Taylor to power to 13th World Matchplay title

The World Matchplay, the second most prestigious event on the darts calendar, gets under way on Saturday 21 July 2012 at Blackpool`s Winter Gardens and it should pay to back the favourite, 12-times champion Phil Taylor, at around 13-8.

The Power may not have added to his 15 world championships since 2010, crashing out in the semi-finals in 2010 and the second round in 2011, but he has owned the World Matchplay since 2008, winning the last four tournaments emphatically.

Taylor won his first World Matchplay title in 1995 and has claimed 11 more since then, with his other successes coming in 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. Last year, the Power thrashed James Wade 18-8 in the final to maintain his perfect record in deciders.

A couple of years ago, Taylor would have been odds on with bookmakers to win a major event such as the World Matchplay. The Power`s slip-ups in the last two World Championships have proven that he is beatable but anyone who thinks that the 51-year-old is a spent force is kidding themselves.

Taylor won the 2012 Premier League in fine style. In the second week of the season, the Power hit his ninth televised nine-dart finish in defeating Kevin Painter 8-5. Not long afterwards, he registered the highest three-dart average in Premier League history - 117.35 - in beating Simon Whitlock 8-4. He ended the regular season eight points ahead of his nearest rival and went on to overcome James Wade and Whitlock in the semi-finals and final respectively.

Admittedly, Taylor is not the sure thing that he was in the 2000s but that is reflected in the odds that bookmakers are offering about him winning the World Matchplay for the 13th time. Odds of 13-8 correspond with a winning probability of approximately 38 per cent. If you think that the Power has a better chance of winning than that he is worth a bet. One would have to say that his odds appear more than generous.

Perhaps one of the reasons why Taylor has been so dominant in the World Matchplay - and only six high-quality darts players have won the tournament in its history - is the format of the event that differs from most on the circuit.

World Matchplay games do not have a deciding leg, meaning that players must win by two clear legs. This subtle rule difference reduces the likelihood of a highly ranked darts player getting knocked out by someone ranked lowly. Quite simply, it reduces the possibility of a major surprise.

A popular darts betting exotic is the market on a nine-dart finish. Bookmakers think that there is a reasonable chance of someone throwing a perfect leg in Blackpool, with the odds about one or more occurring hovering around 6-5.

The value, however, seems to be betting against a nine-dart finish happening, with odds of 8-13 available if you shop around. Only 30 televised perfect legs have been achieved, although their frequency has increased in recent years.

Go To bet365

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20/07/2012     © Frixo 2024