The 17-week travelling darting roadshow that is the Premier League gets underway on Thursday and it’s a trip to Newcastle first up for the PDC elite.
Josh Rock, Jonny Clayton, Luke Littler, Gian van Veen, Luke Humphries, Gerwyn Price, Stephen Bunting and Michael van Gerwen are the eight players battling for a place at Finals Night at London’s O2 Arena.
We have three outright selections for the darting extravaganza.
Selections
- Luke Littler to win the Premier League @ 4/5
- Michael van Gerwen to finish bottom @ 10/1
- Josh Rock to finish bottom @ 10/1
Add our Premier League of Darts Betting Tips to your Betslip
Nuke can strike again
Luke Littler, the current world, UK Open, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam, Players Championship Finals and World Masters champion, can add a second Premier League crown to his fantastic trophy haul.
The Nuke won the 2024 Premier League on his debut campaign, before losing to Luke Humphries in last year’s final.
The 19-year-old amassed 45 points in the league phase of the competition, but was downed 11-8 by Cool Hand at the O2 finals.
Of course, a one-off semi-final and final can bring the field closer to the Nuke, but it’s almost impossible to think that Littler will fail to make Finals Night and then you have darts’ most destructive talent on your side.
The world champion is 3/10 to top the league phase, which leaves a number one seed position looking likely, and that could hand the Nuke a favourable semi-final tie.
It’s worth remembering Littler beat an in-from and progressive Gian van Veen 7-1 in the World Championship final earlier this year and that indicates just how far ahead he is of his rivals.
Green Machine could falter
The market to finish bottom of the league is a far more competitive heat and there are a couple of big-priced plays.
Michael van Gerwen is not the force of old and that was evident when Mighty Mike was dumped out of last week’s World Masters in the opening round.
Jonny Clayton is 5/4 to finish bottom of the league, while Stephen Bunting is 6/4. Those offers look mighty short compared to the 10/1 on offer about MVG.
Mighty Mike met Stephen Bunting in the recent Saudi Arabia Masters and there was little to separate the pair on the pre-match prices. Clayton, Bunting and Van Gerwen can now be given similar ratings and the 10/1 about the Green Machine finishing bottom looks far too big.
Rock caught in a hard place
Josh Rock has been a progressive performer, but the Northern Irishman could have been overrated on his Premier League debut.
Rocky doesn’t look to have much in hand on the likes of Bunting and Clayton and that duo have far more experience of the lively nature of the competition.
The Antrim ace folded pretty tamely, when the crowd got involved in his World Championship loss to Justin Hood and Rock could once again find himself in a hard place.