Alexandra Palace is set to host the 2024 World Darts Championship, as one of the greatest sporting events of the year takes centre stage.
The darting landscape has changed over the last year with Luke Humphries cementing himself as, not only one of the men to be feared, but the outright favourite. Winning three of the last four major tournaments, Humphries has finally returned some results for his impressive performances on the biggest stages.
Joining Cool Hand Luke in the betting favourites is Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price, and reigning champion Michael Smith. All three players have struggled to maintain consistent form throughout the year.
Van Gerwen picked up the Premier League in May, but has only managed victories on the World Series circuit since then – tournaments that are considered more exhibition than major.
Smith has failed to make an impact of any kind in his year as World Champion. A World Series, Euro Tour and Players Championship are his only returns, which will be mightily disappointing for a player who holds himself to such high standards.
Price has been a bully on the floor with multiple Players Championship and Euro Tour successes this season. However, other than a World Grand Prix final, the Iceman’s record this season in majors has been tragic with many early exits.
Peter Wright, who frequently finds himself in the upper tiers of the betting for the Worlds, has seen himself slide down below Gary Anderson and Rob Cross. This can be attributed to his below-par 93 seasonal average and multiple eye-opening performances. Eye-opening for all the wrong reasons; his group stage elimination at the Grand Slam did nothing to quell fears that he could suffer an early exit in this years’ Worlds. Wright did win the European Championship, but his paltry five wins in the Premier League lives long in the memory.
It’s hard to look past the two market leaders here, with all of the aforementioned factors considered. Van Gerwen and Humphries played out a classic at the Players Championship Finals which MvG looked certain to win. He lead 9-5 in a race to 11, but eventually went on to lose the next six legs.
Both players are performing well and can come into the tournament satisfied with where their games are at. It seems inevitable that both these players will win their quarters and meet in the semi-final, with the winner being the clear favourite to take the title home.
We’re siding with the Green Machine on this occasion. The Dutchman had Humphries’ number at the Player Championship Finals before some errant doubling and an incredible spell of scoring by Humphries. The biggest factor will be MvG’s experience at this level. The Worlds is different to any other tournament in the darting calendar. Many great players have fallen victim to the pressure of Alexandra Palace and Humphries could be the next in line, with the Englishmen having never progressed past the quarter-final in six attempts.
Who are the favourites to win the 2024 PDC World Championship? BetVictor’s PDC Darts Betting Tips
Michael van Gerwen – 7/2
With Humphries and Van Gerwen being in the bottom-half of the draw, it leaves the top-half wide open. Many players will fancy their chances of reaching the final over the seeded favourites: Price, Wright and Smith. Amongst those will be Gary Anderson and Rob Cross who have seen a resurgence in their game as of late. Both are former World Champions, with the latter having a very favourable run to the quarter-final.
However, it is James Wade that we will be picking to prevail from the top-half of the bracket to meet MvG in the final. The Machine has won everything in the game of darts, other than the Worlds, and every year the man from Surrey is seen as a threat.
His comeback win against Josh Rock in the Grand Slam was the perfect example of what Wade can do. Lethal doubling, unphased by anything thrown at him and clutch in the moments that matter.
A European Championship final and a Grand Slam semi-final are the only results of note this season for Wade. He followed these with a quarter-final appearance in the Players Championship Finals, showing that he’s hitting his best form at the right time.
Wade’s potential route to the final looks like this (If the highest ranked player wins): Matt Campbell, Andrew Gilding, Peter Wright, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith. Considering the form of each player, not an insurmountable task.
The four-time Worlds semi-finalist cannot be ignored, and the favourable draw may just be what he needs to get over the hump.
James Wade – 50/1
Check out all of our PDC Darts World Championship odds at BetVictor.
*Odds subject to change.
