Michael Smith - Mervyn King

Smith is without a doubt the favourite here, always goes far in tournaments and has a high rating, but sometimes have tendencies to crumble by not finishing with his shots. Last year he did go to the Final where he lost to Aspinal who lost in the 1st round this year. Smith has beaten Michael Smith 10-7 and Max Hopp 12-10 while Mervin King beat Nathan Aspinall 10-5 and Gary Anderson 11-8.

This tournament has had a lot of close matches, the favourites have been more careful to avoid mistakes, opponents have been more risky by looking for their opportunities. The tournament is concedered as 2nd best in darts world considering the ratings and money involved and the Prize Fund for this tournament is:
Winner - £150,000
Runner-Up - £70,000
Semi-Finalists - £50,000
Quarter-Finalists - £25,000
Second Round Losers - £15,000
First Round Losers - £10,000
Total - £700,000

I think Smith will take the lead from the start, but King will take his chances whenever he gets them. With this being played up to 16 sets, 16-12 will be enough for this prediction, 16 winners will likely be enough for this match, but in a match where neither really stand out form wise, the over should come through.

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