If you're following along with our PDC Home Tour Darts coverage, you know what our basic strategy is for the early part of this tournament. Given the unfamiliar environment — the players are at home and competing via video conference — it seems unwise to back big favorites.
Like in plenty of other sports name recognition can sway odds drastically in darts and that seemed to be the case on Nights 1 and 2, as prohibitive favorites, Peter Wright and Gerwyn Price, did not win their group. Instead, we've seen two 6-1 underdogs, Jamie Lewis and Luke Woodhouse, advance from their respective groups.
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PDC Home Tour Darts Tournament Rules and Format
- If you're unfamiliar with the rules of darts, click here.
- The tournament will feature 32 groups of four players who will play a round robin to determine a group winner.
- One group plays per day, for 32 days in a row. Yes, 32 days in a row.
- All group-stage matches are best-of-9 legs and two points will be awarded for a win. If there is a tie at the top of standings, the first tiebreaker will be leg difference.
- After the 32-day group stage, the winners will advance to the second phase of the competition. I'm assuming that means a single-elimination, bracket-style tournament. But, the PDC website didn't go any further than that.
- The action will begin at 2:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. local time) each night and stream on PDC.tv. It will be shown for free, although I am not 100% certain it will be available for users in the United States, let's hope for the best.
- The first four groups have been announced, along with the order of play, though the PDC has yet to confirm the remaining competitors.
PDC Home Tour Night 3 Betting Picks, Preview
The PDC Home Tour will pick back up on Sunday with Group C. The schedule features six games, starting at 2:30 p.m. ET. PDC is streaming the event for free, but there have been some technical difficulties, so keep an eye on their Twitter with how to watch.
Additionally, you can track the action on Bet365, which is honestly an exhilarating way to watch a bet lose in soul-crushing fashion.
Let's take a look at Group C:
Group C Odds
- No. 11 Dave Chisnall -134
- No. 102 Scott Waites +333
- No. 58 Jan Dekker +450
- No. 91 Jonathan Worsley +700
Group C Order of Play
First match begins on Sunday, April 19 at 2:30 p.m. ET.
- Dave Chisnall (-240) v Scott Waites (+190)
- Jan Dekker (-143) v Jonathan Worsley (+110)
- Scott Waites (-200) v Jonathan Worsley (+150)
- Dave Chisnall (-350) v Jan Dekker (+250)
- Jan Dekker (+138) v Scott Waites (-177)
- Jonathan Worsley (+275) v Dave Chisnall (-400)
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Group C doesn't feature the same kind of drastic favorite that we've seen on Nights 1 and 2, but Dave "Chizzy" Chisnall is odds-on to advance at -133.
Chisnall has been a fixture in the PDC's top-10 for the better part of a decade, though the Merseysider is a part of the "best to never win" conversation thanks to an 0-5 record in Major Finals.
Chisnall could easily run away with this group, though I am not interested in playing short prices in a tournament that is built for chaos. Not only are the playing conditions foreign, but the short game (best-of-9 legs) means that less talented players can keep up with the cream of the crop.
Peter Wright and Gerwyn Price, the two big favorites on Nights 1 and 2, combined to go 4-2, but they both were eliminated and betting against them proved to be a profitable endeavor. Wright, who was -700 in all three of his matches, needed a ridiculous finish in the ninth leg of his final match to save himself from going 1-2 on the opening night.
Going against Chisnall on Sunday won't produce the juicy odds that taking on Wright and Price did, but there are still good prices on the board as name recognition is the only reason that Chizzy is this short in this format.
Chisnall will open the night by taking on Scott Waites, a two-time BDO (the second-biggest darts promotion) World Champion and Grand Slam of Darts Winner. Waites is in the process of moving from the BDO to the PDC and once he starts playing more PDC events, he should shoot up the rankings.
In terms of actual ability, I don't think there's that much separating Chisnall and Waites in this match, so I'm happy to take a nearly 2-1 payout on Waites in the opener.
I'll also look to back the other two underdogs in this group, Jan "Double" Dekker and Jonathan "Womble" Worsley, in their respective matchups with Chizzy. Chisnall's talent may rule the day, but I'll always take these odds on what is basically a crapshoot.
In addition to going all-out-fade against Chisnall, I'll take a chance on Waites to win Group C at +333 (BetMGM). He's the second-best player in this set and if he can beat Chisnall in the first matchup he will likely only need to go 1-1 against Dekker and Worsley to advance.
Day 3 Betting Picks
- Scott Waites to Win Group C (+333)
- Scott Waites (+190) over Dave Chisnall
- Jan Dekker (+250) over Dave Chisnall
- Jonathan Worsley (+275) over Dave Chisnall
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PDC Home Tour Betting Record: 3-6, +2.05 units
PDC Home Tour Odds and Schedule
Group D Odds
- No. 47 Ross Smith +140
- No. 53 Mickey Mansell +260
- No. 71 Geert Nentjes +260
- No. 128 Lisa Ashton +550
Group D Order of Play
Matches begin at 2:30 p.m. ET on Monday, April 20.
- Ross Smith v Lisa Ashton
- Mickey Mansell v Geert Nentjes
- Lisa Ashton v Geert Nentjes
- Ross Smith v Mickey Mansell
- Mickey Mansell v Lisa Ashton
- Geert Nentjes v Ross Smith
