Does the Iceman keep the Welsh flag flying?
The PDC World Darts Championship 2022 has lost its international touch. That’s also because some Dutch players had to miss due to illness but also because of the strength of the British. The eight quarterfinalists all come from the British Isles. Besides five Englishmen and two Scots, the world number one Gerwyn Price holds the flag of the Welsh high.
This year’s New Year’s Eve will again be a little more tranquil for the Iceman, with a clash against England’s Michael Smith on New Year’s Day.
Michael Smith has already been runner-up at the Ally Pally in 2019 and has been among the absolute world’s best ever since. The Iceman will need to unpack his best throws on New Year’s Day to decide this match in his favour. Between Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith, however, the prediction is that the Welshman will succeed.
The two opponents have already played numerous duels and usually the Welshman had his nose in front. The advantage that the crowd is on the side of the Englishman will hardly help the local hero, because it is only when the fans are against the Iceman that he plays his best matches. Therefore, we assume that between Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith a bet on a victory of the World Champion should be the better choice.
Gerwyn Price – Statistics & current form
Current Position Order of Merit: 1
Position in the Seed List: 1
Faced with numerous infections at Alexandra Palace, Gerwyn Price argued for the World Championship to be called. In the meantime he is only three matches away from defending his title and has adjusted his opinion accordingly. The World Champion is now determined to finish the tournament. The Welshman is too close to his second World Championship title.
Iceman with problems
Up to this point the Iceman has been playing solidly in London, but he has had his problems. Gerwyn Price played the best average in his opening match against Englishman Ritchie Edhouse, whom he defeated 3:1 sets. In the third round, the world number one was already facing elimination. At 5:5 in the seventh set, the decider had to decide between victory and defeat and there, thanks to his psychological warfare, the defending champion had his nose in front in a dirty match.
In the last 16 against Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode Gerwyn Price came back into the match after losing the first set. After that he won twelve legs in a row and showed his qualities in an impressive way. Should the Welshman perform like that on Saturday as well, you can save a look at the odds on a win for the Englishman between Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith.
Just in time for the season’s climax the Welshman now seems to be in really good form again. In November he won the Grand Slam of Darts. So the elimination in the third round of the Players Championship finals was bearable, especially as the focus was already on the World Championship. In the meantime the defence of the title takes more and more concrete shape.
Last matches of Gerwyn Price:
World Darts Championship
12/29 2021 – Gerwyn Price 4 – 1 Dirk van Duijvenbode
12/27 2021 – Gerwyn Price 4 – 3 Kim Huybrechts
12/15 2021 – Gerwyn Price 3 – 1 Ritchie Edhouse
Players Championship Finals
11/27 2021 – Gerwyn Price 8 – 10 Brendan Dolan
11/27 2021 – Gerwyn Price 6 – 1 Martin Schindler
Michael Smith – Statistics & current form
Current Position Order of Merit: 9
Seeded position: 9
Michael Smith is something of a perennial runner-up. Six times he has been in the final of major tournaments, including the 2019 World Cup, and six times the Englishman from St Helens has lost out. The final is still a long way off this year and the hurdle couldn’t be bigger in the quarter-finals, but Michael Smith has the qualities to prevail even against the world number one.
High Average at Bully Boy
Up to this point, the Bully Boy is offering an outstanding World Championship. Already in his opening match against Dutchman Ron Meulenkamp he showed what he is capable of. Not only did Michael Smith get the upper hand with 3:0 sets, he also played an outstanding average with 106,32. Up to this point, this value could not be topped at the World Championships.
In the third round, the Englishman did not have much trouble against William O’Connor from Ireland and won 4:2. In the course of the tournament, Michael Smith stabilised his average at just under 100. That was enough to win against the Welshman Jonny Clayton in the last 16 in what was probably the best match of the World Championship so far.
It was a match that could have been a worthy final. In the seventh and decisive set, the bully boy managed to break for 5:4 before taking the set 6:4. If the Englishman brings this form to the oche on Saturday, then the forecast in the duel between Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith could also go in the direction of the underdog
Last matches of Michael Smith:
World Darts Championship
12/29 2021 – Jonny Clayton 3 – 4 Michael Smith
12/27 2021 – Michael Smith 4 – 2 William O’Connor
12/21 2021 – Michael Smith 3 – 0 Ron Meulenkamp
Players Championship Finals
11/27 2021 – Michael Smith 5 – 6 Daryl Gurney
11/26 2021 – Michael Smith 6 – 3 William Borland
Gerwyn Price – Michael Smith Direct comparison / H2H record
When Gerwyn Price meets Michael Smith you can already talk about a permanent duel in darts. In the meantime there were 25 encounters between these two opponents. In the direct comparison the Welshman has with 13:10 wins just the nose in front. Two duels in the Premier League ended in a draw.
However, Michael Smith has now waited ten games for a win against the Iceman. In 2021, there were three victories in a row for the Iceman. The last encounter took place at the beginning of October at the World Grand Prix in Leicester. In the first round, Gerwyn Price prevailed 2-0 after sets and was only defeated in the final by his compatriot Jonny Clayton.
Gerwyn Price – Michael Smith Tip
Gerwyn Price is the favourite against any player. It’s not for nothing that the Iceman is the reigning World Champion and number one in the PDC Rankings. In the meantime the Welshman seems to have warmed up in Alexandra Palace because after initial problems he won twelve legs in a row in the last 16. If he can keep it up in the quarterfinals, the win should only be a formality.
But Michael Smith is a tough opponent who already reached the final of many big tournaments. With over 106, the Englishman set the best average so far at this World Championship. In addition, he showed all his class in the round of 16 against Jonny Clayton.
The Iceman, however, has developed into something of a fear opponent for the Bully Boy in recent years. For ten games Michael Smith has been waiting for a win against the world champion. Only two draws in the Premier League have been recorded in that time. We think that the number one in the ranking will therefore clearly prevail on New Year’s Day and play the betting odds between Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith on a handicap win (-2.5 sets) for the defending champion.
