UK Open

[daveg]

The FA Cup of darts gets underway on Friday, I’m having a punt on a few players at longer prices, who are in decent form, and don’t have the distraction of the Premier League to contend with. 

 

1pt e/w Ryan Searle (40/1 General)

Ryan Searle has started the season in good form, reaching the final in two of the four Players Championship events played, winning one of them. He’s averaging nearly 97 in those events and transferred that form to the Baltic Sea Darts Open last weekend, where he averaged 95, 100, 99 and 101 in his four matches, reaching the semi-finals. Searle has never been beyond the sixth round at the UK Open, but he did reach the final of the Players Championship Finals in 2021, played at the same venue as this event, so does have some form at Minehead.

 

1pt e/w Damon Heta (40/1 PaddyPower / William Hill)

Damon Heta hasn’t had the best start to the season in terms of his results, but his performances have been pretty decent, in eight matches on the floor he has averaged over 100 in four of them. Whilst he’s generally done very well in the floor events, his stage performances have sometimes been called into question, but there have been signs that side of his game is on the up. He won the World Cup of Darts alongside Simon Whitlock last summer, and then clinched his maiden title on the European Tour at the back end of the last year. Heta also reached the quarter-finals of this tournament last year, knocking out Michael van Gerwen and Jonny Clayton in the process.

 

1pt e/w Gabriel Clemens (100/1 BetFred)

Just two months ago Gabriel Clemens had the tournament of his life when he reached the last four of the World Championships at Ally Pally. He saw off Gerwyn Price (plus ear defenders) in the quarter-finals before succumbing to eventual champion Michael Smith in the semi-finals. He’s already reached a final on the floor this year, although would have been disappointed with a first round exit last time out at the Baltic Sea Darts Open, albeit with a 99 average. If the German can recapture his World Championship form, 100/1 seems like a big price.

 

(Be a bit careful with the each-way terms, some bookies are offering four places, some just two, in a 158-runner event)

 

Also like to have a fun Acca on the Friday, have selected players who seem to have started the season better than their opponents:

1pt Acca on Knops, Kenny, J Wilson, Kciuk, Veenstra, Brooks, Lennon, Wattimena, A Lewis @ 134/1 (Coral)

[Torque]

Plus ear defenders.... brilliant @daveg