Michael van Gerwen has emerged as the bookies favourite to win the World Matchplay Darts while Peter Wright begins his title defence as the champion against Latvian outsider Madars Razma. MVG will be hoping to build on his Premier League win this year ahead of the ranked event.
Since last year, he has only managed to appear in one final – last year's European Championship – along with two semi-final appearances and three quarter-finals. So far this season, the three-time PDC World Champion has reached the third round in this year's edition and the fifth in the UK Open.
Yet bookmakers Betfred have priced him at 6/1 favourites while holder Snakebite Wright is 7/1. The Scottish darts player won last year's competition 18-9 after beating eighth seed Dimitri Van den Bergh in a brilliant final where both players average over 100 points.
Wright has had a brilliant start to the year lifting the World Championship before missing out on the quarter-finals of the UK Open. He faces Razzmatazz in the first round.
Elsewhere, 7/1 Gerwyn Price faces German Martin Schindler for the first time since 2019. when these two met was during the PDC Pro Tour which the Iceman won 6-1. The Iceman is yet to win the World Matchplay competition having equalled his best in the competition last year by reaching the quarter-finals.
Here are the latest odds from Betfred:
- Michael van Gerwen – 6/1
- Gerwyn Price – 7/1
- Peter Wright – 8/1
- Jonny Clayton – 9/1
- Michael Smith – 9/1
- Luke Humphries – 12/1
- Dimitri van den Bergh – 12/1
- Rob Cross – 16/1
- Bar – 25/1
18+ | Gamble responsibly | begambelaware.org | Odds subject to change
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