World Darts Championship Days 7 & 8 betting tips
World Darts Championship Days 7 & 8 preview
Forget the turkey; this month’s tastiest dish may well be the World Darts Championship, served up at Alexandra Palace across an exciting Christmas period for the sport. The tournament is already a week old, and with it, we get the first sighting of last year’s mega star, a certain Luke Littler.
Littler takes on Ryan Meikle in Saturday’s evening session, but there’s plenty of other big names stepping up to the oche on the weekend around the teen sensation, including Gary Anderson’s appearance on a bumper Sunday schedule.
As ever, such an array of matches provides an opportunity for some interesting bets and accumulators across the best darts betting sites.
Danny Noppert vs Ryan Joyce prediction
This should be a really interesting match-up. Ryan Joyce has had a brilliant 2024 and he’s dangerous enough that bettors should consider staying away from picking a specific scoreline, instead focusing on Danny Noppert to get through by any means.
Joyce didn’t have it all his own way in his opening round win over Darius Labanauskas, but should be better for the experience on the big stage. He averaged 92.97 in that win, a total that would definitely challenge Noppert, who came up shorter than his usual standards in his high-profile match against Littler at the end of last month.
Noppert is the more experienced man and a consistent player at this level. There’s value in just backing him to get through as part of an accumulator.
World Darts Championship prediction 1: Noppert to beat Joyce - 4/6 bet365
Luke Littler vs Ryan Meikle prediction
Picking Littler to stomp Meikle will be a popular bet on Saturday. The youngster is fearless and has a relentlessness that few can match. Meikle took down Fallon Sherrock 3-2 on Tuesday, but it wasn’t the greatest quality match and he’ll need to improve to even get close to Littler’s output.
Meikle did show good resilience to overcome Sherrock, who is a massive fan favourite at Ally Pally. Littler will receive similar cheer from the crowd in a match that he is expected to ease through, setting the tone for the rest of his tournament. Betting sites expect a simple win, so backing the whitewash offers greater value for those looking to back the major favourite.
World Darts Championship prediction 2: Littler to beat Meikle 3-0 - 4/7 Unibet
Ross Smith vs Paolo Nebrida prediction
Ross Smith is on a tear in 2024 and it’s unlikely to halt against Paolo Nebrida.
Smith ran Littler close with an 11-9 defeat after ripping through the rest of the competition at the Players Championship Finals in November. He’s a prolific 180 thrower and gaining in confidence with a pace Nebrida may find hard to keep up with.
The Filipino snuck past 46th-ranked Jim Williams in his opening round test, a good win in isolation. However, Williams’ commitment to the sport is rarely there and he’s made it clear darts is not a priority in his life. Smith is a step up in intensity and potential.
World Darts Championship prediction 3: Smith to beat Nebrida 3-0 - 10/11 Unibet
Gary Anderson vs Jeffrey de Graaf
Gary Anderson has beaten Jeffrey de Graaf twice this year in a first-to-six format, but the Swede managed to take two and three legs from the veteran in those matches.
If there’s an upset to be had on Sunday, this could be it. The shorter format may give risky bettors a shot at decent winnings as De Graaf finally looks to get one over the Scottish legend who has been there and done it all.
Anderson was beaten by Meikle in his last match and has recently shown vulnerability against lower-ranked players, including his defeat to fellow Scot Darren Beveridge in November. De Graaf has what it takes to make this an uncomfortable battle.
World Darts Championship prediction 4: De Graaf to beat Anderson - 11/2 BetMGM
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