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Tonight, the bwin World Cup Of Darts will begin in Frankfurt as thirty-two pairs from around the world will take to the stage all hoping to lift the World Cup at the end of the four days. However, this tournament isn’t like any other event on the PDC calendar, so here is the format explained.
The Format:
Thirty-two pairs will participate in the World Cup, and in the first round they will take part in a best of nine legs contest, which both players will participate in, throwing alternately from 501.
The second round, quarter-finals and semi-finals will involve a couple of singles matches. Teams will select who will play first and who will play second and pit their wits against the other teams first and second player. Each best of seven legs match is worth one point, and the first to two points is the winner. If the match is tied 1-1 after the singles matches, then the match will go a doubles decider.
The final will see everybody play everybody from the two remaining teams, and once again each match is worth one point, and the first team to three points will be crowned the winners of the World Cup.
Who To Watch Out For:
Belgium:
Belgian brothers Kim and Ronny Huybrechts will start the number five seeds, and will kick off their World Cup campaign against the Philippines on tonight, and they could claim some scalps in the latter stages of the event should they get there.
Kim will be hoping to get another chance in the Premier League in 2016, after being eliminated on Judgement Night this year. Ronny Huybretchs can near or over then ton on his day, and the pair could prove to be very dangerous to some of the big hitters come the quarter-finals and semi-finals.
Northern Ireland:
Brendan Dolan ‘The History Maker’ will team up with Micky Mansell once again for the World Cup Of Darts, and they had a good run in the tournament last year making it to the semi-finals, and if they are both on form, they could be in for another gun run this time.
In making the semi-finals last year they knocked out Scotland’s Peter Wright and Robert Thornton on the way, and took the eventual winners the Netherlands to a doubles decider in the semis. Seeded number six, they are certainly worth watching out for.
Spain:
I know that they are not really in with a shot of winning the overall championship, but if you look at Spain’s World Cup record, they have actually claimed a couple of big massive scalps since the World Cup began in 2010.
They knocked out the strong England team consisting of James Wade and Phil Taylor were beaten by the Spanish duo of Antonio Alcinas and Carlos Rodriguez. The same team knocked out Gary Anderson and Robert Thornton of Scotland in 2013, will Cristo Reyes and Alcinas claim another big scalp in this staging of the tournament?
The Favourites:
4) Australia
Paul Nicholson and Simon Whitlock will represent Australia for the umpteenth time in 2015, and although Simon Whitlock has suffered a dip in form in the last few years, and Paul Nicholson has performed poorly on TV in the last few years, they could do a long way here.
They have had many enthralling tungsten tussles with number one seeds England over the last few years since the World Cup’s first staging, will they meet again in Frankfurt?
Sky Bet Tournament Odds: 18/1
3) Scotland
Peter Wright and Premier League and World Champion Gary Anderson will be looking to add the World Cup to their list of honours when they take to the stage as number two seeds, with the two players being 3rd and 5th in the Order Of Merit.
Scotland were knocked out of the competition last year by Northern Ireland’s Brendan Dolan and Micky Mansell last year, when Peter Wright and Robert Thornton were representing the Scots. However, will a new-look team including a reigning Premier League and World Champion reach the final?
Sky Bet Tournament Odds: 3/1
2) England
Despite taking their places as the favourites according to the seedings, we think that Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis will have to settle for being the second favourites for this year’s event, despite the two being second and fourth in the Order Of Merit.
Phil Taylor will still be looking to put his Premier League performance behind him as both of England’s representatives failed to make the top four showdown at the O2 in London, and will be aiming to repeat the scenes of the 2013 World Cup when they lifted the trophy, beating Belgium in the final.
Sky Bet Tournament Odds: 7/4
1) Netherlands
World Number One Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld will be defending their 2014 title, and will begin their defence against the USA on Friday night, and are in fact the number three seeds for this tournament.
van Gerwen has been in excellent form since losing in the semi-finals of the World Championship to Gary Anderson, and ‘The Flying Scotsman’ has been the only man that has looked like beating him this year, and teaming up with a very talented Raymond van Barneveld, they are many people’s favourites for the tournament.
Sky Bet Tournament Odds: 2/1 (Price Boost)
