Hit bull's-eye with darts long shots
Billed as the biggest party in sports, the PDC World Darts Championship gets underway on Friday, at the beautiful Alexandra Palace (aka the Ally Pally) in London, England.
There are 96 competitors in the field and the tournament lasts all the way through the holiday season before wrapping up on Jan. 3.
For the uninitiated watching (or betting on) darts may sound like a farce, but I can assure you that it is serious business. Tickets to the World Championship get snatched up as quick as any sporting event in the UK and, somehow, the World Darts Championship has become synonymous with Christmas across the pond in the same way that the NFL has with Thanksgiving over here.
I always say it takes two matches (and they’re quick) to become a fan of darts. — the first one to learn the rules and the rhythm of the game and the second one to get hooked.
The Worlds are similarly poised to a Grand Slam in tennis. It’s a single-elimination tournament with 32 seeded players getting a bye into the Round of 64.
“Cool Hand” Luke Humphries is the tournament favorite at +300, but he’s got plenty of company at the top of the board with Michael “MVG” van Gerwen at +350 and Gerwyn “The Ice Man” Price at +500. Defending champion Michael “Bully Boy” Smith is 11/1 after an underwhelming year.
Let’s have a look at the field and try to pick out some bets that will provide you with a happy holiday season.
2024 PDC World Darts Championship picks
Jonny Clayton (50/1): A couple of years ago “The Ferret” was considered one of the three best players in the world and was coming off a Premier League title. Now, he’s 50/1 and friendless in the betting market. There’s no denying Clayton hasn’t reached the heights many had him pegged for after he won the Premier League in 2021, but he’s a four-time major champion and is only five months removed from getting to the final at the World Matchplay. This is a great buy-low opportunity on a player who will have raucous support.
Ross Smith (65/1): One of the best scorers on the planet, “Smudger” had his breakthrough moment in 2022 when he won the European Championship. Although he’s never made it past the Round of 32 at the Ally Pally, the 34year-old is well positioned to go on a run this year. He comes in with the seventh-best scoring average since Sept. 1 and was drawn into Quarter 1, which is deep but wide open.
Ryan Searle (80/1): The man known as “Heavy Metal” was a trendy dark horse at last year’s tournament but has flown under the radar in 2023 despite a pretty strong year. Searle has not had his breakthrough moment at the Ally Pally just yet, but his scoring ability gives him a chance against anybody in this field.
Cameron Menzies to win Quarter 4 (50/1): There are always some bigtime surprises at the World Championships and Menzies ticks a lot of boxes for a potential gatecrasher this year. Humphries is in Quarter 4, but it’s not as deep as the other sections of the draw and Menzies’ path is not that daunting. He’d be an underdog against Dave Chisnall in the Round of 64, but an upset certainly wouldn’t be out of the question. If Menzies can get by “Chizzy” things could open up considerably and it’s more than feasible that we could see the Scotsman in the quarterfinals.