Luke Littler will look to defend his Premier League crown when this season’s top-four performers head to the O2 Arena in Greenwich on Thursday night.
The Nuke was the clear pick in the regular season, but Luke Humphries, Gerwyn Price and Nathan Aspinall will also have their eyes on the Premier League prize.
It is understandable that the world champion is the market leader for the O2 showdown, but there could be a few reasons to oppose Littler in London.
By Luke Seychell
Premier League Playoffs Betting Tips
- Outright winner – Luke Humphries @ 2/1 with Paddy Power
- Gerwyn Price +3.5 legs v Luke Littler @ 4/6 with William Hill
- Luke Humphries -2.5 legs v Nathan Aspinall @ 4/5 with bet365
Cool Hand can claim Premier League crown
Luke Littler finished 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League regular season table, and the Nuke is back at the O2 Arena to defend the crown he won last year.
The world champion has without doubt been the most consistently strong performer in this season’s competition, but that hasn’t been missed at the prices, and perhaps Littler is a little short in the outright betting.
Luke Humphries was the Nuke’s closest pursuer in the league phase of the competition and Cool Hand certainly showed he can compete with the world champion.
The Newbury arrowsmith won three nights of Premier League action and also finished runner-up on five occasions.
The former world champion got the better of Littler in the Leeds final of Night 14, and while the Nuke repaid the favour in Sheffield last Thursday, it is clear that Humphries has the game to beat the 18-year-old.
Cool Hand Luke played extremely well in last weekend’s Dutch Darts Championship and the Newbury arrowsmith averaged 108.72 when beating Willie O’Connor in that European Tour event.
It is clear that Humphries arrives in London at the peak of his game and the former world champion should find a way past semi-final opponent Nathan Aspinall.
The match prices suggest that Littler has the easier path to the final, but Gerwyn Price has shown he can be a tough opponent for the Nuke in this season’s Premier League, and all of those factors combine to make Cool Hand a play to lift the trophy on Thursday night.
- Premier League Playoffs Betting Tip 1: Outright winner – Luke Humphries @ 2/1 with Paddy Power
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Iceman could give Littler chills
Luke Littler finished a whopping 21 points clear of Gerwyn Price in the Premier League table, but the matches were far more competitive than the standings suggest.
Price won two of the four meetings with the Nuke and the contests finished with scorelines of 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 and 6-3. However, the level of the Welshman’s performances in matches against the world champion makes for more interesting reading.
Price averaged 102.64, 94.10, 103.47 and 97.82 in his four Premier League regular season meetings with the Nuke and it is clear that the Iceman has no fear when it comes to taking on Littler.
If the head-to-head record is broadened out from this competition, Price has won six of their last eight meetings, and if the brilliant Littler is to have any kryptonite, perhaps it’s against the Iceman.
The Nuke may still have enough to get past Price at the O2, but an easy night looks unlikely and the Welshman can be backed getting a 3.5-leg start on the handicap.
- Premier League Playoffs Betting Tip 2: Gerwyn Price +3.5 legs v Luke Littler @ 4/6 with William Hill
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Asp may come up short
Nathan Aspinall showed tremendous battling qualities to fend off the challenge of Michael van Gerwen and secure his playoff spot, but the Asp was a long way behind Luke Humphries in the Premier League regular season and that’s likely to tell at the 02.
Cool Hand averaged a whopping 113.50 when beating the Asp 6-3 in their last Premier League meeting in Liverpool on Night 12 and a similar scoreline looks likely in London.
The former world champion has put up numbers of at least 100 in six out of 11 Premier League matches and Humphries averaged 105.76, 104.86, 108.72 and 99.80 in his four games in last weekend’s Dutch Darts Championship.
A repeat of that level of performance should see Cool Hand a comfortable winner against Aspinall on Thursday night.
Premier League Playoffs Betting Tip 3: Luke Humphries -2.5 legs v Nathan Aspinall @ 4/5 bet365
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