Thursday 10 May 2018 21:54, UK
Premier League Darts returns on Thursday night, live on Sky Sports Action, featuring the clash between world No 1 Michael van Gerwen and play-off chasing Gary Anderson. Wayne Mardle looks into his crystal ball...
The final league night will see Scottish hero Anderson come up against Van Gerwen - with the pair enjoying a thrilling clash in Newcastle earlier this season.
Fellow Scot Peter Wright meets Daryl Gurney as the battle to win the final spot in the final four culminates. Raymond van Barneveld plays Michael Smith and Rob Cross takes on Simon Whitlock.
Wayne runs the rule over four titanic tungsten contests, live on Sky Sports Action from 7pm.
The more I watch Michael Smith, the more I'm impressed. I think he's been superb and booking a place in the play-offs is reward for all his good play. He wasn't particularly well at the weekend, so hopefully he'll get over that bug and carries on where he left off in Birmingham. We saw last week, even though Barney had nothing to play for, that it didn't stop him concentrating against Gary Anderson and playing excellent.
I'm going to go for a Michael Smith victory and carry on where he left off against Daryl Gurney last week. That was one of the most entertaining matches I've seen in a long time. I think he'll win this one 7-5.
The way Daryl played last week against Michael Smith was superb. I know he was having a crisis of confidence after four or five weeks of the Premier League thinking that he may have blown his chances of not surviving elimination because he couldn't get a win at the time. Now he's on the rise and he will be one of the ones to stop over the next few months with all the big majors coming up.
I think Daryl will win because Peter Wright is just not Mr Consistency anymore like he used to be, so it's quite difficult to call. I'm going to go for a 7-4 victory for the Northern Irishman.
One thing is certain and that is Michael van Gerwen will play well - we kind of know that. But does anyone know how Gary is going to play? I've got no idea and although he's looked a million dollars some nights, other times he's looked poor for his high standards. I'm not one of those people that thinks the venue beats the player, or the venue makes the player. I just think Michael is playing some of the best darts he's ever thrown. He claimed his third European Tour title of the year in Germany at the weekend and had a tournament average of over 107. That's enough for me!
I'm going for a 7-4 Michael van Gerwen win because he's just more likely to play well. I was watching Van Gerwen play at the weekend and he was throwing effortlessly. He gets on these rolls of unplayable darts. If Anderson plays how he can, he's the only one who can match Michael in my opinion. I just think Van Gerwen is more reliable at the moment.
Rob Cross played pretty well against Michael van Gerwen in Birmingham last week. He was just made to look really average and that's not what he is. Out of the two, Cross is the better player, and he's proven it again in his debut year in the Premier League.
I don't see Simon Whitlock winning, but I don't see him getting trounced either. I think this could go down to the very last leg and Rob Cross just getting the better of his man, 7-5.
Wayne Mardle was speaking to Sky Sports' Raz Mirza. The 2018 Premier League is back for the final league night this Thursday as we head to Aberdeen for Week 15. Coverage gets under way from 7pm on Sky Sports Action. The tungsten will then continue through to the season's conclusion with the Play-Offs on Thursday, May 17 at The O2 in London.
Keep up to date with the latest darts news, previews, reports, reaction and expert analysis. Get all the latest at www.skysports.com/darts and join in the conversation @SkySportsDarts- don't forget to use #LoveTheDarts
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