World Championship: day five betting predictions, free darts tips, TV details

Betting preview and free tips for day five of the PDC World Darts Championship on Saturday at Alexandra Palace, London.

When to watch

Sky Sports Arena, midday & 6pm

Best bets

Nico Kurz to beat Andy Hamilton
4pts 8-11 general

Max Hopp to beat Mervyn King
1pt 11-8 bet365

Andy Boulton win, high checkout & more 180s v Deta Hedman
3pts 11-10 Betfred

Preview

Michael van Gerwen begins his quest for a fourth William Hill World Championship title on Saturday evening when the tournament 9-4 favourite takes on Scottish outsider Ryan Murray, one of eight matches.

Muzz Lightyear, as the Edinburgh ace is known, is going to have to improve on the 87 average he produced to beat Lourence Ilagan in round one and the layers doubt he will, rating him a 7-1 chance.

Andy Hamilton v Nico Kurz

Max Hopp, Gabriel Clemens and Michael Unterbuchner have tried their best to bridge the divide between good and gifted but there's one German darter who looks the real deal and that's Nico Kurz.

The 23-year-old reckons there will be a German world champion one day soon and he could be the one who will go closest because he's an absolute star.

Kurz takes on gnarled veteran Andy Hamilton in round one and has the game to take care of the former finalist.

The Hammer has won just ten games in 22 Pro Tour events since reacquiring his card in January. Kurz qualified by winning the super-strong German Super League, just as he did last year when he went to the Palace and delivered mid 90s averages beating James Wilson and Joe Cullen on his debut.

Mervyn King v Max Hopp

Mervyn King has a knack of getting embroiled in some real heart-stopping second-round matches at Alexandra Palace which suggests he and Max Hopp could be in for the long haul on Saturday afternoon.

The flame-faced Fenlander has been taken all the way to five sets at this stage of each of the last six world championships, a run that started with a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Hopp.

Since then he has pipped Alexander Oreshkin, Steve West, Jan Dekker and Ciaran Teehan and lost to Zoran Lerchbacher with all those round-two contests going the distance.

He should have beaten all of them comfortably but he does make life hard for himself and Hopp can give him some more grief. The German number two, who has tweaked his game during lockdown, showed the hard work has paid off with a near-95 average in a 3-0 battering of Gordon Mathers on Wednesday and he'll fancy his chances.

Andy Boulton v Deta Hedman

Where Lisa Ashton failed, now the flag is being waved aloft by Deta Hedman, who pipped Fallon Sherrock on legs won to clinch the second women's spot at these finals.

Hedman is colossally experienced but you only have to look at her record in BDO Women's World finals – 11 appearances, six times as top seed, just three finals and never a winner – to realise that she can struggle in big games. And her showdown with Andy Boulton is a big game.

Boulton's year had been pretty average until the Winter Series when he scalped the likes of James Wade, Joe Cullen, Michael Smith and Peter Wright to nick a slot at the Players Championship Finals where he made round two. Don't expect Ashton's near-miss against Adam Hunt to be repeated in this one.

Not got a bet365 account? Sign up today and get up to £100 in bet credits.

Up to £100 in Bet Credits for new customers at bet365. Min deposit £5. Bet Credits available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.

CLAIM OFFER HERE

MORE FREE BETS

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport

Like us on Facebook RacingPostSport