The 2025 PDC World Darts Championship has been priced up as a straight shootout between 2024 winner Luke Humphries and the (young) man he beat in that thrilling final, Luke Littler.
Now 17 years old, Littler is 15/8 to avenge last year’s defeat and lift the Sid Waddell Trophy at
Alexandra Palace, with Humphries second in the betting at 3/1. Behind the dynamic duo there’s a gulf back to third-favourite Gary Anderson at 10/1.
Littler and Humphries have been sensational this season, bagging 17 titles and £2.5m in prize money between them, however there are two significant reasons to take an each-way position against them when betting on this year’s tournament.
Bet on the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship at Betzone
They occupy tough quarters on the same side of the draw
Fate, as embodied by the Ally Pally draw, has denied the sport of arrows the World Championship Final it deserves with ‘The Nuke’ and ‘Cool Hand’ both billeted in the top half.
Humphries must emerge from a trappy quarter that includes 2024 World Grand Prix winner Mike De Decker and Australian thrower Damon Heta if he is to face-off against old foe Littler at the semi-final stage.
The latter boasts the highest checkout % of any player in PDC Pro Tour ranking events in the last six months (46.02%) and the third-best three dart average at the same level since the start of October.
Littler too has a tricky quarter, including his European Championship first-round conqueror Andrew Gilding and the winner of that massive tournament, Richie Edhouse.
The 2024 campaign has already seen some major event shocks
Littler and Humphries have both claimed one of the sport’s universally agreed Majors this term, with ‘The Nuke’ taking out the Grand Slam and ‘Cool Hand’ adding the World Matchplay to his trophy cabinet.
However, there were also notable shocks, including Edhouse’s 250/1 European Championship success and De Decker’s 200/1 World Grand Prix victory.
Littler himself has proven susceptible to being on the wrong end of shocks in some of the sport’s biggest events in 2024. Exiting the World Grand Prix, World Matchplay and European Championship in the first round.
Bottom half of the draw the place to start for each-way plays
The third and fourth quarters of the draw are going to be the best place to start if we’re looking to take on the Lukes given neither will need to be beaten in order for your bet to reach the final and land the place part of each-way payouts (EW Terms ½ the odds, 2 places).
Two-time champ GARY ANDERSON (10/1) has the highest three-dart average in PDC Pro Tour ranking events over the past 12 months and pushed Littler all the way in a 15-16 semi-final loss at last month’s Grand Slam of Darts – proving his continuing mettle for the sport’s longer forms.
At bigger prices, a player who could go well is Northumberland’s CHRIS DOBEY (40/1), who has previous experience of shining on the Ally Pally stage having made the quarters in each of the past two seasons.
Dobey all but made the semis in 2024, blowing a 4-0 lead in his best of nine last eight clash with Rob Cross, after deposing defending champion Michael Smith in the fourth round.
He returns to Ally Pally with three tournament wins under his belt for the year and every chance of improving upon his best ever finish, having been drawn in arguably the most winnable quarter (three), where Gerwyn Price and Smith are his most threatening opponents.
