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Dutchman Michael van Gerwen remains the bookies’ favourites to win a fourth world championship title as the showpiece tournament reaches the quarter final stage at the Alexandra Palace.
Van Gerwen is 21/20 to take the title and is 1/6 to defeat Chris Dobey (4/1) in the quarter finals, although it will be no easy task to defeat the Englishman. Dobey had a three-dart average of 102.13 in his 4-2 last 16 win over Rob Cross, higher than van Gerwen's mark in a 4-1 win over Dirk van Duijvenbode.
Dobey also dispatched former world champions in back-to-back rounds, firstly Gary Anderson and then the aforementioned Cross - a 12/1 bet on a 5-4 scoreline in favour of Dobey is there for those looking for an upset.
Van Gerwen's experience on the big stage may be the deciding factor, however. Set scores of 5-2 (10/3) or 5-3 (9/2) in favour of the three-time world champion are enticing picks. Van Gerwen to achieve the match treble (victory, most 180s and highest checkout) is 11/4. However, Dobey is one of just four players to checkout 170 so far in the tournament, so punters beware.
Michael Smith is the bookies' second favourite at 10/3, but faces an in-form Stephen Bunting in the last eight. Smith held the highest three-dart average of all the quarter finalists at 103.25 in victory over Joe Cullen.
Bunting, meanwhile, beat #5 seed Luke Humphries 4-1 and #12 seed Dave Chisnell 4-2 on his way to the last eight – he is a 5/2 shot to beat Smith (3/10) in the contest. A 5-3 set win for Smith catches the eye at 4/1, as does the match treble for Smith at 9/4.
Welshman Gerwyn Price is 9/2 to win a second world title as the #1 seed, and he will face German challenger Gabriel Clemens, the lowest remaining seed in the draw at #25. Price is 1/5 to take victory with Clemens a 7/2 outsider.
Price is yet to hit top form in this tournament despite sailing through to the last eight, dropping just two sets in three matches. The worrying sign is that he has failed to achieve a three-dart average above 95, a feat his opponent achieved in two of his three matches.
The upset is certainly enticing here, and the even braver punter can look at a set score of 5-3 (14/1) and 5-4 (11/1) in favour of the German.
The final quarter final pits Belgian Dimitri van den Bergh (13/10) against Jonny Clayton (8/13) in what the bookies suggest will be the tightest matchup of the slate. Clayton is fourth favourite for the world title at 10/1, with van den Bergh at longer odds of 18/1.
Van den Bergh has dropped just two sets on his way to the last eight. Clayton, meanwhile, faced a gruelling last 16 tie against Josh Rock and is battle tested in closely contested matchups. A 5-4 Jonny Clayton victory looks tasty at 5/1, with the reverse score in favour of the Belgian at 6/1.
