World Darts Championship day 12 predictions and PDC darts betting tips

Free darts tips, best bets and analysis for day 12 of the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace on Thursday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Arena, 12.30pm & 7pm Thursday

Best bets

R Smith to beat D van Duijvenbode 12.45pm
1pt 11-10 general

D Chisnall to win & most 180s v S Bunting 2.45pm
1pt 6-5 Betfair

J Clayton to beat J Rock 9.15pm
1pt 11-10 general

Betting offers

• Paddy Power are giving away free bets to new and existing customers and all you need is an account. Sign up here
• Sky Bet are offering new customers multiple free bets when they sign up. Click herefor free bets, money-back specials and BuildABet free bets
• Betfair have lots of offers and money back offers. Sign up for a new account here
• To get free bets from Ladbrokes today, simply sign up to a new account here
• Don't have a Coral account? They have an offer for new customers here
• New William Hill customers can claim free bets and benefit from their daily offers including Scratch Of The Day by clicking here

World Championship day 12 preview

Big-hitting heavyweights Ross Smith and Dirk van Duijvenbode can open up day 12 of the World Darts Championship with a barrage of 180s, a ton of fun and a win for the Englishman.

Twelve months ago these two met at the same third-round stage in an astonishing contest in which Van Duijvenbode hit back from 3-0 down to win 4-3.

Smith was inconsolable but a year down the line he is a very different player, a major winner, and he won't be averaging the 85 and bits he did against the Dutchman last Christmas.

In his second-round clash with Darius Labanauskas, Smiffy won 3-1 with a 100.97 average, smashing in ten maximums and hitting 11 of his 19 doubles.

And that's the form he's been showing all year, a year in which he has reached two European Tour quarter-finals and won the European Championship, beating the likes of Joe Cullen, Peter Wright and Michael Smith to lift the trophy.

Van Duijvenbode has enjoyed another good year, reaching the semis of those Euros as well as the World Series final and he has also won a pair of floor events.

He was seriously tested by Karel Sedlacek in his opener, winning 3-2 in the deciding set of a match which went the distance because his doubles were suspect. There was nothing wrong with his scoring – he powered in 12 maximums – and these two, if this game goes to six sets or more, will produce a barrage of 180s.

The bookmakers have maximums in for 19.5, a line that could easily be passed if the match goes the distance.

Dave Chisnall is no bigger than 2-5 to overcome big pal Stephen Bunting, although if the Yellow Machine does go in then it's entirely likely he will have done so amid a flurry of maximums.

You can get 6-5 that Chisnall wins and throws more 180s, and when you consider that Chizzy averages a 180 every 2.76 legs on the Pro Tour this year, compared to Bunting's record of one every 3.27 legs, that's a decent price.

The day rounds off with the first two fourth-round matches - an unmissable clash between boy wonder Josh Rock and classy Welshman Jonny Clayton, just after Gerwyn Price faces Jose De Sousa.

Rock continues to pass his test as he strives to live up to the hype, although he's only into the last 16 courtesy of Nathan Aspinall's scratchy finishing in round three.

That's not Rock's fault but now he faces another almighty challenge in Clayton, the former Premier League champion who looks overpriced at odds-against.

The crowd got to Aspinall but not much gets to Clayton, whose pedigree is beyond dispute.

Sign up to emails from Racing Post Sport and get all the latest news and tips

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport