THE Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts play-off race will be decided on Thursday night, with the four matches in Nottingham to determine which players proceed to the semi-finals this month.
Going into the 14th league night of this year's event, only Phil Taylor - unbeaten so far this season - is guaranteed a place at Wembley Arena for the play-offs.
Five players are still fighting for the remaining three places in the semi-finals, and will play their final league games at the Trent FM Arena on Thursday.
Simon Whitlock sits second in the league table with 14 points, a point ahead of Mervyn King and Ronnie Baxter, with James Wade on 12 points and Adrian Lewis on 11 points.
But even Australian star Whitlock could still miss out on a play-off spot should he lose to King and other results go against him.
Wade opens the night's games when he faces Terry Jenkins in a match he cannot afford to lose, while a win for Baxter against resurgent Raymond van Barneveld would ensure his top four place.
Whitlock and King meet in the night's third, and most crucial, fixture, while Taylor meets Lewis in the final match - a game Lewis may need to win to reach the top four should Baxter and Wade suffer defeats.
Play-Off Race - How It Stands
James Wade (plays Terry Jenkins)
* a win moves him onto 14 points, and he would then need King or Baxter to lose, or for Whitlock to lose by enough legs to drop below him on leg difference
* a draw moves him onto 13 points, and he would need Baxter to lose by more than three legs
* cannot qualify with a defeat
Ronnie Baxter (plays Raymond van Barneveld)
* a win means he qualifies
* a draw moves him onto 14 points and would probably be enough for him to qualify, unless Wade had won by four or more legs
* would still qualify with a defeat should Wade and Lewis both lose
Simon Whitlock (plays Mervyn King)
* qualifies with a win or a draw
* should Wade and Baxter both win, could drop to fifth if he loses to King
Mervyn King (plays Simon Whitlock)
* qualifies with a win
* a draw moves him onto 14 points and would probably be enough to qualify, unless Wade whitewashed Jenkins earlier to overhaul the leg difference deficit
* would still qualify with a defeat should Baxter lose and Wade not win
Adrian Lewis (plays Phil Taylor)
* needs Baxter to lose and Wade to lose or draw, and he has to defeat Phil Taylor by enough legs to overhaul his leg difference deficit with Baxter
|
Current Table |
P |
W |
D |
L |
+/- |
LWAT |
Pts |
|
Phil Taylor |
13 |
11 |
2 |
0 |
+51 |
42 |
24 |
|
Simon Whitlock |
13 |
6 |
2 |
5 |
+3 |
34 |
14 |
|
Mervyn King |
13 |
5 |
3 |
5 |
+3 |
32 |
13 |
|
Ronnie Baxter |
13 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
-1 |
36 |
13 |
|
James Wade |
13 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
-4 |
27 |
12 |
|
Adrian Lewis |
13 |
4 |
3 |
6 |
-9 |
28 |
11 |
|
R v Barneveld |
13 |
4 |
1 |
8 |
-21 |
27 |
9 |
|
Terry Jenkins |
13 |
3 |
2 |
8 |
-22 |
26 |
8 |
Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts
Night 14, Trent FM Arena, Nottingham
Terry Jenkins v James Wade
Ronnie Baxter v Raymond van Barneveld
Simon Whitlock v Mervyn King
Phil Taylor v Adrian Lewis
Live on Sky Sports HD 2 from 7pm
Fans outside the UK and Ireland can watch live through www.pdc.tv
Sky Bet Match Odds
Terry Jenkins 4/1, Draw 9/2, James Wade 2/5
Ronnie Baxter 2/1, Draw 7/2, Raymond van Barneveld 5/6
Simon Whitlock 5/6, Draw 7/2, Mervyn King 2/1
Phil Taylor 3/10, Draw 9/2, Adrian Lewis 11/2
Sky Bet are the official bookmaker of the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts. Odds correct at 12pm on Wednesday May 12.