Friday night of the World Matchplay at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool comprises the final two quarter-finals. Luke Littler lost in round one to Michael van Gerwen, who faces Andrew Gilding on the iconic Empress Ballroom stage on Friday and is seeking to win this title for a fourth time. talkSPORT BET welcome offer - Bet £10 Get £30 in free bets (app only)* An 11/4 double can be recommended with talkSPORT BET for the final two quarter-finals at the Winter Gardens.
Michael van Gerwen is in a different class to Andrew Gilding and the Dutch darting legend could make short work of his limited opponent. MVG, refreshed from a family holiday in Ibiza, has turned up in Blackpool this week in a vibrant mood. Seeing off Littler in a high-class round-one clash provided a huge injection of confidence for Van Gerwen, who used all his Matchplay experience and stage comfort to unsettle his younger opponent.
Mighty Mike averaged 101.93 in a 10-6 victory over Littler, then defeated another tricky opponent, Joe Cullen, by an 11-8 margin in round two. Van Gerwen, a three-time world champion, can be trusted to cover a -4.
5 legs handicap against Gilding given the length of the quarter-final matches. The last-eight ties are best of 31 legs, so Van Gerwen needs to win 16-11 or better to cover the handicap. The fact Gilding stunned the Green Machine in the final of the UK Open last year is a bonus for MvG Matchplay backers - that 11-10 defeat 16 months ago means the favourite should arrive at the .
