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BDO champion looks a great price to oust the Machine
The second round of the PDC World Championship has some cracking contests in prospect and some potential shocks as well, most notably in the standout match of the round between James Wade and Stephen Bunting.
The BDO champ Bunting is looking to make history at the Alexandra Palace by winning the PDC title and holding both world championships simultaneously. Some questioned his ability when switching codes but he has proved himself to be a serious threat in the Sky-based organisation and a major contender on the biggest stage of all.
The man known as the Bullet was not at his very best in the first round but he did more than enough to see off the Croatian Robert Marijanovic. With the nerves steadied by the second round he should be firing in an average well about the 90 he managed in his opening display. He is well capable of managing three ps and giving any player on the planet a beating.
Wade is many people’s tip for the title this time around and he is certainly capable. He lifted the Masters title last month and looked good again in the first round when he saw off the challenge of young Welshman Jamie Lewis. However, he is prone to slow starts and if he does so against Bunting then he could find himself two sets down in no time at all.
Four times these two have met inthe past and three times Bunting has triumphed; most notably in the semi-finals of the Sydney Masters and recently in the last 16 of the Grand Slam of Darts. Clearly the BDO champ has no problem with the Machine and he looks an excellent price to beat him in the second round at the Ally Pally at 5/4.
Another tempting underdog in thelast 32 is Brendan Dolan who takes on Michael Smith. The Northern Irishman won every single leg in his victory over Nolan Arendse and is perpetually under-rated despite his immense talent. In terms of tournament wins and experience on the big stage, Dolan far out-strips the youngster and his slow, methodical style could play havoc with Smith’s rhythm.
Dolan and Smith have met six times professionally and Dolan has won five of them, so clearly Bully Boy struggles against him. With this in mind, Brendan looks a great bet at 7/4 to make the last 16.
