Will MVG finally deliver on the sporting front?
An old proverb says that “people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” Admittedly, it is not known whether this saying has the same meaning in the Netherlands as it does in Germany, but nevertheless, this truism currently applies one-to-one to Michael van Gerwen. Last week, the former world’s best darts player verbally attacked various fellow competitors on the tour almost daily, thus getting himself into the conversation.
In recent years, “Mighty Mike” has regularly used the increased attention on the sport during the World Championship to make headlines with carefully considered verbal attacks. It has only helped to a limited extent, as his last World Championship title at Alexandra Palace is now seven years in the past. In order to have a say in the title race at the 2026 World Darts Championship, the bet on MVG must first pay off in Tuesday evening’s duel between van Gerwen and O’Connor.
This task does not promise to be an easy one on paper, because although William O’Connor is currently only ranked 41st in the world, he was one of the strongest players in the first round. Against Polish qualifier Krzystof Kciuk, the Irishman played a fantastic 102 average, threw seven (!) 180s and also checked out 52% of all attempts – including a 167 finish. The 3-0 set victory – 9-2 in legs – was a demonstration of his own strength that was not necessarily expected in this form.
It seems that the betting providers with German licenses were also so impressed that they have significantly adjusted the Michael van Gerwen vs. O’Connor odds. The top odds for a victory by the boastful world number three are 1.55, which is surprising given that O’Connor has only made it past the second round of the PDC World Championship once in eight appearances in his career.
His season was decent, with three quarter-final appearances in major tournaments, but still no comparison to the performances of MVG, who may have lost the dominance of previous years, but still regularly goes far in the best tournaments. Among other things, he reached the final in three of his last six World Championship appearances!
However, it is also clear that the three-time world champion had to fight hard at times in his first-round match. Van Gerwen lost the first set to the underdog Tatsunami from Japan and was even in danger of falling behind 0-2. Over time, however, “Mighty Mike” improved, raising his average to 96 in the fourth set and ultimately winning 3-1.
In the past, it was not uncommon for the Dutchman to need a “wake-up call” in his first games in order to play better darts. I therefore believe that a strong opponent will push the megastar of the scene, who always steps up to the oche in green, to perform much better.
Michael van Gerwen – William O’Connor Head-to-head comparison / H2H record
Both darts pros have been on the PDC tour for a long time. Consequently, there have already been several direct encounters. MVG and “The Magpie” have faced each other eleven times since 2012. With ten wins and only one defeat, the H2H couldn’t be more clearly in favor of the Dutchman. Among other things, “Mighty Mike” has six consecutive wins in the statistics. A small glimmer of hope for O’Connor. The last direct duel was over two years ago. In set mode, it’s also a first!
Michael van Gerwen – William O’Connor Tip
Michael van Gerwen is undoubtedly one of the best darts players the sport has ever produced. Three world titles, numerous major triumphs, and his (sometimes overly) confident demeanor have made the Dutchman a familiar face on the scene. However, the 36-year-old is currently far from his best form.
This became clear at the start of the tournament, when MVG almost fell behind 0-2 in sets against a Japanese underdog. His upcoming opponent, on the other hand, played an average of over 100 points in the first round and threw the most 180s of any player so far.
In a way, it is therefore understandable that the van Gerwen vs. O’Connor betting odds have converged somewhat. Nevertheless, past performances in darts and the resulting form among the world’s elite are worth almost nothing. That’s why, despite the impressions from a few days ago, I believe in a confident performance from “Mighty Mike” and am going to try a tip on the handicap (-1.5 sets). I’m playing the 2.04 with three units as my stake. Alternatively, you could also bet on an isolated MVG victory on the two-way market or on the co-favorite of this Darts World Championship throwing at least six 180s himself.
