Rock vs Bunting (Premier League Darts): odds and bets 12.03.2026

This is a Night 6 quarter-final in Nottingham (12 March 2026), played best of 11 legs — so fast starts matter, and one scrappy spell on the doubles can decide everything.

For me, the key angles are: (1) scoring ceiling vs doubling stability, (2) how each man has handled the Premier League stage pressure so far, and (3) the very recent head-to-head evidence. These two have literally just played, so we’re not guessing styles — we’re reacting to what happened when they last shared an oche.

Josh Rock

Rock’s Premier League campaign has been frustrating on paper — he’s produced moments that remind you why he’s in this field, but he’s not converted them into enough points yet. His headline moment was that nine-darter in Belfast (even in defeat), which tells you the scoring power is absolutely there when he finds rhythm.

What pushes me slightly towards Rock here is how his game matches up with Bunting’s. When Rock is comfortable, he doesn’t just pepper 140s — he can win legs in six visits and put real heat on the opponent’s doubling. And the most relevant piece of form is the UK Open meeting last weekend: Rock won 10–7, with the better three-dart average (93.75 vs 89.16), even though Bunting actually hit more 180s (6 vs 3). That combination matters: it suggests Rock’s “quality of scoring” and finishing across legs was strong enough to win the session, not just one flashy burst.

If Rock keeps his first-9-darts standard and is merely average on doubles, I think he has the higher ceiling in an 11-leg race.

Stephen Bunting

Bunting’s Premier League story has been the classic momentum swing: after a slow start, he hit back in a big way by winning Night 4 in Belfast, beating Humphries, then whitewashing Clayton, and lifting the trophy. Crucially, his quarter-final that night came with a 106.63 average and elite doubling efficiency, which is exactly the version of Bunting that can beat anyone in this line-up.

The concern is consistency night-to-night. On Night 5 in Cardiff he lost 6–5 to Gerwyn Price, and that’s been the theme when Bunting is just slightly off: he can score heavily, but the match turns on one missed double or one loose visit at the wrong time.

Stylistically, I respect Bunting’s ability to settle quickly and his experience in managing Premier League atmospheres. But against Rock, I’m always watching whether Bunting can hold throw comfortably — if he offers early looks at a break, Rock is one of the guys who will jump on it and run away with the mini-race.