World Cup of Darts betting preview, tips & TV details

Day One
Sky Sports Action, 6pm Thursday

Raymond van Barneveld will be missing at the World Cup for the first time but that doesn’t make Holland any weaker as they look to retain their title in Hamburg this weekend.

Michael van Gerwen, the other half of a Dutch pairing who have won three of the last five runnings, is still very much alive, kicking and keen to add another piece of silverware to his collection.

Jermaine Wattimena is the man charged with the responsibility of filling Barney’s shoes. The substitution hasn’t impressed the layers who rate the Orangemen a 3-1 poke.

Michael van Gerwen partnered by anyone would be a tempting bet at that price.

Every bit as importantly, the opposition lined up against Holland is no stronger. England’s Rob Cross is in good form but his partner Michael Smith isn’t.

Scotland’s Peter Wright endured a terrible Premier League and it’s anyone’s guess what sort of form Gary Anderson is in after a lengthy layoff and, just as importantly, whether the demands of a busy weekend could prove too much for him.

Wales and Australia look solid enough pairings and the Welsh duo of Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton look the pick of the bottom half.

They are seeded to meet Scotland in the semis, which presents the possibility of a mouthwatering showdown between Price and Anderson, their first meeting since that infamous bust-up at the Grand Slam in November.

But the Welsh could end up taking on the Germans instead. The hosts are represented by Max Hopp and Martin Schindler, a talented duo who are now winning events, and roared on by a partisan crowd they could easily win their quarter.

For the final, however, you probably won’t need to look too far down the seedings. Surprises are rarities in this event where, since the competition moved to Germany in 2012, there has been just one finalist at odds of bigger than 4-1.

The 16 first-round ties are best-of-nine doubles matches and there’s the potential for an upset or two though nothing in the prices that sits up and begs to be backed.

Recommendations
Holland
2pts 3-1 BoyleSports
Wales
1pt each-way 7-1 Coral, Ladbrokes
Germany to win third quarter
1pt 5-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

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