Ladbrokes Masters: Predictions for the Semi-Finals

We are now at the Semi-Finals stage of this year's Ladbrokes Masters Darts, and it is safe to say that the Quarter-Finals lived up to all of the hype. We are now just two games away from knowing the two players that will be battling it out for the big check and the prestigious trophy. Below you can find our prediction for both of the Semi-Finals and who we believe we win and make it through to the showpiece final.

Quarter-Final Results

In the table below you will find the results of the eight great games that made up the Quarter-Finals. The matches for this round, like the matches for the Second Round, were the best of 19, meaning that the player that reached 10 legs first advanced to the Semi-Finals.

Semi-Final Fixtures

The Quarter-Finals were the best of 19 legs, but the two Semi-Final matches will be the best of 21, which means that the first player to 11 will advance to the final to battle it out for the trophy. Below are the fixtures for the Masters Semi-Finals.

Match Prediction for Jonny Clayton vs Dave Chisnall

Dave Chisnall took on Michael Smith in the first Quarter-Final of the tournament, and it was clear that there were some early nerves from both players, which is not surprising considering what is at stake. Both players were missing doubles that they would usually make but it was Chisnall who was able to settle his nerves quicker and hit the doubles that he needed.

He went on to win the match 10-8, but he actually finished with a lower average than Smith. He had an average of 97.47, while Smith had an average of 99.33. The main reason why Chisnall went on to win the match and advance to the Semi-Finals is because he was better at checking out. You can have whatever average you like, but if you do not hit your doubles, then you are going to struggle to win a game of darts.

Chisnall, in his post-match interview, admitted that he rode his luck a bit in the Quarter-Final and that he will have to be a lot better in the Semi-Final if he is to make it to the Final. This is definitely the case as he will be playing against Jonny Clayton, who beat Gerwyn Price, the number 1 ranked player in the world, 10-8 in their Quarter-Final. What made this win even more impressive for Clayton is that at one stage in the match he was 4-1 down. However, he started to show the form that saw him win four titles last year, and he went on to win thanks to an average of 104.19. He will be hoping that he does not have a slow start in the Semi-Final because it is not easy to keep getting out of holes.

When it comes to the head-to-head record between Chisnall and Clayton, the Englishman leads the way with four wins from the Welshman’s one, but this has not stopped the sports betting sites from having Clayton as the favourite to make it to the final. Betway has the Welshman at odds of 1.44 to win, while they have priced Chisnall at 2.75 to be victorious.

When we take into consideration how both of these players have been playing in this tournament, we think these odds are fair, and we happen to agree with the prediction that Betway has made. However, we are pretty sure that Chisnall will make Clayton fight very hard for the win and we are expecting another nail-biter of a game.

Our match prediction: Jonny Clayton to win.

Match Prediction for José de Sousa vs Joe Cullen

José de Sousa made it to the Semi-Final stages of the 2022 Ladbrokes Masters by overcoming Australia’s Simon Whitlock 10-9 in the Quarter-Finals. The odds were against the “Special One” going into the deciding leg because Whitlock was throwing first, but pressure got to the man from Down Under and after he threw a couple of low scores, de Sousa took full advantage with a couple of big scores and went on to win the leg and the match. Whitlock will be kicking himself that he is not in the semi-final, but he can be proud of his performances over the last few days, especially considering the fact that he was called up as a late replacement.

Joe Cullen, on the other hand, made it to the semi-finals by beating Michael van Gerwen 10-7 in the Quarter-Finals. It was, and both players will be happy to admit this, a match that was quite low on quality, especially after what we saw from Cullen in the Second Round against Scotland’s Gary Anderson. Cullen will not be too fussed about some of the poor throws that he made against van Gerwen because he won the match, which is all that matters at the end of the day. He can now put all of that behind him and start afresh in the Semi-Finals. On the other hand, van Gerwen will be left to wonder what could have been and will have to wait to pick up his first title in more than a year.

Cullen and de Sousa have only ever played each other once, and in that match it was the man from Portugal that ended up coming out on top. This will be a close match and Betway has Cullen as the favourite to win with odds of 1.80, while de Sousa has been priced at odds of 2.00. It is not an easy game to call but given the fact that Cullen has knocked out both Anderson and van Gerwen, we can see him coming out on top.

Our match prediction: Joe Cullen to win.