96 of the best Darts players in the world assemble to Alexandra Palace (Ally Pally) for the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship, with the best of the best looking to win the greatest prize in the sport, beginning on December 16 and ending on January 4. It always shapes up to be an intriguing competition and we have you covered with a full preview and betting tips down below!
2025 PDC World Darts Championship Betting Preview
The format of this tournament sees the 96 players qualify via the PDC official ranking/seedings, with the top 32 automatically through to the second round. The second batch of 32 is via the Pro Tour Order Of Merit while the remaining 32 come via International Qualifiers. It brings together the world’s best and in form players, making it a great contest and a must watch event. It starts with a best of five sets through to the third round, then it goes to best of seven sets. Then, in the Quarter Finals it goes to best of nine. The Semi Finals is eleven and the Final, it goes to best of 13.
The field is stacked with quality, headlined by the two best players in the world, Luke Humphries and Luke Littler, with Littler, the teenage sensation, recent winner of the Grand Slam Of Darts, and Luke Humphries, who was dominant in beating Littler in the Players Championship Finals at Minehead, so they are the two clear players to beat, but the amazing thing is that they are on the same side of the draw and potentially will square off in the Semi Final.
Mick De Decker recently won the World Grand Prix and his form in recent weeks has been remarkable. An element of remarkable is that after an early exit in the Grand Slam Of Darts, he went back home to Belgium and won a lucrative Poker tournament, before playing brilliant Darts in the Players, only to get smashed by Littler in the Semi Final. His recent form ensures he is one of the leading contenders outside the two Luke’s.
Suggested Bets
Leonard Gates vs Cameron Menzies (Round 1)
Cameron Menzies is the highest ranked player that isn't seeded, so the market is expecting him to get through the opening round, but he has a tricky opening match up against the US veteran Leonard Gates. Gates showed good signs during the Grand Prix, as did Menzies, but one thing that is notable with Menzies is that he is a very emotional player, which at times can work wonders, but it can backfire, and he can lose the plot in terms of throwing poor darts at crucial stages. Gates will play a consistent level, albeit not world class, and I think is worth a gamble to cause the upset.
Leonard Gates to beat Cameron Menzies
$3.50
Fallon Sherrock vs Ryan Meikle (Round 1)
The glass ceiling was smashed by Sherrock a couple of years when winning at the Worlds, becoming the first female to win at Ally Pally. Safe to say her form the last 2-3 years, as a whole, has been just fair, but I will say that since her focus has returned to the women’s PDC and not contesting the men events as well, her form has improved. Beau Greeves is the best female player in the world, by some distance, but Sherrock isn't far behind and comes up against Ryan Meikle, who at times can play very well, but for the most part, he's very hit and miss, and the crowd will be cheering for the one person only here, which will be Sherrock.
Fallon Sherrock to beat Ryan Meikle
$3.20
Overall Winners
The starting point is the favourite, Luke Littler. The teenage sensation has lit up 2024 and I've said it numerous times. He has the potential to put Darts on the world stage like Michael Jordan did for Basketball in the sense that he pushes through to mainstream and brings in a whole new audience. His Grand Slam win was incredible and was very good at Minehead in the Players. The freak stats that say he is the one to beat is of the last 200 professionally played legs by every player, Littler leads all the stats, by some distance. Highest average, highest number of maximum scores, highest percentage of doubles hit and highest number of 100+ checkouts. He came so close last year and I think he can go one better.
He hasn't set the world on fire in years in terms of major wins, but the draw is relatively kind to Michael Van Gerwen in the sense he doesn't have to face Little or Humphries until the Final, and the leading seed on his side of the draw is Michael Smith, a player who is badly out of form and I don't think will go too deep in this tournament, so should he reach the final, the $12.50 will be great value because his best is still more than good enough.
Luke Humphries hasn't quite dominated 2024 like he did 2023 but he does come here off the Players win, making it two wins on the bounce in that event and is here to try and defend his title. As said earlier, he will face Littler in the Semi Final all things being equal and on current form, it's probably widely agreed that whoever wins that game will win the Championship. Recent form suggests Humphries can hold his nerve and create history with successive Ally Pally wins.
You'd love to see Gerwyn Price recapture form. He has been hit and miss in 2024, but that is more so due to injury more than anything, and I also think the love of the sport has been dwindling for him. He has won the World Championship before...is the desire there still? You'd have to say yes, otherwise why would he keep playing. When he is at his best, he is on par with Littler in terms of power scoring and blowing rivals away.
Also Consider:
Michael Van Gerwen ($12.50)
Luke Humphries ($3.80)
Gerwyn Price ($34)
Luke Littler to Win Tournament
$3.10
Round 1 Multi
Jermaine Wattimena to beat Stefan Bellmont ($1.16)
Luke Woodhouse to beat Lourence Llagan ($1.25)
Alan Soutar to beat Kai Gotthardt ($1.50)
Connor Scutt to beat Ben Robb ($1.14)
Ryan Joyce to beat Darius Labanauskas ($1.22)
Ricky Evans to beat Gordon Mathers ($1.16)
Callan Rydz to beat Romeo Grbavac ($1.22)
Martin Lukeman to beat Nitin Kumar ($1.04)
Multi Odds: $4.52 at Bet365
