It is an England Vs Scotland clash in tonight’s 2022 PDC World Darts Final as Bully Boy Michael Smith, a beaten finalist back in 2019, tries to claim his first Major darts title of his career against the favourite (and my tip to win the tournament) Peter “Snakebite” Wright.
In what has been a tough, long and at times controversial tournament, with a number of players forced to withdraw due to Covid-19 protocols, the two most consistent players in the tournament this year have deserved their chance to compete in tonight’s final.
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and across the world with a number of other providers and it is sure to be an interesting game.
As always, you can enjoy a wide range of betting on the outcome of the game with bet365 Sport in the UK, with a fantastic selection of pre-match and In Play betting available on the match, which gets underway later this evening.
For customers in the United States, check out BetRivers Sportsbook across a wide number of states as this site offers some of the best darts betting you can find not just on the World Championships but also on other big tournaments throughout the year too.
The 2022 PDC World Darts Championship has seen a record-equalling three nine-dart
finishes, three players forced to withdraw from the tournament due to positive Covid-19 tests and for the first time no player from outside the UK managed to reach the quarterfinal stages or beyond.
William Borland, Darius Labanauskas and Gerwyn Price all hit nine-darters in the tournament while Dutch duo Vincent van der Voort and Michael Gerwyn, plus Dave Chisnall were all forced to pull out of the tournament due to positive Covid-19 tests.
The two female players competing in the event both went out in the first round, Lisa Ashton and Fallon Sherrock, while the non-seed who made the biggest impact was Callan Rydz, who reached the quarterfinals.
With the crowd back in attendance, the tournament has been played in its usual festive atmosphere this year and has certainly lived up to expectations.
Need analysis and insight for your darts wagering? Find the latest darts betting tips.
Peter Wright was the 2020 World Champion and has followed that up with two Major titles in 2021, the Players Championship Finals and the World Matchplay.
He was also part of Scotland’s successful World Cup of Darts team with John Henderson that won the title for the second time in 2021.
So, it has been a good year for the flamboyant Scottish star, famed for his outlandish hairstyles and outfits, although there have been times in his career, for short periods at least, where his form has deserted him.
Seeded second in the event, Wright has competed in 18 PDC Major finals, winning six, although he has won five of the last six major finals he has compete in across 2020 and 2021.
Wright was comfortable in his first three games in the World Championships this year, dropping just three sets in his three wins, but he had to dig deep against both Callan Rydz and Gary Anderson in order to secure his third appearance in a World Championship Final, his first coming back in 2014, when he lost 4-7 to Michael van Gerwen, before his 7-3 victory over the same opponent in 2020.
The St Helens-born Michael Smith has long been regarded as one of the most talented players in the game, however, he has not yet been able to convert that into a Major title victory.
His performances at the World Championships have not been great over the years, with him only getting into the quarterfinals or beyond twice in ten attempts. However, this year, he has been very impressive.
Two wins in Rounds 2 and 3 over unseeded opponents were solid but since then he has knocked out three of the most in-form players in the tournament and PDC over the past year with wins over Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price and James Wade.
Those three wins will give the Bully Boy hope that he can end his drought of Major title and land his first World title with a win over Peter Wright, the player who narrowly beat him in the 2020 Masters final by an 11-10 scoreline.
So who will win tonight’s big clash at the Alexandra Palace? Well, I backed Peter Wright before the tournament began and I am not going to change that now. I think he has the advantage over Michael Smith in a number of key areas.
Firstly, I think he is much the more experienced player in these huge matches and secondly, he is also a far more consistent player than the Bully Boy, who can blow hot and cold during games and who has, in the past, allowed the occasion to get the better of him.
As such, I am sticking with Peter Wright to land the win and if you wanted to have a bet on the Set Score for the final, I would back Peter Wright to win it 7-4, which is a 13/2 shot with bet365 Sport.
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