Defending Premier League champion Gary Anderson returns to the circuit as the season reaches round nine in Nottingham.
Four more potentially thrilling matches are on the bill on Thursday evening with many too close to call on paper.
Reigning champion Gary Anderson returns after missing week eight in Cardiff following the recent death of his father.
The Flying Scotsman takes on a wounded Aussie in Simon Whitlock, who is out to bounce back from his 8-0 drubbing at the hands of James Wade last week.
Whitlock suffered only the fourth ever whitewash in the history of the event and will be hoping for a much better display to revive his Semi-Final chances.
Anderson has had an up and down season and may be mentally fragile if he falls behind early on, he will need to take maximum points to avoid being cut adrift from the play-off places despite having a game in hand.
Kevin Painter and Raymond van Barneveld open up the night with both looking to avenge heavy 8-2 defeats last time around.
Newcomer Painter has gone three weeks without a win and is in danger of slipping to bottom spot for the first time.
Barney failed to produce his resurgent form last week that has seen his rise to as high as second place, but will be as determined as ever to pick up a win and remain firmly in the hunt for an appearance at the O2 in May.
World champion Adrian Lewis comes up against rival James Wade in the match of the night and a game that bares huge importance for both players.
Wade currently occupies second spot and will be full of confidence going into the game on the back of his 8-0 hammering of Simon Whitlock last week.
The Machine won their last meeting 8-5 in the league a few weeks ago and has proved deadly on the doubles in his matches since.
Lewis remains in fifth but has played at least a game more than the rest of the field and knows that a defeat could do serious damage to his chances.
The duo have previous which adds emphasis on what is already a tasty looking game, one in which the bookmakers cannot pick a winner and could go the distance.
Phil Taylor looks to extend his lead at the top of the table as he takes on fellow Stoke thrower Andy Hamilton.
The Power has been untouchable so far this season and has all but qualified for finals night, meaning the pressure lies with The Hammer who is rock bottom in the table going into the game.
Taylor's relentless heavy scoring and consistent finishing could prove too hot to handle for the world finalist who will need to make a good start if he is to have any chance of denying The Power an eighth straight victory.
The action gets underway at 7pm on Thursday, with matches played over the best of 14 legs and streamed live from the Capital FM Arena, Nottingham.
Week Nine Order of play
April 5 - Capital FM Arena, Nottingham
7.00pm Kevin Painter 11/5 v Raymond van Barneveld 4/6 (draw 9/2)
8.00pm Adrian Lewis 5/4 v James Wade 5/4 (draw 4/1)
8.45pm Andy Hamilton 9/1 v Phil Taylor 1/7 (draw 15/2)
9.30pm Simon Whitlock 5/4 v Gary Anderson 5/4 (draw 4/1)
Match odds courtesy of
Bet365 (3/4/12)
