Seventh strike for Pikachu at Ally Pally?
Five of the eight Germans have made it through to the second round at Alexandra Palace and remain candidates for potential Darts World Championship bets. While the odds clearly put Merk, Clemens, and Hopp in the role of underdogs, Pikachu is facing a so-called coin flip according to the odds. Anyone who wants to place a bet on the winner between Chisnall and Pietreczko will find only slight differences between the two opponents in the betting odds.
The German is challenging Dave Chisnall, number 20 in the live world rankings, who at the beginning of the year was only four places behind high-flyer Luke Littler, who is known to have by far the lower Darts World Championship odds for the title.
A challenging season saw Chizzy drop out of the top 20 at times. A total of £129,000 (33rd) went into his account in the annual rankings, while Pikachu is a few places higher. Added to this are different playing styles: while Chisnall is particularly impressive on the floor (tournaments without spectators), the Hanover resident loves the big stage. Is there any value in the Chisnall vs. Pietreczko prediction on the German’s odds?
Betting tips on the winner are risky in either direction and offer minimal value at best. Contrary to the German’s usual strengths, betting on more than 2.5 180s in round 2 seems more interesting. Pikachu’s strengths clearly lie in checkouts, but from a betting perspective, the line has been shortened too much, while Chizzy is at over/under 4.5.
In the World Championship opener against Portugal’s math whiz Jose de Sousa, the Hertha fan has already achieved four perfect scoring legs, and on Saturday, a full set distance match is definitely to be expected. The odds on a checkout of over 127.5 points are worth a shot in Pikachu vs. Chisnall. Chizzy, perhaps the best darts player of all time without a single major triumph, already scored a golden 160 in his opening match against Fallon Sherrock.
Pikachu, on the other hand, is considered a specialist on the bull and is known for high checkouts and juicy double odds. His victory in Hildesheim on the 2023 European Tour remains unforgettable, when he defeated Peter Wright in the final with 8/8 on doubles.
Dave Chisnall – Ricardo Pietreczko Head-to-head record
While Dave Chisnall is currently competing in his 15th World Championship, Germany’s reigning number 2 has only been a professional darts player since January 2022. There has been a direct duel in both 2023 and the two following years. Surprisingly, contrary to the usual strengths, Pietreczko won 6:3 on the floor, while the Englishman prevailed 8:6 at the European Championship and 6:3 on the normal ET stage.
However, a short match from March of this year is not particularly representative of today’s Chisnall – Pietreczko tip, especially since the Ally Pally offers a completely different stage and challenges. While Chizzy’s attacks were more like those of the famous Ally Pally Wasp, given Fallon Sherrock’s weakness in doubles in round 1, Pikachu had to contend with circulation problems and language barriers. Unable to find the English word for his impairments, the German played part of his match with “black before his eyes” and knocked Portugal’s Jose de Sousa out of the ranks of the 128 darts professionals.
Dave Chisnall – Ricardo Pietreczko Tip
It is extremely difficult to predict the winner of the Chisnall vs. Pietreczko match, who would face a relatively easy opponent (Harryson/Sakai) due to Ross Smith’s surprise elimination in round 3. The German’s preference for big stages, his double-finishing skills, and his strong nerves in crunch time speak in his favor. Chizzy is hoping for the scoring power that Pikachu would undoubtedly deliver if the number 19 seed finds his A-game.
The betting basis for Chisnall vs. Pietreczko was the betting odds for “Pikachu over 2.5 180s.” Despite other strengths, Lena’s boyfriend should definitely be able to achieve three maximums given the length of the match. Whether Germany’s darts fans will keep their second-favorite contender in the running for the title in terms of the Darts World Championship odds remains to be seen.
Presumably, one is looking through black, red, and gold-colored glasses when recognizing a truly clear value in the Pikachu odds. And yet, the pure Ally Pally performance gives cause for hope: Pietreczko is already expecting his seventh victory on Saturday in his third tournament appearance, with only two defeats (against Aspinall & Luke Humphries) to date.
