Is Humphries without a chance against MvG?
For the first time in his current career Luke Humphries is represented at the Masters. Cool Hand Luke” has already mastered the first hurdle, now the 26-year-old will face an endurance test in the round of 16. Humphries will meet three times World Champion Michael van Gerwen, who already won five Masters titles in his career.
So now it’s van Gerwen’s next attempt. The world number three from Holland had to leave the World Championship 2022 early after a positive test, so it is all the more important to start the year 2022 successfully.
For a win of van Gerwen vs. Humphries odds of only 1.33 are offered. A bet on the English outsider, on the other hand, is rewarded with betting odds of up to 3.40 if he wins. Last year “Cool Hand Luke” already beat van Gerwen in the UK Open 2021 and thus got a win against the Dutchman for the first time in his career.
Michael van Gerwen took revenge for his defeat at the prestigious Major in Milton Keynes at the Players Championship 14, where the three-time World Champion defeated his English opponent 6-3 in a best-of-11 contest.
Michael van Gerwen – Statistics & current form
Michael van Gerwen could hardly have finished 2021 on a worse note. Neither at the Grand Slam 2021 nor at the Players Championship Finals the Dutchman managed to win a title. The adventure at the World Championship 2022 in the “Ally Pally” had to end van Gerwen after a positive test prematurely as well.
For the first time since 2012 Michael van Gerwen missed a title win in the Majors in a whole year. On Saturday evening the three times World Champion from Holland now starts into his next adventure in the PDC. The Masters tournament suits the Dutchman very well.
In his ten participations in the Masters van Gerwen already won five times the title. The last time was in 2019 when Michael van Gerwen defeated James Wade 11:5 in the final. Since then the best result in the last two years was the second round at the Masters.
Will van Gerwen extend his record against Humphries?
In the last 16 of this year’s 2022 Masters, van Gerwen faces Luke Humphries on Saturday night. Last year the two players met twice. In the UK Open 2021 Humphries prevailed, only a few months later van Gerwen got revenge in the PC14.
For van Gerwen it was already the fourth win in the fifth match against Luke Humphries. If the record is extended on Saturday evening, odds of 1.33 are paid out for tip 1 on van Gerwen vs Humphries. For the Dutchman the average on his own throw will be the most important factor. Humphries is known for playing a high average in his matches.
Last matches of Michael van Gerwen:
World Darts Championship
12/28 2021 – Michael van Gerwen 0 – 0 Chris Dobey
12/18 2021 – Michael van Gerwen 3 – 1 Chas Barstow
Players Championship Finals
11/28 2021 – Peter Wright 10 – 6 Michael van Gerwen
11/27 2021 – Michael van Gerwen 10 – 6 Gary Anderson
11/27 2021 – Michael van Gerwen 6 – 3 Raymond van Barneveld
Luke Humphries – Statistics & current form
Luke Humphries was originally scheduled to start the 2022 Masters adventure against Nathan Aspinall. Because his compatriot cancelled his participation a few days before the start of the tournament due to injury, Davon Petersen stepped in as a substitute opponent at short notice. “Cool Hand Luke” had no problems against the world number 26 of the PDC and won 6:1.
Over the match Humphries had an average of 92.67 in the best-of-11. Surprisingly the 26-year-old hit only two 180’s in the seven legs against Petersen. In comparison: In his two matches before – both in the World Championship 2022 – Luke Humphries hit a total of 26 180’s against players like Dobey and Anderson.
As the win against Petersen was never really threatened at any point in the match, the comparatively weak 180 score should be bearable for Luke Humphries. But in the last 16 the Englishman will have to improve a lot against Michael van Gerwen.
Humphries with surprise potential?
Luke Humphries had already won the UK Open 2021 against Michael van Gerwen last year – even with a lead of six legs. Humphries played with a sensational average of 107,41 while his opponent “MvG” had an average of 106,27. But the Englishman convinced with an impressive checkout rate of 68,75%.
Humphries converted a total of eleven of 16 double attempts. If he keeps this up, Humphries has a realistic chance of overcoming the hurdle against the Dutchman on Saturday evening. Risk-averse bettors can pick up odds of up to 3.40 on van Gerwen vs Humphries for the English underdog.
Last matches of Luke Humphries:
The Masters
01/28 2022 – Devon Petersen 1 – 6 Luke Humphries
World Darts Championship
01/01 2022 – Luke Humphries 2 – 5 Gary Anderson
12/30 2021 – Chris Dobey 3 – 4 Luke Humphries
12/29 2021 – Dave Chisnall 0 – 0 Luke Humphries
12/22 2021 – Luke Humphries 3 – 0 Rowby John Rodriguez
Michael van Gerwen – Luke Humphries Direct comparison / H2H record
Five times the two players have met so far in their current careers. Four times Michael van Gerwen prevailed, only once Luke Humphries managed a surprise coup against the Dutchman. As mentioned before Humphries bowled out the three times World Champion from Holland in the UK Open 2021.
Van Gerwen got his revenge in the Players Championship 14. With the 6:3 win the Dutchman not only defeated Humphries for the fourth time. It was also a win by at least three legs each time during that period.
Michael van Gerwen – Luke Humphries Tip
Van Gerwen is out to make amends after last year’s poor campaign. After all, the Dutchman missed out on winning a title at a PDC Major in an entire year for the first time since 2012. The quarantine related withdrawal from the 2022 World Championship was in the end the coup de grace for the three times World Champion from Holland.
The year 2022 starts for “MvG” with the Masters 2022 which van Gerwen already won five times in his current career and thus is record title holder. The last time the Dutchman won the Masters title was in 2019, since when he has failed to reach the first and second rounds of the prestigious major.
Nevertheless we see Michael van Gerwen as favourite against Luke Humphries to start the tournament on Saturday evening. The match against the Englishman won’t be a walk in the park but “MvG” has no further room for setbacks on the PDC Tour after last year’s poor campaign.
Last time van Gerwen met Humphries he had a 6:3 win in the “PC14”. So the three times World Champion prevailed for the fourth time in the last five matches with “Cool Hand Luke”. In all four victories there was a win with at least three legs to spare.
With a stake of six units, we are again placing a bet on van Gerwen vs. Humphries at odds of 1.79 on a handicap win for “MvG” with at least three legs to spare.
