2022 Premier League Darts Betting Preview – Odds, Player Analysis, and Predictions

The 2022 Premier League Darts season gets underway on Thursday, February 3, as eight of world’s best arrowmen head to Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena to kick off the tournament.

Over the course of the next four months, the Premier League Darts roadshow will visit 17 different cities across Europe. With events in the UK, Ireland, Germany, and the Netherlands, this is set to be the biggest tournament to date.

So, why not make things even more exciting by betting on Premier League Darts in 2022?

Jonny Clayton is the reigning champion, having beaten Jose de Sousa in last year’s final. But with superstars such as Gerwyn Price, Michael van Gerwen, and Peter Wright on the line-up, Clayton will likely struggle to defend his crown.

Could Premier League debutant Joe Cullen add to his recent Masters triumph? Will Gary Anderson claim his third PL title? Can Michael Smith atone for his loss to Wright in the World Championship final?

Let’s start by checking out the odds for the 2022 Premier Legue Darts before taking a closer look at all the contenders.

As you can see, the top darts betting sites view Gerwyn Price (4.00) and Michael van Gerwen (4.00) as joint favorites to lift the trophy this year.

Having missed the previous tournament due to COVID-19, Price will surely be eager to make amends in 2022. The Welshman may be the current world #1, but his Premier League record is nothing to write home about.

As for van Gerwen, he has won five of the past nine PL titles – including four straight triumphs between 2016 and 2019. Following a semi-final exit last season, he will be desperate to bounce back this year.

Fresh from clinching his second World Championship crown, Peter Wright (5.00) is viewed as Price and van Gerwen’s biggest threat. Defending champion Jonny Clayton (6.00) is also expected to mount a serious challenge for the trophy.

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The eight stars that will battle it out in the 2022 @CazooUK Premier League!

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PDC ? @Winmau – The Official Darts Equipment Supplier to the PDC pic.twitter.com/1wMYYEqNAW

— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 31, 2022

Michael Smith (8.50) returns for his fifth Premier League campaign after missing out in 2021. He reached the PL final back in 2018 and recently lost the World Championship showpiece to Wright.

The 2022 Premier League Darts odds take a sizeable leap from Smith to Joe Cullen (15.00), who is competing in the PL for the very first time. Cullen won his maiden televised title last month, defeating Dave Chisnall in the Masters final.

A couple of veterans complete the eight-man line-up. Two-time Premier League winner Gary Anderson (17.00) finds himself just ahead of 2009 champion James Wade (21.00).

Now that we’ve assessed the Premier League Darts odds for 2022, it’s time to take a closer look at the players. I will start by analyzing the top contenders before discussing the chances of the bookies’ outsiders.

As I already mentioned, Price missed the 2021 Premier League after returning a positive COVID-19 test on the eve of the tournament. It goes without saying that he will be desperate to make an impact this time around.

“The Iceman” enjoyed plenty of success last year. After winning the 2021 World Championship, he claimed the Grand Slam of Darts title. He also reached the final of the World Grand Prix, as well as the semi-finals of the UK Open, Masters, and World Cup.

That said, Price’s Premier League record isn’t great. In 2018, the Welshman was eliminated from his debut PL campaign without winning a single match. He then registered back-to-back fifth-place finishes in 2019 and 2020.

There is absolutely no denying that Price has the ability to win the Premier League title. I mean, he is sitting pretty atop the PDC Order of Merit for a reason. But if he wants to lift the trophy, he will need to overcome his PL curse.

Believe it or not, van German didn’t pick up a single PDC title in 2021. Despite reaching the European Championship final, along with four other semi-finals, “Mighty Mike” failed to add to his lengthy list of achievements.

Still, nobody would be overly surprised if the iconic Dutchman claimed the 2022 Premier League Darts title by completely outclassing the other seven competitors.

Let’s not forget that van Gerwen also has three World Championships, five Masters titles, and two World Matchplay trophies under his belt – alongside a host of other accolades.

At the age of just 32, van Gerwen is already one of the greatest darts players of all time. I fully expect him to come out fighting in 2022.

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By his own high standards, Wright’s Premier League record isn’t what it should be. After losing the final in 2017, he reached the semi-finals in 2020. But his other six campaigns have ended in disappointment.

However, if his achievements over the past couple of years are anything to go by, there is no reason why “Snakebite” can’t challenge for the PL silverware this season.

In 2020, Wright won the World Championship, European Championship, and Masters titles. He then capped off 2021 by securing more ranking titles than any other player – triumphing at the World Matchplay, Players Championship Finals, and World Cup of Darts.

