After a fascinating opener last week in Cardiff, the 2024 Premier League returns for Night 2 at the Mercedes Benz Arena in Berlin.
Former World Champion Michael Smith took the early lead in the table after clinching the first nightly win at the Utilita Arena, with victories over defending champion Michael van Gerwen, World Youth Champion Luke Littler and Welsh Hometown Hero Gerwyn Price in the Final.
Bully Boy leads the Iceman by 2 points with the pair set to lock horns again, this time in the Quarter Finals in Germany.
World No 1 Luke Humphries will hope to pick up his first victory in the Premier League against Peter Wright in the last Quarter Final of the evening, whilst Michael van Gerwen looks for a similar outcome in the opening match against Nathan Aspinall.
Luke Littler faces Rob Cross in a repeat of the recent World Championship Semi Final, in the other Last 8 contest in the German Capital.
Gerwyn Price will want to take the confidence of his Premier League campaign last year and use it to reach a second consecutive Finals Night at the O2 Arena. The Welshman made a strong start in front of his home fans last week, producing 100+ averages in wins over Nathan Aspinall (100.24) and Rob Cross (101.84).
The Iceman clinched four Weekly Wins last year in Nottingham, Newcastle, Brighton, and Cardiff in the Premier League, and will have his eyes firmly set on qualifying for Finals Night having reached the Grand Finale in 2023.
Michael Smith also claimed four weekly wins last year to finish 2nd in the table and will want to return to winning ways after an early exit at the Masters. Price on the other hand did not compete last weekend in Milton Keynes because of personal issues.
Michael van Gerwen is on the hunt for a third consecutive Premier League title despite taking no points in Cardiff last week, as he faces Nathan Aspinall in the opening match on Night 2.
Both players fell to defeat at the Quarter Final stage last week, so the need for victory and points is much higher in Berlin. Nathan Aspinall went on to reach the Semi Finals this weekend at the Marshall Arena, whilst the Green Machine reached his third PDC televised Final this year as the pair both lost out to eventual winner Stephen Bunting.
World Champion Luke Humphries and former 2 Time World Champion Peter Wright also went out early last week in Cardiff, with Cool Hand Luke currently bottom of the table on legs difference.
The Englishman will know it’s not been a difficult start to the year but can take confidence from his exploits at the back end of last year. The World Number 1 showcased just how good he can be after producing a 20-match unbeaten run-in front of the television cameras, running from the start of the 2023 Grand Slam of Darts until the 2024 Bahrain Darts Masters.
Snakebite will hope to build upon a run to the Masters Quarter Finals where he beat Krzysztof Ratajski 10-8 with a 55.56% finishing rate.
The action will start at 7pm on Thursday night live from the Mercedes Benz Arena, as the second night of action in the 2024 Premier League gets underway.
2024 Bet MGM Premier League: Night 2 Order of Play
Quarter Finals:
Nathan Aspinall v Michael van Gerwen
Michael Smith v Gerwyn Price
Luke Littler v Rob Cross
Luke Humphries v Peter Wright
Semi Finals:
Aspinall/ Van Gerwen v Smith/ Price
Littler/ Cross v Humphries/ Wright
Final:
Winner of SF1 v Winner of SF2
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