Soccer betting is massive in the UK alongside betting on the horses, so when 
there is a week of big Premier League action taking place, usually that means there’s plenty of focus on these games. However this week, the midweek Premier League soccer action takes a back seat as there are two other huge sporting events dominating the thoughts of punters over the next seven days.
Let’s begin by taking a closer look at the first of these events which is the start of the PDC Premier League Darts tournament which gets underway this coming Thursday and which will run for a total of 16 weeks across the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany.
PDC Premier League Darts
Alongside the World Championship and the World Matchplay, the PDC Premier League darts is one of the most prestigious and lucrative tournaments to win each year. Taking place across four months from February to May, ten of the best players in the world will battle it out against each other to avoid Judgement Night elimination on Week 9 in Belfast (when the two players with the worst records after nine matches are eliminated from the tournament).
Over the first nine weeks of the tournament, the players play each of the other players in the tournament once in a best of 12 game. The first player to reach 7 wins will win the game (and the game ends when this occurs), however matches can also finish in a 6-6 draw.
After the drama of Judgement Night, there then follows a further six nights of action from April 5th to May 10th where the remaining eight players battle it out against each other one more time again before the top four players in the table progress into the Playoffs at the 02, London on the 17th May. Two semi-finals and a final will then decide who is the 201 Premier League Champion.
Who is competing?
The top four seeded players in the PDC World Rankings following the World Championship are automatically selected for the event with six other players selected via Wildcard selection. The competing players are:
- Seeded – Michael van Gerwen (1), Peter Wright (2), Rob Cross (3), Gary Anderson (4)
- Wildcards – Mensur Suljovic, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Daryl Gurney, Simon Whitlock and Raymond van Barneveld
Outright odds and tips
You can back any of the ten players to win the event outright with Coral at the following odds:
- Michael van Gerwen 8/11 favourite
- Rob Cross 7/2
- Gary Anderson 11/2
- Peter Wright 8/1
- Daryl Gurney & Raymond van Barneveld 40/1
- Michael Smith & Mensur Suljovic 50/1
- Gerwyn Price 100/1
- Simon Whitlock 200/1
Given his superb performance at the Unibet Masters this weekend, which saw him win the event for a fourth year in a row, it is hard to back against Michael van Gerwen to win the event. The Dutchman is a three-time winner and has won in 2016 and 2017. A good each way option to reach the final however could be Raymond van Barneveld, who was in great form in the Masters and who is very overpriced ion my view at 40/1.
What is the Schedule?
The 16 night’s of action throughout February, March, April and May will take place at a variety of venues across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands and, for the first time, Germany.
The schedule is as follows:
- Night One – 1st February – 3Arena, Dublin
- Night Two – 8th February – Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
- Night Three – 15th February – Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
- Night Four – 22nd February – Mercedes Benz Arena, Berlin
- Night Five – 1st March – Westpoint Arena, Exeter
- Night Six – 8th March – First Direct Arena, Leeds
- Night Seven – 15th March – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham
- Night Eight – 22nd March – SSE Hydro, Glasgow
- Night Nine – 29th March – SSE Arena, Belfast – Judgement Night
- Night Ten – 5th April – Echo Arena, Liverpool
- Night Eleven – 12th April – FlyDSA Arena, Sheffield
- Night Twelve – 19th April – Ahoy Arena, Rotterdam
- Night Thirteen – 27th April – Manchester Arena, Manchester
- Night Fourteen – 3rd May – Arena, Birmingham
- Night Fifteen – 10th May – BHGE Arena, Aberdeen
- Night Sixteen – 17th May – The 02, London – Playoffs
What are the fixtures for Night One?
The fixtures for Night One in Dublin, together with the odds on a win for each player as well as the draw with Coral Sport are outlined below:
- 15pm – Mensur Suljovic (10/11) v Simon Whilock (21/10) – 10/3 the draw
- 50pm – Gary Anderson (8/13) v Michael Smith (3/1) – 4/1 the draw
- 30pm – Daryl Gurney (13/8) v Raymond van Barneveld (5/4) – 3/1 the draw
- 10pm – Michael van Gerwen (8/13) v Rob Cross (3/1) – 4/1 the draw
- 50pm – Peter Wright (8/13) v Gerwyn Price (3/1) – 4/1 the draw
So, if you fancy a flutter on the darts, remember to tune in to Sky Sports every Thursday for the next few months to enjoy the best players in the world battling it out to become the next PDC Premier League Champion. Coral offers a fine range of bets both pre-match and also In-Play on the games.
Superbowl LII
This Sunday night, the New England Patriots will take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Superbowl LII at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This is not just a sporting fixture but a global event that is watched by billions worldwide and which is the pinnacle of American Sports for many.
The match is a rematch of the 2004 Superbowl which the Patriots won 24-21 and it is the first time the Eagles have made the Superbowl since then. The Patriots have been regulars in the Superbowl in recent years, this year being the third time in four years they have competed for the prize and the eight time they have appeared in the Superbowl since 2002 (10 appearances in total – a record for an NFL franchise).
A win for New England would also see them match the Pittsburgh Steelers six superbowl wins as a record, while if the Eagles were to win, this would be their first ever Superbowl victory having lost both times in their previous two appearances in 1980 and 2004.
How the teams reached the Superbowl:
New England Patriots
- 1st in AFC East (13-3 record) – Seeded 1st in AFC Playoffs
- Wildcard Round – Bye
- Divisional Playoff – v Tennessee Titans (won 35-14)
- AFC Championship – v Jacksonville Jaguars (won 24-20)
Philadelphia Eagles
- 1st in NFC East (13-3 record) – Seeded 1st in NFC Playoffs
- Wildcard Round – Bye
- Divisional Playoff – v Atlanta Falcons (won 15-10)
- NFC Championship – v Minnesota Vikings (won 38-7)
What will decide the game?
In essence, what is likely to decide who wins Superbowl LII is how the hugely impressive Philadelphia Eagles defence can cope with what Tom Brady can do with his New England Offense. If the Eagles can pressurise Brady and push him out of the pocket, they can win this game. However, if Brady is well protected, he can pick apart any defense, as the Jacksonville Jaguars know all too well.
The X-factor in the game however is Eagles quarterback Nick Foles. Widely regarded as a weak link following the injury to Carson Wentz late in the season, Foles has responded superbly and led his team to two underdog wins against the Falcons and most impressively the Vikings in the playoffs. If Foles is on form, this Eagles offense can score lots of points against any team.
Our top Superbowl bets
There’s plenty of interest in the betting markets for the Superbowl this year and I’ve listed my top picks from the main betting markets available with Coral Sport below:
- Spread – Philadelphia Eagles v New England (-5.0) – Eagles to win at 20/23.
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer – Zach Ertz (7/5)
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer – Danny Amendola (23/10)
- Superbowl LII Most Valuable Player (MVP) – Nick Foles (7/2)
The action gets underway live on Sky Sports on Sunday evening at around 11.30pm, with Sky’s pregame show starting at 10pm. Pink will sing the National Anthem while Justin Timberlake will perform the half-time show.
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