Unibet PDC Home Tour – Group 20 Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
What is the Unibet PDC Home Tour? With the PDC Tour currently on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, the PDC have devised the tournament to supply some darting action to players and fans, with all matches are being streamed live from the homes of the players who are involved.
Who is taking part in the Unibet PDC Home Tour? All 128 PDC Tour Card holders were invited to take part, though there are some absences, the most notable being Michael van Gerwen due to the birth of his second child earlier this month, whilst Gary Anderson and Daryl Gurney are both missing due to internet connection problems.
What is the format of the Unibet PDC Home Tour? Each night, four players compete in a round-robin format with matches played over the best-of-nine legs, with the 32 group winners qualifying for the second stage of the event.
When is the Unibet PDC Home Tour Group 20 taking place? Wednesday 6th May, 2020 – 19:30 start (UK)
Where can I watch the Unibet PDC Home Tour? All PDC Home Tour action will be broadcast live on PDCTV for FREE to ALL registered PDCTV users, regardless of whether you have a paid or free membership.
THE PLAYERS
JOE CULLEN
2020/21 SEASON SO FAR
Best Results in PDC Ranking Tournaments
Quarter-finals x2
Last 32 x2
Stats in PDC Players Championship tournaments
Average – 92.94
180s – 43 (0.28 per leg)
H2H
vs Jermaine Wattimena
W1, L4
Last meeting: Joe Cullen 6-5 Jermaine Wattimena (July 2019 – Players Championship)
vs John Michael
W1, L2
Last meeting: John Michael 6-2 Joe Cullen (Apr 2017 – Players Championship)
vs Ryan Murray
N/A
PROSPECTS
Joe Cullen has shown on several occasions what great talent he possesses but if there is a criticism about his game it’s that he still is prone to not having a consistent level of play. Still, it’s no fluke that he has won three ranking tournaments in his PDC career.
JERMAINE WATTIMENA
2020/21 SEASON SO FAR
Best Results in PDC Ranking Tournaments
Last 16 x2
Last 32 x2
Stats in PDC Players Championship tournaments
Average – 93.94
180s – 40 (0.24 per leg)
H2H
vs Joe Cullen
W4, L1
Last meeting: Joe Cullen 6-5 Jermaine Wattimena (July 2019 – Players Championship)
vs John Michael
N/A
vs Ryan Murray
N/A
PROSPECTS
Jermaine Wattimena was drafted in to take Jeffrey de Zwaan's place after his fellow Dutchman withdrew due to a shoulder injury. Wattimena's rise up the rankings over the last few years saw him earn a spot in the Dutch World Cup team last year.
JOHN MICHAEL
2020/21 SEASON SO FAR
Best Results in PDC Ranking Tournaments
Last 32 x1
Last 64 x3
Stats in PDC Players Championship tournaments
Average – 91.37
180s – 32 (0.32 per leg)
H2H
vs Joe Cullen
W2, L1
Last meeting: John Michael 6-2 Joe Cullen (Apr 2017 – Players Championship)
vs Jermaine Wattimena
N/A
vs Ryan Murray
N/A
PROSPECTS
John Michael has been the dominant force in Greek darts for a number of years but playing on the PDC circuit is a much tougher test and he hasn’t really made a big impact on the main tour. Still, he is certainly not a pushover and has a repectable average this season so can’t be written off.
RYAN MURRAY
2020/21 SEASON SO FAR
Best Results in PDC Ranking Tournaments
Last 64 x3
Last 128 x5
Stats in PDC Players Championship tournaments
Average – 92.95
180s – 18 (0.18 per leg)
H2H
vs Joe Cullen
N/A
vs Jermaine Wattimena
N/A
vs John Michael
N/A
PROSPECTS
Ryan Murray finally managed to win a PDC Tour Card in 2020 after a few years of trying. He hadn’t won many matches on the circuit prior to the disruption of the season, but his level of performance wasn’t bad and he will be a tough opponent for any of the other three players in this group.
THREE PICKS FROM 3 DART ANALYST
John Michael to score the most 180s vs Ryan Murray
John Michael has a good 180 per leg ratio on the circuit this season and, if he can find his range on the T20, he looks decent value to outscore Murray.
Over 7.5 legs – Joe Cullen vs Jermaine Wattimena
This should be a very entertaining match between the two players who could be battling it out for top spot. It's hard to pick a winner and a good option might be to look at over 7.5 total legs in the contest.
Jermaine Wattimena to win the group
Wattimena can go under the radar but when he finds his range he is capable of spells of brilliance and I think he might just edge out Joe Cullen to take the the qualifying spot.
