PHIL TAYLOR has seen his odds in the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts cut following the opening night of the tournament.
Taylor overcame a virus to kick off the new Premier League Darts season with an 8-3 win over Simon Whitlock at The O2 on Thursday.
Having been an illness doubt in the build-up to the game, Taylor's odds on the match drifted from 1/3 to 8/15 with Sky Bet - the official bookmaker of the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts - as fans backed Whitlock.
Following his convincing win over Whitlock, Taylor's odds to take a fifth Premier League Darts title have been cut to 4/11 with Sky Bet.
Mervyn King has seen his odds slashed to 12/1 from 16/1 following a superb 8-5 win over Adrian Lewis, where the 2009 runner-up averaged over 100.
"Phil Taylor winning proved a bad result as we saw late money for him just before the match as punters took advantage of an inflated price due to his virus," said Sky Bet's darts betting spokesman Craig Ibbotson.
"All the games were well contested and it should be the case throughout the tournament. Taylor obviously impressed but Mervyn King was yet again irrepressible on that big stage and he will take some beating this year."
For more information or to place a bet with Sky Bet, click here
Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts 2010
Winner Odds
Phil Taylor 4/11
James Wade 8/1
Raymond van Barneveld 9/1
Mervyn King 12/1
Simon Whitlock 16/1
Adrian Lewis 20/1
Terry Jenkins 33/1
Ronnie Baxter 80/1
Premier League Specials - Taylor vs Field
Taylor 4/11
The Field 2/1
Taylor Special - To Remain Unbeaten
Note: To remain unbeaten for the Premier League 2010 campaign, minimum 14 matches must be completed.
Yes 2/1
No 4/11
Sky Bet offer a wide range of darts betting markets, including player specials, most league 180s and odds on which players will qualify for the play-offs in May.
For more information or to place a bet with Sky Bet, click here
Coverage of the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts is live in the UK in High Definition on Sky Sports. International viewers are also able to watch in Holland and Australia as well as online through the PDC's official website, www.pdc.tv.
2010 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts
Week Two
February 18 - The BIC, Bournemouth
Adrian Lewis v Raymond van Barneveld
Terry Jenkins v Simon Whitlock
Phil Taylor v Ronnie Baxter
James Wade v Mervyn King
Tickets for the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts at The BIC in Bournemouth are still available - call 0844 576 3000 or visit www.bic.co.uk for further information.
Click here for full Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts Ticket Information