Thursday 11 February 2016 18:43, UK
After a dramatic start to this year's Premier League, Wayne Mardle makes his predictions for night two in Newcastle.
Defending champion Gary Anderson will make his first appearance in the competition after recovering from a virus as he faces Michael van Gerwen.
World No 1 Van Gerwen will be searching for his first win of the campaign, as will Phil Taylor, who faces James Wade in a battle of former winners. All the action is live on Sky Sports on Thursday night.
They both played especially well on the first night, especially Barney who had Phil Taylor to beat. We spoke to Raymond after the match last week, me and Dave Clark, and he actually admitted there is something about the World Championship and Premier League which switches him on. Out of the 10 previous years, he has qualified for the play-offs eight times.
These two have played each other in the Premier League three times and there have been two draws and a 7-5 win to Barney. I think this will be close, probably down to the last leg, and Barney will nick it.
I'm in turmoil over this match. Lewis to me is starting to look like he is playing his best darts since 2011. I've been saying this for the last three or four years and I'm glad I'm being proven right now. He cannot keep relying on just his talent alone. There is a saying that hard work beats talent, if talent does not work hard. That is Adrian Lewis in a nutshell.
Dave Chisnall has got a lot of talent, but he works hard at his game. He tries hard to get everything right. Lewis for me, is someone I back with no confidence, but if I back against him, he will lose me money.
I'm going to go for a draw on this one. I cannot call it. They both can play at such a great standard.
Gary is lucky to be back in just a week after a virus. He could have been out for much longer. I've always had theories about joining the party late. I think it takes an hour or so to get involved. You walk in when everyone is all settled and you do feel like an outsider. For Gary it's week one.
Michael, after his performance against James Wade, will definitely be thinking I need two points on the table here. I'm not saying he will be trying harder to win, because that is what he will do anyway, but Gary Anderson cannot be 100 per cent. He will have hardly practiced.
I've got to go for Van Gerwen here to win, purely because Gary has been out for a couple of weeks and Michael will be absolutely match fit.
Phil Taylor is turning into a normal human being, where he doesn't play well every week. I think we've now got to accept the fact that he's going to have these games, these tournaments where he obliterates the field and other nights he looks like everyone else. Last week, against Barney he just looked like a normal darts player. This week he could go up and average 110.
Phil Taylor is turning into a normal human being, where he doesn't play well every week.
During the weekend he played well and that can only help his confidence. It's not on the big stage where he wants to do it more, but these are little stepping stones.
I think he will beat James Wade. James looked really good last week, but Michael van Gerwen missed a dart to go 4-0 up, missed a dart to go 4-1 up, missed another dart to go 5-3 up. The result could easily have been different. I just feel that James Wade will play roughly to the same standard, but I think Phil Taylor plays better than he did last week, purely because he's had a confidence boosting weekend, and will win this one.
Watch night two of the Premier League this Thursday night, starting at 7pm on Sky Sports 1. Or watch for £6.99 without a contract, on NOW TV
