The halfway point of the 2024 Premier League is on the horizon, so expect more jostling for league positions as the eight players head to the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham for Week Seven.
Gerwyn Price won in Nottingham last year and could do with repeating that success to get back into the qualification picture this year.
The Iceman opens up against fellow struggler Peter Wright before Luke Humphries and Michael Smith clash in a repeat of last week’s final in Brighton. Then it’s Michael van Gerwen against Luke Littler in the game of the night, before Nathan Aspinall plays Rob Cross.
- Luke Littler to beat Michael van Gerwen
- Gerwyn Price -1.5 v Peter Wright
- Nathan Aspinall to beat Rob Cross
Luke To Nuke Wounded Champ
Michael van Gerwen has produced a pair of last-leg triumphs over Luke Littler in this year’s Premier League but back the youngster to make it third time lucky when they clash in the third quarter-final in Nottingham.
Littler prepares to toe the oche just five days after being crowned Belgian Open champion, his third title of an extraordinary first season on tour.
The 17-year-old is playing well, well enough to beat Van Gerwen on any given day. Throw in the fact that the Dutchman has been struggling with a shoulder injury and the odds are stacked heavily in The Nuke’s favour.
Van Gerwen has suffered a trio of first-hurdle flops at the UK Open, Premier League and in Belgium as he plays through the pain barrier, and if he’s not feeling 100 per cent then an in-form Littler will put him in his place.
LUKE LITTLER TO BEAT MICHAEL VAN GERWEN
Iceman Can Leave Wright Out In The Cold
The first quarter-final of the night features the bottom two in the table, Gerwyn Price and Peter Wright.
Whoever wins tonight still can’t get into the top four - Snakebite could win this week and in Dublin next week and would still be in the bottom four - so the pressure is on.
Wright, yet to win a match in six weeks, is improving week on week but is still a distance off his old self.
And Price looked back to near his best in Belgium, throwing some big numbers to eclipse Gabriel Clemens, Gary Anderson and Stephen Bunting before falling short against Rob Cross in the semis.
GERWYN PRICE -1.5 AGAINST PETER WRIGHT
Asp Can Complete Cross Treble
Rob Cross has been consistency personified on his Premier League recall with just one quarter-final loss in the first six rounds.
He’s playing well in this competition and elsewhere, having reached the final of the Belgian Open at the weekend.
However, in Nottingham he takes on his nemesis Nathan Aspinall. These two have met twice in the 2024 Premier League and the Asp has won both matches and given that he is throwing some decent stuff he can clearly get under Cross’s skin.
NATHAN ASPINALL TO BEAT ROB CROSS
