World Darts Championship Day 5 betting tips
World Darts Championship Day 5 betting preview
Day five of the World Darts Championship is propped up by eight matches as the busy Alexandra Palace schedule kicks into full gear.
Michael Smith, the man who sent pint glasses flying last year with his stunning nine-darter against Michael van Gerwen, steps up to the oche against Kevin Doets in the evening session’s headline match.
Before that, another man who has shocked van Gerwen will try to make an impact. The controversial Scott Williams gained huge traction at last year’s tournament before Luke Littler mopped up all the headlines. He faces Niko Springer in what should be an entertaining performance no matter the result.
Elsewhere, Gabriel Clemens will take on Robert Owen in the afternoon session’s final match, as the big names step into the competition and vye for the right to play after Christmas.
Gabriel Clemens vs Robert Owen prediction
Gabriel Clemens’ inconsistency often makes him an interesting player to bet on.
His unbelievable 5-1 defeat of Gerwyn Price saw him become the first German in history to reach a world championship semi-final in 2023; a result that will forever rank among the greats. But the world number 27 was eliminated in the third round last year and continues to show he can compete with the best while tumbling against players he should beat.
Robert Owen falls into the latter category. He’s currently ranked 50 places below Clemens, but showed he is no pushover during the 3-1 win against Niels Zonneveld in the opening round. He also took three legs off Peter Wright at the Players Championship 30 in October, eventually losing 6-3.
Clemens needs to keep focused throughout this one to avoid any nasty shocks. Darts betting sites have him as the likely winner, but there’s value in picking Owen to take a leg and cast a little doubt.
World Darts Championship prediction 1: Clemens to beat Owen 3-1 - 13/5 bet365
Scott Williams vs Niko Springer prediction
Where to start with Scott Williams? He’s a showman, a player who will no doubt make the stage his own whether or not he beats Niko Springer on Thursday.
This is the man who took down MvG, Damon Heta and Danny Noppert en route to the semi-finals in just his second world championship. It’s also the man who tried to whack an Ally Pally wasp, failed a no-look 180 and was forced to apologise after some ill-mannered comments on the world wars after beating German Michael Schindler.
Springer, a compatriot of Schindler, will know it’s Williams who is under pressure in this one. At 24, Springer is ranked 157th in the world. He’s on a two-match skid. He has shown a capacity to keep matches close in recent times and will want revenge for Williams hammering him 6-1 in April.
While that’s unlikely to happen, Williams is not an unknown entity now and has expectations to deal with. Springer is capable of taking a leg off him, a shout that is well-represented on betting sites with decent odds.
World Darts Championship prediction 2: Williams to beat Springer - 4/6 bet365
Michael Smith vs Kevin Doets prediction
It’s really hard to know what we’re going to get from Michael Smith.
He loves this stage, having made three finals in six years, and he’s currently ranked second in the world. He’s also lost four of his last six matches, including some embarrassingly one-sided defeats. Whether it was the 5-0 loss to Mike De Decker, the 5-1 loss to Jermaine Wattimena or the stunning 6-1 loss to world number 91 Andy Baetens, Smith’s lack of fight will worry fans.
That said, he is more than capable of stepping up for the big show. Smith’s nine-darter against Van Gerwen is arguably the best known social clip in darts history. It’s an example of his quality when he’s switched on, and a reminder of what stardom he is capable of achieving.
Kevin Doets is a supremely dangerous opponent, having beaten Clemens and Nathan Aspinall in recent times, but there’s good value in backing Smith to take him out cleanly in front of a crowd who will be itching to see something special.
World Darts Championship prediction 3: Smith to beat Doets 3-0 - 5/2 Unibet
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