v G Price
3pts Evs Coral

Night Nine betting preview

The Premier League heads to Yorkshire for the first time this season where in-form Michael van Gerwen will be looking for a sixth tournament win in the last five weeks.

His chances have increased this week with quarter-final opponent Gary Anderson being ruled out after a positive Covid-19 test. Van Gerwen gets a 6-0 walkover win.

The Green Machine has already dotted up twice in the new-look Premier League, won last month's German Darts Championship and on Saturday nabbed a third Pro Tour success of the year.

Michael Smith v Peter Wright

Head-to-head: Wright leads 26-12

Michael Smith is looking increasingly shaky as he tries to play catch-up and, under pressure, Peter Wright is taken to defeat him in the Night Nine opener.

Wright has beaten Smith once in the competition this year and Smith took his indifferent stage form onto the floor in Barnsley at the weekend, winning just two matches over the course of three demoralising days.

But there's another bet that screams value, and that's Snakebite to outmax Bully Boy.

Wright averages a 180 every 3.4 legs in the 2022 Premier League, Smith one every 3.2. On the floor they are an almost identical one maximum every 3.0 legs, yet the Scot is 15-8 with Betfair in a matchbet. That looks a big price.

Joe Cullen v Jonny Clayton

Head-to-head: Clayton leads 7-3

Jonny Clayton beat Joe Cullen in each of the first two weeks and should be able to land a hat-trick, especially if he gets anywhere close to last week's form.

The Ferret averaged a soupcon shy of 105 in winning his trio of matches to become the second two-time winner in this season's competition.

However, Cullen has the darts so 4-6 Clayton is probably short enough.

A better bet might well be Betfair's 5-6 that Rockstar averages under 95.5. He hasn't cleared 95.5 in any of his last nine matches. Indeed, he's cleared it only once in any of the 13 matches he has played, so the stats certainly point in that direction.

James Wade v Gerwyn Price

Head-to-head: Price leads 11-8

James Wade has landed handicap honours in six of his eight quarter-final ties thus far, including on Night One when he went on to beat Gerwyn Price 6-3.

Right now Gezzy looks like a player worth taking on – he has won just one match on the past five Premier League cards and suffered a shocker in three Players Championship events last weekend, winning just four games and averaging under 93 in six of the seven games he played.

He's clearly not quite at ease with his fractured hand – which has been under a strapping which he takes off on game days – and Wade won't show him any mercy.

Wade reached the final in Birmingham last Thursday, with a classy win over Michael van Gerwen in the quarters before he ran out of steam in the final. He will always be a difficult opponent as Price could be about to find out once again.

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