World Darts Championship 2024 Betting Tips: Cool Hand to wrap year up in style

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Here it is… the big one. The PDC World Darts Championship from Ally Pally.

Strap in for over two weeks of the best tungsten tension in the sport, as the best players in the darting world contend for the ultimate prize in the sport. We’ve previewed this mammoth event and given you our betting predictions.

We’ll also have daily tipping previews and boosted accumulators running right up to the final.

History, Location and Format

The 2023/24 PDC World Darts Championship is the 31st running of this event and is the most prestigious and highest-paying event on the darting calendar.

Originally held in 1994, after the split of the BDO organisation and the formation of the new PDC, the first 14 iterations of the new tournament were held at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet, Essex. However, in 2008 it moved to its new home at Alexandra Palace, London, where it has remained ever since.

Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor was the dominant force in the early years of the trophy, winning the title a ridiculous 14 times, as well as finishing runner-up on another five occasions. Other multiple champions include Michael Van Gerwen (three times) and Gary Anderson, Adrian Lewis, John Part and Peter Wright (all twice).

The defending champion is Englishman Michael Smith, who defeated Van Gerwen 7-4 in the 2022/23 final and picked up his second major televised title and the number one in the world ranking in the process. The final featured the greatest leg in darts, as MVG missed a double 12 for a nine darter, before Smith hit it in the same leg.

There are 96 players taking part in the event, with the top 32 in the PDC Order of Merit seeded into round two and the next highest 32 from the PDC Pro Tour seeded for the first round. The last 32 are made up from a combination of various qualifiers over the year.

First and second round matches are played over a best of 5 sets, third and fourth round are best of 7, quarter finals 9, semis 11 and the final over a best of 13 sets.

Prize Money

As in recent years, the winner picks up half a million pounds, with a total prize fund of £2.5m. The champion also receives the Sid Waddell Trophy.

Selections

Luke Humphries to win – 3/1 BOOST 7/2

Luke Humphries most 180’s – 7/2

What a year it’s been for Luke Humphries. The likeable world No.3 has always had talent but 2023 was the year he took it to the masses.

The former World Youth Champion had been a constant on the tour events in recent years when the cameras weren’t in tow but as soon as he got on the big stage he fluffed his lines. Well, ‘Cool Hand’ decided to do something about it and underwent a fitness regime to help him cope with the longer format of the major ranking events under the baking studio lights.

A new slimline Humphries has been a revelation in 2023 and picked up not one, but three major titles in the World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship. This has seen the 28-year-old rise up to number three in the world and if he wins the big one here, that no.1 spot is there for the taking.

The Newbury resident has taken his already impressive game to another level and is averaging 101.87 average with a 40%+ check-out percentage over his last 200 legs. He is also a ridiculous maximum hitter and has hit 80 in those same 200 legs, as part of a 13 game televised winning streak.

The only thing going against Humphries is his World Championship record. He has never been further than the quarter-finals, but this is a different Luke we are dealing with nowadays. His confidence is supreme and so is his darting game. Go and win the lot Cool Hand…

Stephen Bunting each-way (1/4, 4 places) – 40/1

Stephen Bunting to win his quarter 3 – 8/1

In quarter three, I really like the chances of Stephen Bunting to progress to the quarter-finals.

Yes, he is in the same section as both Michael Van Gerwen, Damon Heta, Danny Noppert and Josh Rock but ‘The Bullet’ is in tremendous form right now.

Gone are the lightest darts in the pro game, as Bunting traded in his trademark 12g arrows for some 6g heavier. Still very light but he now has a new found control and less wayward darts. This has seen an explosion in his game, with the former BDO World Champion having a second-spring in his career.

Remarkably, the amiable scouser is still only 38 and his best years could still be ahead of him. Bunting reached the final of the German Darts Open, as well as the semi-finals of the Grand Slam of Darts and four other quarter-finals.

MVG hasn’t been at his best and I fancy Bunting to beat any of the other players mentioned. At 40/1 for 4 places, he’s also a good bet to win the title.

You can find all our latest Darts Betting Tips on our dedicated Insights content hub.