2019 World Matchplay Darts Odds
Who wins the 2019 World Matchplay Darts?
2019 World Matchplay
During the summer months, the Professional Darts Corporation travels across the globe with some tremendous tournaments to look forward to in the United States, New Zealand and Australia. However, there is no doubting the biggest event of the summer and that’s the World Matchplay.
The 2019 World Matchplay will take place between Saturday 20th July and Sunday 28th July. The event will be staged at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, where the tournament has been held since its inception.
The format of the tournament sees players attempt to reach a specified number of legs to win the match. The match has to be won by 2 clear legs but if this is not the case after 6 additional legs, a sudden death tie break is used.
The defending champion is Gary Anderson, who won the Phil Taylor Trophy last year having defeated Mensur Suljovic in a thrilling final. Both players produced averages of over 100 across 40 legs of darts and if Anderson can reproduce that kind of form, he is going to be difficult to stop.
However, the Scot has been troubled by a back problem since the 2019 World Championship. He did not look his best at the UK Open and it remains to be seen how his season is going to develop without playing in the Premier League. Nonetheless, Anderson will be one of the favourites if he is fit enough to participate.
It goes without saying that the bookmakers favourite for the 2019 World Matchplay will be Michael van Gerwen. He has won this event twice in his career although you must go back to 2016 to find the last time he reached the final. The Dutchman has not had things all his own way in the early months of the season, losing to James Wade in the Premier League and going out at the UK Open to Mervyn King in the fourth round.
Perhaps this will give the other players confidence they can defeat Mighty Mike and it will be interesting to see how his form develops in the lead-up to the tournament. However, you cannot underestimate a man who is almost unstoppable on his day.
The only other player other than Taylor, Van Gerwen and Anderson to win the World Matchplay over the last 13 years is James Wade. The Englishman has not won a major PDC title since 2011 but has looked close to his best again at the beginning of 2019. Wade has defeated Michael van Gerwen and Daryl Gurney impressively in the Premier League this season, plus reached the final of the 2019 Masters.
Wade has reached the final four times since his victory in 2007 and is a man who is capable of winning this event, especially if he maintains his Premier League form.
Other potential contenders for the 2019 World Matchplay include Mensur Suljovic, runner-up last year, Michael Smith, who reached the final of the 2019 World Championship and Gerwyn Price, who has looked very good at times this season.