The 19th edition of the UK Open takes place behind closed doors in Milton Keynes this weekend. 154 players have qualified for this year’s tournament, which kicks off on Sunday, with the final taking place on Sunday evening.
Defending Champion, Michael van Gerwen tops the current betting, ahead of World Champion Gerwyn Price and the 2017 UK Open winner, Peter Wright.
Given the size of the initial field and the amount of quality throwers on show, you’d think upsets would be common in the UK Open. However, the top 32 players in the world don’t enter the draw until the fourth round, which hands them a massive advantage.
No players from outside the world’s elite have ever won the UK Open, so it’s sensible to look towards the more established stars in the draw for our selections. That doesn’t mean we can’t find any value, though.
New customers only. 18+ T&Cs and wagering requirements apply.
Along with Jonny Clayton, JOE CULLEN has been the form player on the PDC circuit so far this year. Cullen got the better of Clayton when they met in the final on day one of the recent Super Series, and finished the runner-up in a second final two days later, losing out in a deciding leg to the returning Raymond van Barneveld.
Cullen ended 2020 playing some of the best darts of his career, and he’s built on that momentum this season. Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton have knocked Cullen out of the UK Open in recent years, so he’ll be praying he doesn’t face another Welshman when he enters the tournament on Saturday. Considering the form he’s in, 18/1 about Joe Cullen is a cracking price.
Nathan Aspinall won the UK Open two years ago. (Getty)
New customers only. 18+ T&Cs and wagering requirements apply.
NATHAN ASPINALL is the lowest-ranked player to ever win the UK Open. “The Asp” entered the 2019 tournament ranked 34th in the world, but produced some fantastic darts over the weekend, defeating Gerwyn Price in the semi-final before thrashing Rob Cross 11-5 to win his first major title in the PDC.
Aspinall was beaten 10-8 in the fourth round of this tournament by eventual winner Michael van Gerwen, who averaged a whopping 105 to put the defending champion out. He may have dropped down to number 10 in the world after an up-and-down 2020, but the former champion players well during the recent Super Series and this tournament will bring back plenty of good memories. 33/1 seems a massive price.
18+ only. Gambling can be addictive. Play responsibly.
Like Joe Cullen, STEPHEN BUNTING’S form peaked in the run-up to the 2021 World Championships. The former BDO winner enjoyed a fantastic run to the semi-finals, but he was eventually beaten 6/4 by Gerwyn Price, who went on to lift the Sid Waddell trophy.
In his first tournament of the new season, the Bullet lost out to Joe Cullen in a high-quality first-round encounter at the The Masters. Although Bunting didn’t manage to get past the third match in any of the four recent Super Series events, he did beat Dimitri van den Bergh and Raymond van Barneveld, so he’s clearly maintained his form of 2020.
Bunting’s best performance at the UK Open came last year, where he was beaten 10-8 by Rob Cross in the last 32. A kind draw will be all-important for the Bullet, but he seems overpriced at 125/1, and looks worthy of a small each-way bet.
Joe Cullen E/W2021 UK Open Tip 1GET 18/1 HERE
Stephen Bunting E/W2021 UK Open Tip 3GET 125/1 HERE