One-third of the prestigious Triple Crown prize in darts kicks off this week, with the best players in the sport heading to Alexandra Palace in London to compete in the World Darts Championship. Having just gone head-to-head in the Players Championship Finals recently, those who failed will have an opportunity for redemption, while the recent winners will be looking to sustain momentum.
All eyes will be on Michael van Gerwen to see if the Dutchman can back up his impressive win at the 2022 Players Championship Finals and claim his first World Darts Championship title since 2019. Peter Wright will also be looking for a result here as he seeks to go back-to-back and claim his third title in four years. We break down all of the betting odds and deliver our expert picks in this betting preview.
| Tournament: | 2022/23 Cazoo World Darts Championship |
| Venue: | Alexandra Palace, London, England |
| Date: | Thursday 15 December to Tuesday 3 January |
Here’s a look at darts odds for those who want to bet on the bet on 22/23 World Darts Championship:
Looking at the London bookmakers offering odds on this event, it’s clear that Michael van Gerwen is the overwhelming favorite to take out this tournament. The Dutchman is at 3.50 (5/2), twice as good as the next strongest challenger, which is Gerwyn Price, at 7.00 (6/1). Michael Smith is also right there if van Gerwen slips, with odds of 8.00 (7/1).
Founded in 1994, the PDC World Darts Championship is one of the most prestigious events in the sport of darts. With a total prize pool of over £2,500,000 and taking place across two and a half weeks in London, the tournament is considered part of dart’s coveted Triple Crown.
While traditionally dominated by retired darts legend Phil Taylor, the past five years, here’s how the World Darts Championship has unfolded:
As the defending champion who has won two of the past three World Darts Championships, Scotland’s Peter Wright will be eager to go back-to-back with another win here. Michael van Gerwen stands in his way, however, who is seeking his first title since 2019.
Looking at the odds from online live sports bookies, there is a range of excellent bets to be placed, with plenty of betting bonuses available online as well. Here are the best punts to make this week for those who want to bet on darts online:
If there’s one darts player who is having a hot end to 2022, it’s Michael van Gerwen. The Dutchman has always been in the conversation for the winning bet at any tournament, but over the last few months, he has particularly asserted his dominance.
This was most clearly seen at the Players Championship Finals, where the best 64 darts players of the year came together, and Michael van Gerwen came out on top. This win, plus the fact that van Gerwen previously won this tournament in 2019, combined to put the Dutchman on odds of 3.50 (5/2). Given his hot form and the fact that he’ll be motivated to pick up his first title here since 2019, make this an excellent bet ahead of the World Darts Championship.
Another strong bet to make is in favor of Michael Smith winning his quarter of the draw. Smith is currently at No.4 in the PDC Order of Merit and has made two of the last four finals here at the World Darts Championships. He’s in strong form in the back end of 2022 and is looking good to make another deep run over the coming weeks as well.
The main competition for Michael Smith in his quarter is Luke Humphries, making this one of the softer quarters in the tournament. Humphries did make a run to the semifinals at the recent Players Championship Finals. However, he is at long odds of 15.00 (14/1) to win this week and is unlikely to get in the way of Michael Smith winning his quarter.
For those who like to live stream the game and have a bit of an adrenaline rush, here’s our best betting preview tip ahead of tomorrow’s first dart:
Hands down, these are the two form players in darts right now. They are leading the outright odds for this tournament at 3.50 (5/2) and 7.00 (6/1) each and look likely to meet each other in the final here. Gerwyn Price sits atop the PDC Order of Merit and has won this tournament in 2021, while Michael Gerwen is red-hot, coming into this tournament off the back of winning the Players Championship Finals.
Positioned on opposite sides of the draw, it is entirely likely that these two in-form players will navigate their respective halves and come face-to-face in the final. Add in the extra motivation of Price pushing to win the World Championships again before retiring, and with odds of 10.00 (9/1) for the two best players to make the final, this is an excellent bet to make.
All eyes in the darts world will turn to Alexandra Palace in London over the coming weeks as the best players in the sport compete for the World Darts Championship. Michael van Gerwen is in hot form coming off the Players Championship Finals recently, while the likes of Michael Smith and Gerwyn Price will be nipping at the Dutchman’s heels looking for a slip-up. Our deep sports analysis and prediction says van Gerwen will have what it takes to come away with the silverware here, but tune in from December 15th to find out.
