Darts BDO Championships

Following the hugely entertaining PDC World Championships the BDO version gets underway this Saturday from Frimley Green with the action being showcased on both ESPN and BBC.

Scott Waites is the 10/3 (general) favourite and it is easy to see why as he won the Czech Open this year and also beat PDC World Champion Phil Taylor at the Grand Slam of Darts (where he reached the quarter-finals). Those looking to take on Waites in the betting will be encouraged by the fact that he has never gone further than the last eight in this event.

Stephen Bunting is the 11/2 (general) second favourite and is the number one ranked player in the BDO on the back of wins in the Winmau World Masters and the Zuiderduin Masters in December. Bunting is no doubt the player in form at the moment and I could not put anyone of backing him. I am willing to take him on though as like Waites his price does not represent value. Christian Kist won this event in 2012 and the Dutchman is the 15/2 (Blue Sq/888 Sport) third favourite for the title. The Dutchman made the last eight of the 2012 Grand Slam of Darts before going to his compatriot Raymond Van Barneveld. Kist though has been handed a tricky first round tie with Robbie Green and as such I will keep him out of my portfolio.

The second seed and big name on the BDO Tour is Martin ’Wolfie’ Adams. I would love to see the BDO crowd start with a chant of ’Wolf there it is’ though I suspect they might be too polite for that kind of thing. Adams is making his 20th consecutive appearances and has won this event three times (2007,2010 and 2011). Adams is an 8/1 (general) chance for the title and he is a dangerous opponent for anybody. The nearly man of the event is Tony O’Shea who has been a beaten finalist here at Frinley Green in two of the last four years. O’Shea is somebody who could make a mockery of his 16/1 (sportingbet) price though his lack of a major title does worry me.

The first of my two headline selection is Wesley Harms at 16/1 (Skybet/Coral/betway-note betway do not pay out EW). The Dutchman is third behind (Bunting and O’Shea) in the rankings this year and made the last four of the World Masters and this event last year, the last 16 of the Grand Slam of Darts. Harms was a semi-finalist here last year and the former electrician could find the winning spark here. Alongside Harms I want to take a player in the other half of the draw and although Waites and Adams have to be respected I quite the look of Ross Montgomery at a very generous 40/1 (boylesports). The Scot has been playing some solid Darts in recent weeks making the last four of the Zuiderduin Masters and the last eight of the sunparks Masters.

The BDO Womens World Championship is also taking place and Deta Hedman is the 11/4 (Skybet/boylesports/sportingbet) favourite for the event ahead of venue specialist Anastasia Dobromyslova at 10/3 (general). Julie Gore is the highest player ranked on the tour and the 2012 World Masters winner seems to been overlooked by bookmakers at 8/1 (boylesports).

BEST OF THE BETS

GOLD: Wesley Harms EW for the title, 16/1 (Skybet/Coral)
SILVER: Ross Montgomery EW for the title, 40/1 (Boylesports)
BRONZE: Julie Gore EW for the title, 8/1 (Boylesports)

Go To bet365

#Ad

07/01/2013     © Frixo 2024