THE FACTS
When is Michael Smith vs Luke Woodhouse taking place? Sunday 15th December, 2019 – evening
Where is Michael Smith vs Luke Woodhouse taking place? Alexandra Palace, London
What channel is Michael Smith vs Luke Woodhouse on? Sky Sports Darts
Where can I stream Michael Smith vs Luke Woodhouse? Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match online via Sky Go
Where can I get tickets for Michael Smith vs Luke Woodhouse? https://www.pdc.tv/william-hill-world-darts-championship-tickets
What was the outcome in the last meeting? Michael Smith beat Luke Woodhouse 6-2
THE PLAYERS
MICHAEL SMITH
- Michael Smith had a tremendous run to the final at the 2018-19 PDC World Darts Championship where he eventually lost to the world number one Michael van Gerwen. Smith only had one quarter-final appearance at Alexandra Palace under his belt before last year.
- He has an excellent record at winning his first game at this tournament, having not exited the World Championship in his opening match since December 2012 when he lost 3-0 against Raymond van Barneveld.
- Although Smith has not won a tournament in 2019, he has had some good showings in big TV tournaments, notably with a run to the final at the World Matchplay and semi-final appearances at the UK Open, Champions League of Darts and European Championship.
LUKE WOODHOUSE
- Luke Woodhouse made a winning start on his debut appearance at the PDC World Championship, cruising to an emphatic 3-0 win against the veteran Paul Lim in round one.
- Woodhouse produced a very accomplished performance against Lim, finishing the match with an average of 96 and a checkout percentage of 40.91%.
- His recent victory against Daryl Gurney at the Players Championship Finals will give Woodhouse belief that he can compete against the best on the big stage and in regular tour events this year he has wins against the likes of Gerwyn Price, Nathan Aspinall, Ian White and Glen Durrant on his record.
THE PREDICTION
2018-19 PDC World Championship runner-up Smith will fancy his chances of another deep run in the tournament this year and, such is his talent, it is highly likely that he will be in the mix again. The St Helens star has not lost his opening match at a World Championship in seven years and that run should continue as he powers past Woodhouse whilst racking up a good tally of 180s.