Two of the biggest icons in the history of pro darts will do battle for what could be the final time Monday at the 2025 World Matchplay.
Three-time world champion Michael “MVG” van Gerwen is a minus-230 favorite over his role model, Raymond “Barney” van Barneveld, at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.
The Dutch legends have faced each other more than 50 times, including in the semifinals of the 2017 PDC World Championships, which was eventually won by van Gerwen.
Although neither van Barneveld nor van Gerwen is at the height of his powers, they both possess the ability to play at an all-world level, and will have this tournament circled as the perfect time to get their acts together.
For van Barneveld, this also could be his last real crack at glory.
The 58-year-old has already retired once, and earlier this year he announced plans to slow down his schedule.
For van Gerwen, this tournament simply has to go well.
“Mighty” Mike has lost seven of his past nine matches and is in danger of losing touch with the top players in the world like Luke Littler and Luke Humphries.
This match, against his friend and hero, should be the spark that van Gerwen needs as he tries to win this tournament for a fourth time.
MVG should be able to raise his level against van Barneveld, who has been losing to some soft competition of late.
The Play: van Gerwen -2.5 legs (-110, DraftKings)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
