Darts Tips: Our best day one bets at the Players Championship make up an 8/1 treble

Our darts tipster Ben Smith has a tidy treble for the opening day in Minehead.

DimitriVandenBerghJul21

Players Championship darts betting tips

2.30pm: Cameron Menzies v Jim Williams – Williams +1.5 leg handicap
3pm: Ryan Searle v Jeffrey De Graaf – Over 9.5 legs
11pm: Ross Smith v Dimitri Van den Bergh – Van den Bergh to win

WHERE: Butlin’s Resort, Minehead
WHEN: November 22-24th
TV: ITV4

Menzies v Williams – Williams +1.5 leg handicap

Former Lakeside finalist Jim Williams has been playing well on the Pro Tour as of late but hasn’t had the results to show for it. From the Players Championship 20 event onwards, the Welshman has delivered an overall average of 95.5 and ranks in the top 10 for checkout percentage.

Cameron Menzies has had a fantastic four weeks, notching his first PDC title before reaching the last eight of the Grand Slam. Pressure got the better of him in his quarter-final defeat by Mickey Mansell, and he was visibly emotionally drained as his run in Wolverhampton came to an end.

It won’t be easy to pick himself up and go again, and this first-round tie looks like a potential banana skin against a man who will comfortably hold onto his Tour Card for next term and is on an upward trend.

4/6
Jim Williams Leg Handicap

 

Darts Players Championship Butlin'sMinehead

Searle v De Graaf – Over 9.5 legs

The only televised final appearance of Ryan Searle’s career came in this tournament in 2021, and he enters the Players Championship Finals as the fourth seed after another stellar season on the floor.

Searle enjoyed some success on the European Tour too, but he has failed to deliver in majors, having been unable to win more than one match in any PDC premier event this year.

Jeffrey De Graaf will be no pushover in round one. He earned impressive victories over Ritchie Edhouse and Jose de Sousa at the 2024 World Championship before being one of the standout players at the World Cup in the summer, as he led Sweden to the quarter-finals on his debut.

Only a couple of points separate this pair in averages over the last two months. They met in October with Searle winning 6-4, and a similarly close battle could be in store here.

5/4
Over Total Legs

Smith v Van den Bergh – Van den Bergh win

Both Ross Smith and Dimitri Van den Bergh had their finishing to blame as they each crashed out of the Grand Slam in the round of 16.

You can’t particularly trust either player to take their chances in this tie, so it comes down to whether you prefer Smudger’s consistent scoring power or the Dreammaker’s far superior record in majors.

Van den Bergh is priced as the underdog so he takes preference, especially considering he won the UK Open at Butlin’s in March. Psychology has become hugely important for the Belgian, and returning to the scene of one of his greatest triumphs should help him settle into this competition.

5/4
Dimitri van den Bergh Match Betting

Players Championship darts betting tips

14:30: Cameron Menzies v Jim Williams – Williams +1.5 leg handicap
15:00: Ryan Searle v Jeffrey De Graaf – Over 9.5 legs
23:00: Ross Smith v Dimitri Van den Bergh – Van den Bergh to win

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

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