Will Anderson end his losing streak against the Bully Boy?

Gary Anderson starts his 16th World Matchplay on Monday evening. In his 15 previous appearances, “The Flying Scotsman” has only won the title once. That coup came in 2018. Since then, the results in the Matchplay have been largely manageable for the two-time world champion.

This year’s Matchplay starts for the Scottish darts icon with a match against Michael Smith. According to the bookmakers’ quotes, “The Flying Scotsman” goes into the first round match against the “Bully Boy” as the slight favorite. Odds of up to 1.72 are currently available for a Smith vs. Anderson bet if the Scot is successful.

It would be a real liberating blow for Gary Anderson. The 53-year-old hasn’t won against Michael Smith since April 2022. There have even been five defeats in a row in head-to-head darts duels since then

Nonetheless, given Gary Anderson’s current form this year – he has the second-best points average in the PDC in 2024 – it makes perfect sense to place a darts prediction on the Scottish favorite in Michael Smith vs. Bookmaker Bet365 has a special bonus offer for this!

Michael Smith – Statistics & current form

Michael Smith, unlike Gary Anderson, has never won the World Matchplay. Twelve years ago, the “Bully Boy” took part in the prestigious tournament in Blackpool for the first time. Since then, his best result was reaching the final in 2019, when Smith was beaten by Rob Cross and lost 13:18 in the best-of-35.

It remains difficult to predict how far the Englishman will get this year, as the 33-year-old was eliminated in the second round of the match play in the two previous years. It is quite possible that the Englishman could even face a first-round knockout this year. This scenario cannot be ruled out against an opponent like Gary Anderson.

The only thing in the “Bully Boy’s” favor is the fact that he has won the last five Head-2-Heads. So if you want to place a bet on the Englishman in this Michael Smith vs. Gary Anderson match, you can also use the Bwin sports betting bonus

Mini crisis for Michael Smith

In his last seven matches, the “Bully Boy” has lost three times. Most recently, he suffered a bitter 6-1 defeat against Cameron Menzies in the Players Championship 14. Prior to that, the world number three had eliminated opponents such as Klose (6:5) and Evans (6:1) from the competition. The result in Menzies’ favor was therefore surprising.

It remains difficult to assess how Smith will now present himself at the tournament opener of the World Matchplay 2024, as the Englishman has been far too inconsistent in recent months. This year, the 33-year-old has a points average of 95.19, putting him in 18th place in the ranking of players with the highest averages.

Michael Smith has not yet met Gary Anderson this year. However, the Englishman has won three of his last four matches against players from Scotland. Smith has only lost once in these four matches against Scottish opponents – a good omen ahead of the match against “The Flying Scotsman”?

Gary Anderson – Statistics & current form

Gary Anderson, like Michael Smith, has not been at his best of late. The two-time world champion from Scotland has lost three of his last five matches. Most recently even with a 5:6 in the Players Championship 14 against a player like Graham Usher – currently ranked 80th in the world by the PDC.

In the Winter Gardens, “The Flying Scotsman” is now aiming for a defiant reaction. If successful, the Scot can not only improve his statistics in Blackpool, but also end the ongoing negative series against Michael Smith. Those who are also leaning towards a Scottish success can also use a free bet at the bookmakers.

For a Smith vs. Anderson bet on “The Flying Scotsman”, there are currently prices in the region of 1.70. The last time betting on this paid off was in April 2022. Gary Anderson prevailed 6:4 against Michael Smith in the Players Championship 9

Another high average for Gary Anderson?

This year, the two-time world champion from Scotland impressed above all with a high scoring average. Behind the reigning world champion and world number one Luke Humphries, Gary Anderson has the second-highest points average this calendar year.

If the 53-year-old builds on this, Gary Anderson can be expected to do well at the 2024 Matchplay in Blackpool. The role of favorite in the first round against Michael Smith is therefore understandable. Gary Anderson has not been eliminated in the first round of a major since the 2022 World Grand Prix. It’s quite possible that the streak will be extended

Michael Smith – Gary Anderson head-to-head comparison / H2H record

In the last five H2Hs Michael Smith leads the direct comparison against Gary Anderson. The Englishman recorded three of these five victories last year – all in the Players Championship, mind you. The last time the two players met at a major was in November 2021. Michael Smith won that encounter 5:2 against Gary Anderson

Michael Smith – Gary Anderson tip

For both players it didn’t go well recently. A partial success for Michael Smith was winning the World Cup of Darts 2024 – the so-called double World Championship. The “Bully Boy” won the title with world number one Luke Humphries at his side. Apart from that, however, his performances in recent months have been mixed.

Time and again, the Englishman has had to contend with surprising setbacks. It therefore remains uncertain in what condition the third-placed player will start the Matchplay 2024. Gary Anderson, the PDC player with the second-highest points average this calendar year, is at least an unpleasant opponent

Like the bookmakers, we see the two-time world champion from Scotland as the favorite. Our Michael Smith vs Gary Anderson betting tip aims for a win for “The Flying Scotsman” at reasonable odds. We are betting seven out of ten possible units. NEObet offers odds of 1.72.