World Darts Championship Odds and Betting Tips

The PDC World Darts Championship is the biggest and most prestigious event in the world of darts, with the world’s best players seeing it as the ultimate prize in their season, making it essential to find the best darts betting sites. It hasn’t always been this way, with the WBO’s own version originally seen as the season’s highlight. However, since the introduction of the WDC (which eventually became the PDC) in 1994, there has been a gradual takeover, and it is clear now that the PDC version of the World Darts Championship is the only target for the world’s best darts players, with the prize money on offer now dwarfing that of the WBO World Darts Championship. For even more on the WDC, check out our World Darts Championship guide.

The buildup to this year’s event has already begun, and darts fans around the country will be tuning in to the action live from Alexandra Palace, with the bookmakers already starting to focus in on the showpiece event with some great offers and promotions on offer. If you need help understanding darts betting, or if you want to find the best darts bookie ahead of the championship, then make sure to use the other articles as well as the extensive bookmaker reviews available on Top 10 Sports Betting Sites.

Famous Winners

The PDC World Darts Championship has been truly dominated by one player - you guessed it - Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor. At a time when he was the undisputed world number one, Taylor had a complete stranglehold on this championship, winning it a total of 14 times, including 8 years on the bounce during the formative years of the competition. Taylor is, without doubt, the biggest name in darts, and while his fortunes have faded somewhat in recent years, he will be back at Alexandra Palace again this year with the hope of reviving his previous event form.

The current world number one, Michael van Gerwen, has won the competition only twice, despite having been the leading name in darts for quite a few years now. Van Gerwen has been trying to gain some control over the darts world as Taylor had in the ‘90s and 2000s, and the Dutchman will be looking to cement his place at the top of the game with a third PDC World Darts Championship, and a second in a row, in 2017/18. Other recent World Darts Championship famous winners include:

• Gary Anderson, 2015 and 2016

• Adrian Lewis, 2011 and 2012

• John Part, 2003

• Raymond van Barneveld, 2007

• Dennis Priestley, first-ever PDC World Darts Championship in 1994

Schedule

The 2017/18 William Hill World Darts Championship is being held at Alexandra Palace and will feature 72 players in total with 56 going straight into the first round, while a further 16 players will have to go through a preliminary round in order to reach the main draw. The top 32 players in the PDC Order of Merit will qualify automatically for the first round, along with the top 16 in the Order of Merit for the Pro Tour. The rest of the field is made up of invitational players from international and PDPA qualifiers.

The tournament will last around three weeks, starting with the preliminary round, which is a best of three sets, and advancing to the final which will be a real test of mental strength in a best of 13 sets match on New Year’s Day.

Thursday, 14 December	4x First Round
Friday, 15 December	1x Preliminary Round, 3x First Round
Saturday, 16 December (afternoon)	1x Preliminary Round, 3x First Round
Saturday, 16 December (evening)	1x Preliminary Round, 3x First Round
Sunday, 17 December (afternoon)	1x Preliminary Round, 3x First Round
Sunday, 17 December (evening)	1x Preliminary Round, 3x First Round
Monday, 18 December	1x Preliminary Round, 3x First Round
Tuesday, 19 December	1x Preliminary Round, 3x First Round
Wednesday, 20 December	1x Preliminary Round, 3x First Round
Thursday, 21 December	4x First Round
Friday, 22 December (afternoon)	3x Second Round
Friday, 22 December (evening)	3x Second Round
Saturday, 23 December (afternoon)	3x Second Round
Saturday, 23 December (evening)	3x Second Round
Wednesday, 27 December (afternoon)	3x Second Round
Wednesday, 27 December (evening)	1x Second Round, 2x Third Round
Thursday, 28 December (afternoon)	3x Third Round
Thursday, 28 December (evening)	3x Third Round
Friday, 29 December (afternoon)	2x Quarter-Finals
Friday, 29 December (evening)	2x Second Quarter-Finals
Saturday, 30 December	Semi-Finals
Monday, 1 January	Final

Betting Odds and Favourites

The betting markets are beginning to form with the big event on the horizon, and we are starting to see who the bookies think have the best chance to win the William Hill World Darts Championship. As well as looking to bet before the tournament begins, there is the opportunity to bet match by match on markets such as correct score and number of 180s. Looking at the antepost darts world championship betting odds, however, we can see the bookies think the following players have the best chance of lifting the title:

• Michael van Gerwen, around even money - There is no doubting the favourite for the tournament and that is two-time former winner and current champion Michael van Gerwen. The Dutchman has taken over the mantle at the top of the world game since the relative decline of Phil Taylor, and now is the clear man to beat whenever he takes part in a tournament. Van Gerwen will be looking to start winning the World Darts Championship with the regularity of Taylor and cement his place as one of the greatest in the history of the game. He can be backed at around even money.

• Gary Anderson, 6/1 - Anderson, like van Gerwen, is a winner of this tournament on two occasions, winning in both 2015 and 2016. He goes into the tournament as the second favourite, and unsurprisingly so considering his history in this tournament. To win here twice shows his ability to play under pressure and at the highest level, and the Scot has all the credentials to win his third crown despite his recent form being questionable. He can be backed at 6/1.

• Peter Wright, 9/1 - Wright has always been a top quality player and has been at the top of the game for some time. He’s seemingly the best player in the field who hasn’t managed to win here in the past, although his skills can be overestimated, perhaps due to the eccentric personality and showmanship that makes him instantly memorable. Perhaps this isn’t the kind of persona you need to win on the biggest stage, but if you fancy Wright he can be backed at a price of 9/1.

• Phil Taylor, 10/1 - Surely the greatest player to have ever thrown a dart. Taylor is an absolute legend in the game, and while he is clearly nowhere near the level of his peak years, his experience, and winning experience at the highest level, command the utmost respect. Darts is a game played between the ears, and purely based on his history at the event and darting intelligence, Taylor could be considered as a bet at 10/1.

Betting Tips

• Michael van Gerwen @ Evens - It is almost impossible to lay Michael van Gerwen with any confidence, and the current price of evens seems pretty fair considering his domination of the game in recent years. The only question mark is his lack of wins at this tournament in the past with just two former victories, but after winning last year’s PDC World Darts Championship, he is the deserved favourite and is a potential bet for the tournament.

• Phil Taylor @ 10/1 - If you don’t fancy van Gerwen, the next best bet is Taylor, who could be backed each way, meaning we would get a return if he managed to reach the final. Taylor’s experience at this event is invaluable, and even if he hasn’t replicated that for a few years, his experience and former glories give him a chance.

• Rob Cross @ 25/1 - A longer odds selection for those looking for a bigger payout could be Rob Cross. Perhaps not the biggest name in the sport, Cross has managed to beat some of the top players in the game including van Gerwen, Wade, Wright and Chisnall, and he is one of the most in-form players in the draw. With several of the favourites suffering with their form, he certainly has a chance to make the latter stages at least.

Get Ready to Bet on the World Darts Championship

The excitement is really building and now is time if you want to place your bets on the William Hill World Darts Championship before the games begin. With the showpiece darts event just ‘round the corner, there are some great offers and promotions in place, and you can take advantage of them only by using Top 10 Sports Betting Sites. Whether you are completely new to the game of darts or an expert, make sure to use our reviews from our experienced sports bettors in order to find the darts betting site that is right for you.

As Sid Waddell would say: “Game On!”