Taylor ignored in our World Matchplay day two best bets

There’s no time for World Matchplay fever to die down in Blackpool as day two of the tournament sees darting royalty like Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld take to the oche.

Neither of them, a pair of heavy odds-on favourites to progress to the next round, are included in our best three bets for the second day though, as other tungsten ticklers are given the betting limelight.

Dolan to beat Burnett @ 1/2

Even Richie Burnett’s superior head to head record isn’t enough to make him the favourite here, as Brendan Dolan’s surge up the world rankings continues thanks to two tournament wins this season.

With a three-dart average of 94.49 this year – by far bettering his career mark of 88.45 – Dolan is clearly a player on the rise and is taken to dispatch Burnett, whose career is heading the other way.

Thornton to beat Nicholson @ 4/11

Unlike Dolan, Robert Thornton enjoys near total domination in his tussles with the Australian Paul Nicholson, winning eight of their 12 meetings and five of the last six.

The Scot has been in supreme form in 2014, reaching five finals and winning three of them. On the other hand, Nicholson has only made it as far as the semi-final once in his last 27 appearances.

Hamilton to beat Jones @ 4/11

There shouldn’t be too much trouble for Andy Hamilton making his way to the World Matchplay second round either, as his seven wins from 10 meetings with Wayne Jones indicates a rather one-sided rivalry.

A consistent performer for some time, Hamilton hasn’t been dumped out early in this tournament for three years, reaching at least the quarter finals on each occasion.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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