Having recently picked up his second World Championship crown in three years, Wright is operating at the top of his game right now. With the world #1 spot in his sights, don’t be shocked if he adds the Premier League trophy to his bustling silverware cabinet.

To say that 2021 was a successful year for Jonny Clayton would be a massive understatement.

At the 2022 Masters, “The Ferret” picked up where he left off last year – making it all the way to the semi-finals in January. Although he fell to Chisnall, he will be pleased to have reached his seventh PDC semi-final in just over a year.

Clayton looks set to pose a serious threat to Price, van Gerwen, and Wright this year. He is undoubtedly throwing the best darts of his career right now, meaning he heads into the 2022 Premier League as one of the most in-form players.

Unfortunately, the saying “always a bridesmaid, never the bride” sums up Smith’s career to date. The 31-year-old has reached no fewer than seven PDC finals since 2018 but is still chasing his first major title.

After losing the 2018 Premier League final, “Bully Boy” suffered an agonizing defeat to Wright in the 2022 World Championship showpiece. Let’s not forget that he also saw off Price and Clayton en route to January’s final.

Having recently smashed the record for the most 180s in a single World Championship, the bookies favor Smith to hit the most maximums throughout the 2022 PL campaign. Surely that gives him an edge over his rivals.

There is a sense that Smith is on the cusp of breaking his hoodoo and finally winning his first major. If he performs to the best of his ability, we could see him lift the Premier League trophy in May.

Price and van Gerwen are the bookmakers’ favorites, with Wright and Clayton close behind. It’s fair to say that Smith is also among the group of frontrunners.

Although Cullen, Anderson, and Wade are viewed as outsiders, they are all capable of clinching the crown. For that reason, it’s only right that I examine the underdogs. After all, they could land you a tasty profit if they go all the way.

It may feel like Cullen has been on the circuit for ages, but he is still just 32. “The RockStar” made his World Championship debut all the way back in 2011 but failed to win a ranking or non-ranking televised PDC title across the next decade.

He finally bucked that trend last month, however, winning the 2022 Masters. He beat Anderson, van Gerwen, and de Sousa on his way to the final before dispatching Chisnall in the showpiece.

Few would argue that Cullen doesn’t deserve a shot at the Premier League. Cullen will fancy his chances of upsetting the odds, too. The world #11 will brimming with belief after securing the Masters crown.

Nobody expected Clayton to win the 2021 PL title at the first attempt. By the same token, very few people expected Glen Durrant to lift the trophy in 2020. The achievements of Clayton and Durrant will fill Cullen with even more confidence.

Only two men – Taylor and van Gerwen – have won more Premier League titles than Anderson. The veteran won the first of his two PL finals in 2011 before beating MVG in the 2015 showpiece.

Of course, a lot has changed since then. But Anderson remains one of the best players on the planet. Even at the ripe old age of 51, “The Flying Scotsman” heads into the 2022 campaign sitting sixth on the PDC Order of Merit.

It is worth noting that Anderson has reached the semi-finals in six of his previous seven Premier League appearances. Although he finished eighth in 2021, you would be foolish to write him off this time around.

Anderson is responsible for some of the greatest darts moments of all time. If he brings his A-game to the party, he could produce more memorable moments in 2022.

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Wade comes into the 2022 Premier League Darts season as the bookmakers’ underdog. That is probably fair, though, as the 38-year-old hasn’t had much to celebrate in recent times.

Between 2008 and 2010, Wade reached three successive PL finals – triumphing in 2009. Since then, however, he has failed to make it past the semi-finals in each of his previous eight appearances in the tournament.

Regardless of Wade’s recent Premier League performances, you can’t write him off. The experienced arrowman has countless titles to his name, making him a solid outside bet for the 2022 Premier League Darts.

The 2022 Premier League Darts campaign looks set to be one of the most fiercely contested editions of the tournament. With the seven highest-ranked players in the world competing for the silverware, alongside 2022 Masters champion Cullen, anyone could claim the title.

Although Price and van Gerwen are the favorites, neither player has been at their best in recent times. Of course, they will likely rise to the occasion of the Premier League. But they will need to rediscover their best form sooner rather than later.

Smith’s price of 8.50 is very appealing, too. Not only did he reach the PL final in 2018, but he also made it all the way to the World Championship showpiece last month. His ability to hit 180s is also unrivalled.

If you’re looking for an outside bet that has the potential to be extremely profitable, I recommend considering Wade. After winning the 2021 UK Open and reaching the 2022 World Championship semi-finals, he appears to be getting back to his best.

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