European Championship: Peter Wright can make it back-to-back wins
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In the nine-year history of the PDC European Championship, there has only ever been four winners.
Phil Taylor claimed the first four iterations before Simon Whitlock and Adrian Lewis broke the mould in 2012 and 2013.
Since then, the tournament has been won by just one man – Michael van Gerwen.
MVG has seen off three different competitors in three different finals and is 4/5 to equal Taylor’s sequence of four successive wins over the coming weekend.
However, after the Dutchman pulled out of last week’s German Darts Masters with a foot injury, we think there’s better value to be found in Van Gerwen’s 31 other opponents for the crown.
Peter Wright won in Dusseldorf last weekend and is 4/1 to do the business in Hasselt.
The Scotsman has never gone beyond the semi-finals in the European Championship, but after last weekend’s morale-boosting victory, he’s the obvious option if you want to oppose MVG.
He’s in the more difficult side of the draw though, and that could prove to be the 47-year-old’s undoing.
We then have a huge jump in the betting down to Rob Cross at 14/1. Cross is a worthy third favourite having won four ranking tournament’s this season, but we think this competition could come slightly too soon for the PDC rookie.
As with the last three TV Majors, it’s Mensur Suljovic and Daryl Gurney who provide the value, both at 16/1. The pair have both broken their PDC major duck in the last two months and represent brilliant each-way value in an open field.
Suljovic reached the final of this tournament in 2016 and must be considered after strong showings throughout 2017.
Inconsistent pair Dave Chisnall and Michael Smith then follow at 25/1, before World Grand Prix finalist Simon Whitlock at 40/1.
Further down the field, we think there are some good prices available for a couple of unlikely contenders.
Youngster Benito van de Pas has climbed to 14th in the world this year and showed signs in the World Grand Prix that his talent is starting to manifest itself more consistently in his game. Big Ben is 80/1 for a first Major win.
Fellow 80/1 shot Jelle Klaasen is also capable of a prolonged run after finishing fifth on the European Tour Order of Merit this season.
Click here for the latest European Championship odds.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
