World Matchplay betting tips: After the Lord Mayor’s show for Brendan Dolan
- George Dempsey
- 19 July 2023
We’re backing Brendan Dolan to falter after his stunning victory against Michael van Gerwen at the World Matchplay.
Brendan Dolan and Damon Heta kick off proceedings at the Winter Gardens on Wednesday while Luke Humphries and Dirk van Duijvenbode cap things off.
The temptation might be to back Dolan after his stunning win over MVG but we think it'll be a case of after the Lord Mayor's show against Damon Heta.
Brendan Dolan vs Damon Heta
Brendan Dolan pulled off an upset on the weekend by defeating the tournament favourite, Michael van Gerwen, in the World Matchplay.
Despite being a capable player, no one saw his 10-7 over the reigning champion coming and now he'll face another tough test against Damon Heta.
With Michael Smith, Gerwyn Price, MVG and Gary Anderson just to name a few all eliminated, the door is open for players like Damon Heta and Dolan to make a deep run.
Heta didn't mess around in his opener, hammering young debutant Josh Rock 10-5 before giving the crowd a bit for good measure.
Heta is on a winning streak, having won eight matches in a row across all competitions and recording his first win over Dolan earlier this year.
The Aussie was very efficient in his opener and should be fearless and full of confidence after recording his first win on the Matchplay stage.
Beating the Green Machine probably does wonders for your confidence, too, but there's always a risk of a letdown after such a result.
We think Dolan could come out a little bit flat and Heta will be able to take full advantage. Back the Australian -2.5 legs.
Suggested bet:
Damon Heta -2.5 leg handicap
Luke Humphries vs Dirk van Duijvenbode
There is no doubt that the best has been saved for last on Wednesday evening as Luke Humphries takes on Dirk van Duijvenbode in a cracker.
The Englishman is now the bookies favourite to win the World Matchplay after a string of high-profile exits but there's no guarantee he'll beat Dirk.
Both of these players have tremendous scoring power and will punish the other if the door is left ajar to do so.
Adding to the entertainment value is the speed at which these two players play with both firing their darts in with conviction.
The pair have played 51 legs of darts against each other in 2023 to this point and they've scored a combined 34 180s, averaging out at 0.66 per leg.
If those averages can be taken literally and this turns out to be the back-and-forth thriller we expect, then it sets us up nicely for a match that pushes 20 legs and produces 13+ maximums.
Humphries managed six maximums in 12 legs against Jose de Sousa as he improved his magnificent record in 2023. It's become a near certainty that he outscores his opponent.
However, Dirk struggled to get his scoring going as he registered just four 180s across 22 legs, so he should be motivated to up his game here. Back Over 13.5 180s.
Suggested bet:
Over 13.5 180s to be scored
