

The PDC World Matchplay takes place at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool from July 16-24. Scotland’s Peter Wright will be looking to retain his title – Can anyone stop him?
READ MORE: Check out the best previews and tips for the major PDC events in 2022
World Matchplay Darts Tips & Predictions: Overall Winner – Michael Smith
Regular readers of my darts tips will remember that I once said that I cannot see Michael Smith ever winning a major television title – well, I have changed my mind.
Maybe I was letting the fact that Smith was from St Helens, and I am from Wigan, cloud my judgement when I said he doesn’t have the bottle to get the job done.
I don’t think he is good enough to ever be a World Champion, but he certainly has the game to win the World Matchplay in Blackpool.
Smith has reached finals before, but he seems to let the pressure get to him. He did win one evening of the Premier League this season, so that could spur him on to do something special at the Winter Gardens.
He opens up his account on Sunday afternoon with a first-round tie against Andrew Gilding. That is a potential banana skin for Smith. If he turns up expecting to win, then he could be in trouble. I don’t think Smith is like that. He treats his opponents with respect, and if he did win the World Matchplay I don’t think many people would begrudge him.
He just needs to keep calm and back himself. If you don’t agree with me about Smith, take a look at the Sky Bet offer on defending champion Peter Wright retaining the Phil Taylor Trophy.
2022 Betfred World Matchplay: Schedule of Play
Saturday July 16 (1900 BST)
First Round
Krzysztof Ratajski v Stephen Bunting
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Callan Rydz
Peter Wright v Madars Razma
Jonny Clayton v Rowby-John Rodriguez
Sunday July 17
Afternoon Session (1300 BST)
First Round
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Ryan Searle
Danny Noppert v Brendan Dolan
Gary Anderson v Daryl Gurney
Michael Smith v Andrew Gilding
Evening Session (1930 BST)
First Round
Joe Cullen v Damon Heta
James Wade v Martin Lukeman
Michael van Gerwen v Adrian Lewis
Luke Humphries v Nathan Aspinall
Monday July 18 (1900 BST)
First Round
Rob Cross v Chris Dobey
Jose de Sousa v Gabriel Clemens
Gerwyn Price v Martin Schindler
Dave Chisnall v Kim Huybrechts
Tuesday July 19 (1900 BST)
4x Second Round
Wednesday July 20 (1900 BST)
4x Second Round
Thursday July 21 (2000 BST)
2x Quarter-Finals
Friday July 22 (2000 BST)
2x Quarter-Finals
Saturday July 23 (2000 BST)
Semi-Finals
Sunday July 24
Afternoon Session (1300 BST)
Women’s World Matchplay – Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals & Final
Evening Session (2100 BST)
Final
World Matchplay Darts Tips & Predictions: Special Offers
Latest Offers
18+ only. New Customers only. Bet £10* & Get £30* in Free Bets. Sign up, deposit between £5* and £10* to your account and bet365 will give you three times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value and they are settled. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply. BeGambleAware.org. *or currency equivalent.


- Welcome Bonus
New Customer offer. Place a min £10 bet on the Sportsbook on odds of min 1/2 (1.5), get £30 in Free Bets. Rewards valid for 30 days. SMS verification required. Only deposits via cards will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly
New customer offer. Max £/€10 refund. Sportsbook only. Payment restrictions apply. T&Cs apply.
New UK, IE & Malta customers only. Min £10/€10 first deposit using Debit Card. Place a bet of £10 at min odds of 1.5. Free bets expire in 90 days. 18+. BeGambleAware.org. Full T&Cs apply.
New 18+ UK customers only. Register using the promo code WELCOME40, deposit and place first bet of £10+ on Sports (cumulative Evens+) within 7 days of registration. First bet must be on Sports. £30 in Free Bets and £10 in Free Spins (50x20p) credited within 10 hours of bet settlement. Free Bet stakes are not included in any returns. Bonuses have a 7-day expiry. Payment restrictions apply. SMS verification and/or Proof of I.D and address may be required. Full T&Cs apply.
New customers only. Min Deposit: £10. First deposit matched up to £10. 1 x wagering at odds of 1.75+ to unlock Free Bet. Debit Card deposits only. This offer is valid for 7 days from your new account being registered. Terms apply.
Min deposit £/€/$10 • A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £/€/$10 • Min odds 1/2 (1.50) • Free Bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days • Free Bet stakes not included in returns • Casino Bonus must be claimed within 7 days • To withdraw bonus/related wins, wager the bonus amount 40 times within 14 days • Casino Bonus expires after 60 days • Withdrawal restrictions, payment methods, country & Full T&C’s apply.


- Exclusive Offer
- Welcome Bonus
18+. New customers. Max £10. 100% Odds Boost token. Keep it fun - set your deposit limit. T&Cs apply.
New customers only. 18+, BeGambleAware.org. Min deposit £10. Money back as bonus. Wagering requirements: Sportsbook 3x at min. odds of 1.40 (2/5), Casino 25x. Only one bonus can be used at a time, Sportsbook bonus must be wagered before using the Casino, unless the bonus has been forfeited. Bonus will expire after 7 days of opt-in. Further T&C’s apply.