2025 Betfred World Matchplay: Day 2 (Afternoon) Betting Tips

• Dirk van Duijvenbode To Win: 1/1 at Bet365

Rob Cross started 2025 in blistering form, but has tailed off quite dramatically over the past few months. A poor end to his Premier League campaign saw him finish 7th, and a 6-0 whitewash defeat against Danny Lauby in the US Masters first round highlights how poorly he is playing.

Dirk van Duijvenbode continues to make strides during his comeback from injury and looks dangerous again. His scoring power looks to have returned, and as soon as he gains his confidence again on the big stage, he will be back in the top 16 in the world in no time.

Cross is so experienced on TV, but even after winning this event in 2019, he has a poor record in Blackpool and has failed to progress past the 2nd round six times in eight appearances.

Van Duijvenbode looks hungry again after returning from injury, and he'll know in the back of his mind that Cross is struggling, so I expect the big Dutchman to take full advantage of that this afternoon.

• Peter Wright To Win: 5/4 at AK Bets

Just by looking at stats alone, rather than results, it's obvious that Peter Wright isn't as consistent as he used to be, highlighted by his seasonal average of around 90. He has shown glimpses of form, but it's hard to think he will ever reach the heights of his peak again.

Jermaine Wattimena showed such promise in 2024 with a blistering season, and most expected him to push on from there, but it hasn't quite happened in 2025. He's always struggled to keep momentum going, maybe because he seems to be quite hard on himself during matches.

It's clear to see that Wattimena is playing better than Snakebite right now, but I find it so difficult to dismiss the Scot, especially after three quarter-finals on the European Tour this season.

As I always mention with Peter Wright, it all comes down to his choice of setup. That was key in his World Championship run, and if he chooses the right setup today, he still has enough class to come through a tight contest here.