- Ross Smith has won the last two meetings between these two by at least three legs
- Smudger has won 10 of his last 11 matches
- Recommended bet: Ross Smith -2.5 legs

The World Matchplay at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool has moved to the business end of the tournament with Ross Smith set to face James Wade in the quarter-finals on Thursday.

Wade, nicknamed the Machine, won this event in 2007 but his star has been waning in recent years, he has gone from world number four at the end of 2021 to world number 22 and has a tough task against Smudger, who is travelling in the opposite direction.

The stats

Ross Smith hit 13 180s against Gerwyn Price and had a first nine-dart average of 116 as he claimed an eye-catching 11-9 win.

Smudger also averaged 99.15 in a 10-4 opening round success over Josh Rock.

Wade has not reached the semi-finals of this competition since 2015.

Prediction

Wade has been a constant presence at the top table of darts for the last 20 years but he has been on the decline recently and he looks vulnerable against a progressive Ross Smith.

Smudger won the European Championship back in 2022 and has progressed steadily throughout his career, to the point where he is now ranked 13th in the world, some nine spots ahead of Wade.

He saw off youngster Josh Rock 10-4 in the first round before beating former world champion Gerwyn Price 11-9 in the second.

Smudger has been on the up for some time, he is one of the best scorers in the PDC, and he showed that with 13 180s in 20 legs against the Iceman.

That has never been Wade’s strong suit and the younger man’s scoring power could see him blow away the Machine.

41-year-old Wade beat an out-of-sorts Danny Noppert in the first round before getting the better of Nathan Aspinall, who was struggling with injury, in the second.

Smith is a different kettle of fish entirely to those two at the moment, as he has won 10 of his last 11 matches and is consistently averaging in the upper 90’s despite his finishing not being at its best.

Side with Smith to overcome a 2.5 leg deficit in the handicap market.

Back Ross Smith -2.5 legs at 4/5 with LiveScore Bet