2010 Rileys Darts Zones UK Open Betting Preview

BOLTON, UK - The UK Open, otherwise known as the `FA Cup of darts` is set to take place from Thursday June 3 to Sunday June 6 at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton. The event is now sponsored by Rileys Darts Zone, but the betting looks remarkably familiar as Sky Bet make Phil Taylor the hot 8/15 (bet £150 to win £80 profit) favourite.

William Hill are offering the same odds in order to get money for the favourite in their book, and have Simon Whitlock as their next best at odds of 10/1. Punters looking towards outsiders such as 80/1 Jelle Klaasen, 75/1 Kevin Painter or even 55/1 Andy Hamilton will be hoping that the tournament structure manages to get Taylor knocked out before the final. As players are not seeded in this competition, the `big guns` can conceivably be drawn against one another at an early stage of affairs.

Taylor has won the UK Open a total of three times since its inception back in 2003 and he has dominated the face of darts betting since the late nineties. The 13-time World Champion made history last month by becoming the first player to score two nine darts finishes in the same match. In terms of the outright winner betting, it is almost impossible to look past Taylor when he is at his very best.

32 Rileys qualifiers and ten BDO County qualifiers will take on the top 96 PDC professionals, and the tournament looks wide open if you take out the favourite. Irish bookmaker Boylesports have James Wade and Simon Whitlock as their 5/1 joint-favourites in the betting without Phil Taylor. Hot on their heels is Scottish player Gary Anderson at odds of 7/1.

Another market up on Betfair is one  for a player to reach the final. At the moment Taylor can be backed at 1.31 (1/3), which suggests that if he does make it it to the final on Sunday night, than he will be a ludicrously short price to become the first player to successfully defend his UK Open title.

2010 UK Open Outright Winner Betting Odds

2010 UK Open Winner without Taylor Betting Odds

2010 UK Open To Reach The Final Betting Odds