Gerwyn Price pulls out of night 14 of 2024 BetMGM Premier League Darts

Gerwyn Price will not compete in night 14 of the 2024 BetMGM Premier League Darts.

The Iceman is still nursing a back spasm that forced him to pull out of the Euro Tour event in Graz last weekend.

It means world number one Luke Humphries will receive a bye into the semi finals and two points, as he bids to officially book his place at The O2 next month at Finals Night this evening, with just three quarter finals taking place.

If Humphries were to win the night and other results go his way, he will officially wrap up a Play-Off spot.

Luke Littler’s win last week in Liverpool means that The Nuke 11 points clear of fifth place Michael Smith, and as long as he maintains that gap by the end of the evening, the teenager will also compete in the Play-Offs later this month.

Here’s what to look forward to ahead of night 14, as the roadshow rolls into the P&J Live in Aberdeen, it’s last stop in Scotland for this year.

Smith and Aspinall try to stay alive in first two quarter finals

Michael Smith knows that he must win the night to realistically stay in the race for the Play-Offs. He takes on home country hero Peter Wright, who will be looking to end his so far disastrous campaign on a high.

The two have played just one match against each other so far in the Premier League in 2024, when The Bully Boy beat Snakebite 6-5 on night six in Brighton. The only other time they have faced off this season was in the Bahrain Darts Masters, when Smith comfortably saw off the two time World Champion 6-1.

However, en route to winning the European Championship last season, Wright did beat the 2023 World Champion 10-4 in the last 16. In the Premier League the last two years though, the Scot has just won one of the previous five meetings.

Can he change that record tonight? Or will Smith continue to stay alive in the Play-Off race?

If Smith loses his quarter final, Littler will come on stage for his quarter final against Nathan Aspinall knowing he will be playing at The O2 on Finals Night.

The two met last week in the semi finals, where Aspinall missed five match darts allowing The Nuke to come back from 5-2 down to win 6-5. In fact, The Asp has only beaten The Nuke once in the six meetings they’ve had this year, in a semi final clash in Nottingham on night seven.

The two previous weekly winners meet in this game, with Aspinall winning two weeks ago in Rotterdam and Littler’s victory in Liverpool. Littler of course hit a nine darter against The Asp in the first leg of their match in Bahrain en route to picking up the Bahrain Darts Masters title, so can he continue his excellent record against his stable mate? Or The Asp turn the tables and continue his own push for the Play-Offs?

Van Gerwen and Cross collide in remaining quarter final

Price’s withdrawal means there’s just one more quarter final to play, as Michael van Gerwen and Rob Cross face off in a rematch of the other semi final from last week.

Cross won that game 6-2, and has won two of the three meetings against MvG this season in the 2024 Bet MGMPremier League Darts. The Dutchman’s only victory against Voltage came back in night three in Scotland though, winning a semi final in Glasgow en route to a weekly victory.

Cross knows that he has to win this game otherwise he is mathematically out of the Play-Off race, while The Green Machine knows he has to keep racking up victories to maintain a decent gap from Michael Smith in fifth.

Who will come out on the top and play Luke Humphries in the semi final?

2024 BetMGM Premier League Darts Night 14 Schedule of Play

P&J Live Arena, Aberdeen

Thursday 2 May (19.00 BST)

Quarter Finals

Peter Wright v Michael Smith

Luke Littler v Nathan Aspinall

Michael van Gerwen v Rob Cross

Luke Humphries Bye (Gerwyn Price withdrawn)

Semi-Finals

Peter Wright/ Michael Smith v Luke Littler/ Nathan Aspinall

Michael van Gerwen/ Rob Cross v Luke Humphries

Final

Peter Wright/ Michael Smith/ Luke Littler/ Nathan Aspinall v Michael van Gerwen/ Rob Cross/ Luke Humphries

All matches best of 11 legs