Premier League Darts season preview

The Premier League of darts is back for 2022, with a big change in format to bring even more intrigue to one of the darting highlights of the year. 

Eight players will battle it out over 16 nights of darting drama, with each league night a tournament in itself, with quarter-finals, semis and a final held each night over the best of 11 legs. 

Points will be awarded for the order players finish each night, along with a £10,000 bonus for the winner, and those points will be used as the league table to produce the top four that will contest the play-offs. 

Starting in Cardiff, the Premier League will be back in major arenas for the first time in two years and take in venues in England, Scotland, Germany and the Netherlands with a bumper £1m total prize pot. 

Everyone will play each other twice in the quarter-finals as Jonny Clayton defends his title against Gerwyn Price, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson, Michael Smith, James Wade and Joe Cullen. 

Mighty MVG heads the betting

Five-time winner Michael van Gerwen is the 5.3 joint favourite as he chases a sixth Premier League title that would put him level with the great Phil 'The Power' Taylor.

MVG made seven straight finals from 2013-19, winning five and even having a higher average in the two he lost, so if he gets to the big game we know he will deliver.

There's plenty of competition though and it's wide open after two of last year's four semi-finalists failed to even get back into the Premier League this time around, but one man who did is defending champion Jonny Clayton.

'The Ferret' had a remarkable year last year with four big TV titles, including in the Premier League as he claimed the title on his tournament debut. Clayton is also a 5.3 shot here.

Gerwyn Price comes in at 4.5 and just behind Van Gerwen in the betting as the World No.1 will be desperate to get his hands on this title after being forced to miss last year's event following a positive Covid-19 test.

Back then, Price had just lifted the World Darts Championship title and stormed to the top of the rankings, playing the best darts in the world, so would've been a big favourite to land the Premier League. He's never even made the final four before, but watch out for 'The Iceman' this time around.

Will Jonny Clayton retain the title this season?

World final re-match as Smith returns

Newly-crowned two-time world champion Peter Wright will look to go one better than his one appearance in the Premier League final in 2017, and at 4.7 he'll have plenty of support given how he's played in the big events recently.

'Snakebite' has never really warmed to this event with just two play-off appearances in eight attempts, but after claiming the World Matchplay and World Championship last season he's now targeted a big run here - and when he puts his mind to something, it usually pays off.

The opening night of action in Cardiff sees Wright go up against the returning Michael Smith in a re-match of their Ally Pally final, with 'Bully Boy', an 7.6 chance, looking to finally land that elusive major, and why not here?

Smith seemed mentally tougher than ever before at the worlds, beating Clayton and Price and smashing the record for tournament 180s, and he's got a point to prove here after being left out last year. He's made the final before and is well capable of going close. He's also worth backing for most tournament 180s.

Former winners and Premier League stalwarts Gary Anderson (16) and James Wade (21) both return for their 11th and 12th appearances respectively but are the outsiders of the field with the younger guns more well fancied.

Joe Cullen might be a better long-odds shout at 12.5 after he bagged the final spot in the tournament by claiming a maiden major title at the Masters. He now makes his Premier League debut full of confidence - just as Clayton did last year.

Don't be surprised to see a nine-darter as there have been 12 in Premier League history and two last season - Jonny Clayton and Jose de Sousa both hitting the perfect leg - as these players are just getting better and better.

Recommended bet

Gerwyn Price to win outright @ 4.5