ALL the players love going to The O2 in Dublin because the atmosphere is so different to many of the other venues on the Premier League circuit.

It's an auditorium-style stadium that holds up to 12,000 people and between 7000 and 8000 people to be there on Thursday night. Here Rodney Trotter looks at the matches.

A bit like Bournemouth or Brighton it produces a different atmosphere to the sports arena/ice hockey stadiums used.

In somewhere like this you get an all-round sound coming on to the stage and it leads to a different – and often better – atmosphere for the players.

We've got six games in Dublin and Raymond van Barneveld plays against both Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen on the same night. I think he'll be lucky to get a point.

Taylor also plays twice and needs to get four points if he wants to finish in the top four. Anything less than that will leave him in danger of missing the play-offs.

Here's how I see things going this week.

Andy Hamilton v Phil Taylor

As I say, Taylor needs to put wins on the board and knows what he has to do. Hamilton has gone off the boil a little bit and has been missing the double 16s and double 8s that he's had a mortgage out on for much of the season.

Taylor won't let him off and I think the motivation of missing the top four for the first time in Premier League history will motivate him. I think The Hammer will feel the full force of Taylor this week.

ROD'S CALL: Taylor win

Raymond van Barneveld v Michael van Gerwen

Watching Barney over the last few weeks, I've seen him losing form in the middle legs of games. He did it against Hamilton last week and got out of jail in the end but I don't think he can do it against van Gerwen who is on such a high at the moment. He won a UK Open qualifier at the weekend, he beat Taylor in the Premier League last week and Barney is going to struggle to get a point off him.

ROD'S CALL: Van Gerwen win

Robert Thornton v James Wade

Thornton let Simon Whitlock off the hook last week when he missed far too many darts at doubles. He had been playing beautiful darts but all of a sudden he crashed and burned and Whitlock took his chance.

James Wade has been playing beautiful darts in the last few weeks and beat Adrian Lewis comfortably in Sheffield before losing to Van Gerwen in his second match of the night. I'm going to take the latter result out of the form equation and can only see a Wade win.

Thornton has surprised me all year and he's got on with the job well but I just think Wade will get the better of him.

ROD'S CALL: Wade win

Simon Whitlock v Andy Hamilton

Whitlock seized his chances against Hamilton last week and it was a perfect example to any youngster watching darts that you should never give up, even when your opponent is playing very well.

He won another Tour event last weekend and his form is looking good. The Hammer has dropped off the level he's been at for quite a while but he's a grinder and if you give him chances he will take them. He let Barney off the hook last week and didn't play great at the weekend so I'm going for a Whitlock win.

ROD'S CALL: Whitlock win

Raymond van Barneveld v Phil Taylor

Taylor has lost a few matches this year and knows he needs a win so I think he'll come out with all guns blazing for Barney. If the Dutchman has a little dip in the middle of the game, as he has in the last few weeks, there's no question Phil will bury him.

Sometimes the lazy throw of Barney looks as smooth as silk when things are going well, but when it's not going well he doesn't seem to be able to make it work. Against Taylor, he has to make it work and he'll need to dig deep to get a point out of the game.

ROD'S CALL: Taylor win

Michael van Gerwen v Adrian Lewis

Nobody wants to play van Gerwen at the moment as proved by his big win over Taylor last week. Adrian didn't play well against Wade in Sheffield and that's been the case for some time – and he went out early in both tournaments last weekend.

He has been really bad on his doubles and said to me “I'm putting them on the wire Rod, what more can I do?” I just told him if he keeps thinking about putting them on the wire they'll keep going on the wire.

We all know what Lewis can do – he can beat anybody on his day – but we keep saying that and he hasn't been doing it. Van Gerwen, in contrast, has been doing it and going on the form book I have to go for a win for the Dutchman.

ROD'S CALL: Van Gerwen win

RODNEY TROTTER

16 Comments
  1. Milesey 11 years ago

    PREMIER LEAGUE DARTS
    ——————–

    Andy Hamilton v Phil Taylor
    Back Taylor to win 7-3 @ 5.25

    Raymond van Barneveld v Michael van Gerwen
    Back The Draw @ 4.75
    Back Van Gerwen Under 99.5 Average @ 2.0
    Back Van Barneveld Under 97.5 Average @ 2.0

    Robert Thornton v James Wade
    Back Wade to win @ 2.15

    Simon Whitlock v Andy Hamilton
    Back Whitlock to win @ 2.1
    Back Whitlock to win 7-3 @ 9.0 & 7-4 @ 6.0

