Phil Taylor vs Mark Webster – Tough ask to upset The Power

Many have questioned Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor’s ability to win his 16th PDC World Darts Championship, but the greatest player darts has ever seen is still the man to beat.

Mark Webster is the next man trying to halt the juggernaut that is The Power, and the Welshman is a big outsider in the betting at 7/2 to beat Taylor.

While Taylor’s first round performance may have been unconvincing despite the 3-0 score line, The Power has dropped just one set en route to the quarter final, and while Webster is his toughest challenge yet, the betting market prices Taylor at 1/6 to progress.

The two opponents have met previously on seven occasions and while Webster was victorious in his first ever match with Taylor, The Power has won the last six on the trot, and convincingly at that.

Webster has never managed to take more than two sets off Taylor in the games he has lost and the most notable of these losses was in last year’s PDC World Darts Championship semi-final when Taylor whitewashed Webster 6-0.

A 5-0 win for Taylor on New Years Day is priced at 9/2 with the favoured result being 5-2 in Taylor’s favour at 11/4.

Webster, for all his class, is really up against it and this is reflected in the betting market with the Welshman as big as 10/1 to defeat Taylor 5-4 and 80/1 to win 5-0 and reverse last years whitewash.

The winner will face either Adrian Lewis or Vincent Van der Voort in the semi-final and the winner of this match would be expected to reach the final.

Those who doubt Taylor do so at their peril and the 5/6 available for The Power to win his 16th World Darts Championships looks to be the pick of the early 2011 betting markets.

A £10 stake on Taylor winning 5-1 would return £40. New customers can sign up here for a free £10 bet.