2019 Unibet Premier League Darts – James Wade vs Michael van Gerwen Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is James Wade vs Michael van Gerwen taking place? Thursday 25th April – 19:00 (UK)
Where is James Wade vs Michael van Gerwen taking place? Arena Birmingham
What channel is James Wade vs Michael van Gerwen on? Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Action
Where can I stream James Wade vs Michael van Gerwen? Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match via Sky Go
Where can I get tickets for James Wade vs Michael van Gerwen? https://www.pdc.tv/unibet-premier-league-tickets
THE LOWDOWN
HEAD-TO-HEAD
All-time meetings: James Wade 16-34 Michael van Gerwen
Previous meeting: James Wade 7-3 Michael van Gerwen
JAMES WADE
- James Wade sits in third place in the league standings and is level on points with Price and Suljovic but with a healthy leg difference advantage over the pair.
- Last Thursday night in Cardiff, Wade romped to an easy 8-2 victory against Peter Wright, which was only his second victory in seven Premier League matches and was well-timed as both of the players behind him in the table also won on the same night.
- The Machine suffered a 6-5 defeat against Kim Huybrechts in the last 32 at the German Darts Grand Prix on Sunday – that result ended a 15-match winning streak for the left-hander.
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN
- Michael van Gerwen reclaimed top spot in the league table following his 8-2 triumph against Rob Cross in Cardiff. Van Gerwen is now unbeaten in his last five Premier League matches with four wins and a draw during that run.
- MVG has produced his highest two averages of the 2019 Premier League season during his last two matches with the 107.87 average against Cross coming a week after he averaged 109.11 against Michael Smith.
- The world number one added another tournament win to his resumé when he won the German Darts Grand Prix on Monday, defeating Simon Whitlock in the final with an average of 106.45.
THE PREDICTION
Michael van Gerwen has looked in imperious form over the last two weeks as he closes in on yet another table-topping Premier League campaign. The Dutchman has had some blips in the 2019 Premier League season which includes a defeat against James Wade but the way he performed against Smith and Cross suggests he is really hitting top gear at the right time. James Wade has had a very good season and is well deserving of his position in the league table on the basis of his level of play. The Machine has proven he is capable of beating Van Gerwen but faces a huge task of repeating the feat against a highly motivated opponent who will want to set the record straight and is likely to do just that.
