World Matchplay winner odds: Van Gerwen title overdue
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Preview and odds for the tournament winner
The biggest darts event of the summer is upon us and we have taken a look at some of the main contenders in the World Matchplay winner odds.
A 32-player field will converge for the 28th annual World Matchplay, with Dimitri Van den Bergh hoping to defend his title and lift the Phil Taylor Trophy.
The event takes place at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, running from Saturday July 17 for nine nights, and is live on Sky Sports from 7pm BST.
Gerwyn Price
Current world champion and world number one, ‘The Iceman’ has not enjoyed much success in this tournament – far from it.
He has been beaten in the first round on his last four appearances, with his best showing a quarter-final spot in 2015.
Yet the World Cup, World Series and World Grand Prix champion will be keen to get past first-round opponent Jermaine Wattimena before a potential clash with Premier League champion and Masters winner Jonny Clayton.
Price’s World Matchplay winner odds are 9/2.
Michael van Gerwen
Having been the top dog for seven years, the Dutchman is now ranked number three in the world.
Though he won through to his second Players Championship final of 2021, he lost to Peter Wright and is still seeking a first title in 2021.
Van Gerwen, a winner here in 2015 and 2016, is 5/1 to lift the title and faces Damon Heta on Monday.
Should he come through that test, he will meet Daryl Gurney or Ian White in the second round.
Jose de Sousa
The Grand Slam champion is averaging 99.73 on the ProTour in 2021 and has fired in more 180s than anyone with 240.
The Premier League finalist, seeded 10th, faces Gabriel Clemens in the opening round and is 13/2 to win the World Matchplay.
Peter Wright
‘Snakebite’ won the final tournament of the Super Series with some fantastic displays, including a 144 checkout to beat Van Gerwen 8-2.
The world number two is in supreme form and admitted to www.pdc.tv: “I didn’t want to show too much before Blackpool but I can win it.”
He is 8/1 to back up that claim in the World Matchplay winner odds.
Dimitri Van den Bergh
Due to the pandemic, the World Matchplay made a brief move to the Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes, in 2020 where Van den Bergh emerged as the surprise champion, beating Gary Anderson 18-10 in the final.
Now back at the event’s spiritual home, the 27-year-old Belgian is having a stellar season, where he has been wholly consistent. He produced a scintillating Premier League debut and is a 10/1 chance.
Jonny Clayton
The Premier League and Masters champion, pictured above, is the 16th seed and a 12/1 chance to win.
He has not been in such blistering form of late and faces a tough route to the final, with the Welshman featuring in our World Matchplay betting tips for the opening night.
James Wade
An 18/1 chance, Wade claimed another Players Championship title in 2020 and also reached two major finals at the European Championship and Grand Slam of Darts but rarely gets the credit he deserves.
Seeded number four, should he come through his clash with Luke Humphries, he will face the winner of the Krzysztof Ratajski v Brendan Dolan clash, both of whom are dangerous opponents.
Gary Anderson
A winner here in 2018 and a semi-finalist in 2014 and 2016, he reached the final of the World Championship earlier this year, losing to Price.
The ‘Flying Scotsman’ is always a force to be reckoned with and if he beats an in-form Stephen Bunting and then gets on a roll, his World Matchplay winner odds of 25/1 may start to look big.
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
