World Cup of Darts first round: Dutch and Scots take to the oche

This time, though, they happen to have the best player in the world on the big stage right now in world champions and Premier League Darts winner Anderson.

The Flying Scotsman will partner Peter ‘Snakebite’ Wright, and the duo are odds-on 1/10 to see off Singapore (11/2), who shocked the Republic of Ireland last year. Scotland are 11/4 to beat them 5-2 too.

Northern Ireland v Thailand
Brendan Dolan and Michael Mansell know each other well, having played together at the last three World Cups, and in that time have reached the quarters and semis.

While they are not expected to win the tournament, they do have the potential to go far, especially if The History Maker is on fire, as he was at the last finals.

Northern Ireland (1/8 odds-on favourites) should walk all over Thailand (9/2), who got thrashed 5-0 by England in their first World Cup last year, and are 11/2 shouts to whitewash them as well.

Wales v Hong Kong
Richie Burnett has been replaced by rising star Jamie Lewis to partner 2008 BDO world champion Mark Webster, and the 2010 runners-up are another British nation that can go far if they play their cards right.

Wales (4/11) have always done well at World Cup, having reached the final, semis (twice) and then quarters, and start off against Hong Kong (2/1).

The Asian nation, fronted by Brazilian-born, half-Scot/half-Japanese Scott MacKenzie, do have ability, though, so back Wales to triumph 5-3 at 4/1.

South Africa v Finland
This will be perhaps one of the closer battles of the evening, as two-time quarter-finalists South Africa (8/15) take on 2013 semi-finalists Finland (11/8).

The Finns will be without their star duo Jani Haavisto and Jarkko Komula, though, so back South Africa to triumph 5-4 at 9/2.

The three remaining fixtures of the evening are between Canada (8/13) and New Zealand (6/5), Sweden (2/5) and Hungary (7/4), and Republic of Ireland (2/7) and Poland (5/2).

Betting tip – Netherlands beat USA 5-2 @ 11/4