The biggest party in sports, the PDC World Darts Championship, gets underway on Thursday, Dec. 11, at Alexandra Palace (aka the Ally Pally) in London. This year’s tournament will be televised on Peacock, which hopefully will lead to an uptick in viewership in the United States.
Known for its outrageous atmosphere, overserved audience and viral moments, the Worlds have become an international sporting phenomenon, and this year’s iteration will be the biggest ever, with 128 players from all over the globe competing for the grand prize of $1.3 million.
The favorites
Not only is Luke “The Nuke” Littler the clear favorite to repeat as World Champion, but the 18-year-old is odds-on with every bookmaker as we head to Day 1 of the tournament. It’s an astonishing feat for any player to carry odds this short in a 128-person field, but it’s even more mind-blowing when you consider that this is only his third-ever trip to Ally Pally, though his record in this tournament, one runner-up and one title, speaks for itself.
If you put odds aside, it’s hard to pick against Littler, but backing a heavy favorite in a tournament this deep is not an appetizing proposition.
“Cool Hand” Luke Humphries will play second fiddle to Littler, but the 2023-24 World Champion was dealt a brutal draw, making his outright price of +400 quite unappealing. That said, if Humphries does get to the final against Littler, he’ll likely be worth a bet as a decided underdog.
The dark horses
We are in the throes of the Littler Era, but there are a couple of old hands flying under the radar.
Michael “MVG” van Gerwen, who was the biggest star in the sport before Littler usurped him in last year’s final, is being offered at 20/1. That is a tempting price after Mighty Mike’s resurgence in the back-half of 2025.
Gerwyn “Ice Man” Price has been inconsistent by his standards in 2025, but he is one of the few players in this field who can go dart for dart with Littler and/or Humphries. Price is in Littler’s quarter, so there is no rush to jump on the 12/1 outright price on the Welshman.
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The third-favorite, Gian “The Giant” van Veen, has been ascendant in 2025, but he’s never won a match at this event, and he’s got a nightmare Round 1 matchup against Cristo Reyes, making him a fade candidate in my eyes.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Beau Greaves, the top-ranked player on the Women’s Tour, in this section. A lock to be a fan favorite when she’s on the stage, Greaves has the ceiling to cause a couple of upsets if she is in full flow. She’ll be worth a bet as a heavy underdog against Josh Rock in Round 2, should they both get there.
The long shots
One of the great things about the World Championship is that it always throws up massive surprises. Rob Cross won the tournament just a few months after quitting his job as an electrician, Littler was runner-up in his debut, and Kirk Shepherd reached the final as a 1,000/1 long shot in 2009.
There are a couple of outsiders who could join those ranks in 2026.
First up is Ross “Smudger” Smith at 100/1. The World No. 12, Smith has won a major title in his career, and currently boasts the 12th-best scoring average on the PDC Tour over the past 12 months. His path is far from daunting.
We’ll close with Cristo Reyes, who is making his return to the Ally Pally stage after a six-year absence, which explains his massive odds. But don’t let that deter you, because the Spaniard is scoring the lights out right now. He’s a huge underdog against van Veen in Round 1, but his path would open up in a big way if he upsets “The Giant.”
Best bets
- Michael van Gerwen to win the tournament (20/1, bet365)
- Ross Smith to win the tournament (100/1, FanDuel)
- Cristo Reyes to win Quarter 3 at (300/1, bet365)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
