New Zealand Darts Masters: betting preview, predictions & free tips

Starts 5am Friday
TV: delayed coverage on ITV4

Daryl Gurney reached his first final for five months in Melbourne last weekend but he might not have anything like the same wait for his next one.

Superchin’s run to the final of the Melbourne Masters, having been tipped each-way at 16-1 by Racing Post Sport, should have given him enormous confidence heading into the New Zealand Masters, the fifth and final qualifying event for the World Series.

Gurney goes to post in Hamilton as an 11-1 poke and that looks fair enough given how kind the draw has been to him.

New Zealand Darts Masters draw

(1) P Wright v D Heta
J Wade v C Caldwell
(4) D Gurney v D Platt
R van Barneveld v C Harris
(2) M van Gerwen v K Anderson
G Anderson v H Puha
(3) R Cross v W Perry
S Whitlock v B Robb

Michael van Gerwen, the winner in Melbourne, Gary Anderson and Matchplay champion Rob Cross are all in the bottom half of the 16-man draw leaving Gurney to take care of David Platt and either Raymond van Barneveld or Cody Harris to get to the last four.

Gurney threw beautifully in Australia at the weekend with high-90 averages to take care of Kyle Anderson, Simon Whitlock and Cross before producing a 100-plus average in defeat against Van Gerwen in the final.

Van Gerwen, meanwhile, insists everyone is now “running scared” after returning to the winner’s enclosure for the first time since May. Everyone except the bookies, who are still laying 6-4 about the world number one – the type of generosity which used to be unthinkable immediately after he won a title.

Recommendation
D Gurney
1pt each-way 11-1 bet365, Betway

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