BDO World Championship Darts Odds : Scott Waites, Stephen Bunting, Martin Adams Tony O Shea head the market for punters
The BDO World Championship Darts kicks off as Paddy Power bring you the latest odds and free bets as the firm report Scott Waites, Stephen Bunting, Martin Adams Tony O Shea head the markets.
The extravaganza of winter darts continues as the BDO World Championships at Lakeside rolls into town with 32 players vying for the £100,000 prize in front of the BBC and ESPN cameras.
After the success of the PDC World Championships, which was won in fantastic style by Phil Taylor, punters are chomping at the bit to fulfil their darting needs and the ante-post markets have been busy with activity.
All the action begins on Saturday, and all the money in the build-up to the event has been piling on Scott Waites, who, unlike a lot of his opponents, has shown he is capable of mixing it with the best players from the PDC.
The Yorkshire thrower is a solid 100/30 shot with firms such as Paddy Power and Ladbrokes. His recent escapades into the Grand Slam of Darts, which is an invitation-only event that allows the top BDO players to take on the guys from the PDC, have been very successful. He won that tournament in 2010 and made the quarter-finals this season after causing a huge shock in the group stages by beating Taylor.
To celebrate the start of the BDO World Championship darts on the BBC, Paddy Power are offering free bets worth £250/€250 to all new customers to spend on the darts or the FA Cup football!
PDC World Championships runner-up Michael van Gerwen beat him that day but it looks as though Waites will get a chance to avenge that defeat as he is likely to join the PDC in the near future.
Success has been hard to come by at the top level in the BDO though as he has admittedly performed under-par in the World Championships. Waites is a consistent sort though, as he has made the quarter-finals on each of his last three visits to Lakeside. That consistency makes him a good betting proposition to get through the early rounds of the tournament but as an outright win option he lacks the prowess to really make him the value call. He can be taken on.
The man to oppose the favourite with looks to be the grand old crowd favourite Tony O’Shea, who is a very tantalising 16/1 chance with Paddy Power.
He has the reputation as the nearly man of the BDO following two defeats in World Championship finals and there is a feeling in punting circles that this could be his year.
Although his form on the circuit hasn’t been to his normal high standard, much like Taylor on the PDC, he always brings his A-game to the World Championships. What makes O’Shea so durable in this type of format is he battle-hardened qualities.
He is famous for saving lost causes in matches and never giving up when the going gets tough. If he becomes behind in a match, it won’t faze him, as he always believes he can overturn a lead whatever the score.
This trait to his game makes him a very reliable betting proposition as you know he will always bring his best game to the table. His fanatical followers will be flocking to Lakeside to give ‘Silverback’ their support and you can guarantee he will use that to his advantage.
O’Shea was defeated 7-6 by Ted Hankey back in 2009 and 12 months ago to the unknown Christian Kist 7-5, but that shows he can deal with the pressure of a big tournament final – at 16/1 he is the clear value to prosper at the Worlds.
Another men to look out for in the tournament is Martin Adams, who is a three-time winner of the tournament and is making his 20th consecutive appearance this year.
‘Wolfie’ is a best priced 9/1 with William Hill but his form hasn’t been anywhere his usual standard this year and he could be vulnerable to the likes of O’Shea.