    Raymond van Barneveld v Phil Taylor
    Back Taylor to win 7-3 @ 6.5
    Back Van Barneveld most 180s @ 1.5

    Michael van Gerwen v Adrian Lewis
    Back Van Gerwen to win @ 1.44

    Milesey

    • Milesey 11 years ago

      Andy Hamilton v Phil Taylor
      Back Taylor to win 7-3 @ 5.25 ** WIN **

      Robert Thornton v James Wade
      Back Wade to win @ 2.15 ** WIN **

      Simon Whitlock v Andy Hamilton
      Back Whitlock to win @ 2.1 ** WIN **
      Back Whitlock to win 7-3 @ 9.0 ** WIN **

      Milesey

    • Milesey 11 years ago

      ROD YOUR ON FIRE TONIGHT :

      ROD’S CALL: Taylor win

      ROD’S CALL: Van Gerwen win

      ROD’S CALL: Wade win

      ROD’S CALL: Whitlock win

      ROD, you must be like ELLIS, you must eat, sleep and sh*t darts, come to think of it Ellis are you a DART ?

      Milesey

    • Milesey 11 years ago

      Barney And Taylor DRAW !

      Fat Phil didn’t even hit a single 180, Barney hitting 6.

      Raymond van Barneveld v Phil Taylor
      Back Taylor to win 7-3 @ 6.5 ** LOST **
      Back Van Barneveld most 180s @ 1.5 ** WIN **

      Milesey

    • Milesey 11 years ago

      Great night tonight RODNEY, 5 out of 6 correct winners,;)

      great tipping RODNEY.

      Milesey

    • Mr Fixit 11 years ago

      Milesey, pretty decent night all round.

    • Milesey 11 years ago

      You putting up a preview for tomorrow or you too busy and won’t be till the morning ?

      Milesey

    • Mr Fixit 11 years ago

      Milesey, I’ll do a very brief one so people can comment.

    • Stephen Miller 11 years ago

      Thanks for the tip on Colwyn Bay 13/8 on bet365 stuck £50 on a was bricking it but scored early settled the nerves cheers big chap.

  2. jamie180 11 years ago

    Hi guys,as a strong follower and player of darts I follow the PDC very closely,particularly the off screen Players Championships.At the moment there’s no better player in the world than Michael Van Gerwen so odds of 10/11 to beat Barney look too good.When the going gets tough the tough get going and I expect an out of sorts Phil Taylor to win both his matches this evening aswel.

    • ellis 11 years ago

      I’m a massive fan of darts but anyone can realise van gerwins the man to beat. Haha

  3. the chief 11 years ago

    Im just focusing on a few games on the card tonight, as the players who are playing twice its difficult to predict much will depend on their 1st match. Taylor is odds on to beat Hamilton, which he may do but the value is shocking considering he is badly out of form and given the fact Hamilton as won their last two meetings. Taylor may bounce back but im on Hamilton on the handicap. Staying with the Hammer, he takes on Whitlock, who’s form as picked up having beaten Thornton last week and won a floor tournament in Wigan at the weekend. As I said earlier its difficult to predict how the guys will fair 2nd time round, but im taking the inform and fresher Whitlock to win. Wade proved my point last week when is 2nd game against MVG, he looked jaded, he eased past Lewis in first game, and beat Thornton 7-1 in their last meeting and I think Wade will win again. A fresh Lewis could be over priced to beat MVG in last game, Lewis beat the young dutchman last time they met, but id wait to see how MVG gets on against RVB before snapping up the 7/2.

  4. the chief 11 years ago

    BET Hamilton + 2.5 to beat Taylor
    BET Wade to Beat Thornton
    BET Whitlock to Beat Hamilton

    DOUBLE TOPS

    BET Wade & Whitlock to win their respective matches

    BET A 170 checkout on the night
    BET over 36.5 180s on the night

    Good luck if your having a bet

  5. ellis 11 years ago

    Gonna lay my neck on the like with

    Taylor to win vs Barneveld
    Taylor to win vs hamilton
    Van gerwin to win vs Lewis
    van gerwin to win vs van Barneveld
    Hamilton to win vs Whitlock
    Thornton to win vs wade

  6. Carl D 11 years ago

    Sorry I didn’t post earlier, had a bet but no point posting it now although Taylor looks a bet for later after his first performance! Im just so impressed with that Van Gerwin v Barny match! Unbelievable Darts, many a cup final have’nt had me up and down like that one, amazing!!

    Enjoy the night to come gents, should be a belter!!

  7. the chief 11 years ago

    Cracking night of darts, great atmosphere in Ireland, and plenty of tips landed. :)

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