Sporting Life
Luke Littler wins the Grand Slam of Darts (Picture: Kieran Cleeves/PDC)
Luke Littler wins the Grand Slam of Darts (Picture: Kieran Cleeves/PDC)

Sports Personality of the Year odds: Luke Littler second favourite to win BBC's SPOTY behind Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson

By Chris Hammer
Darts
Mon November 18, 2024 · 5h ago

Teenage darts sensation Luke Littler is now second favourite to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award after claiming his first major ranking title in emphatic fashion.

The 17-year-old, who kicked off a headline-making 2024 by reaching the World Championship final in January, thrashed Martin Lukeman 16-3 in the Grand Slam of Darts final having earlier produced a stunning comeback to defeat legend Gary Anderson 16-15.

In doing so, the Premier League champion became just the fourth player ever to win 10 PDC titles in one season while the £150,000 winners' cheque lifted him up to fifth in the world rankings despite this still being his debut season.

Littler has now sensationally banked over £1million in prize money in all competitions, including unranked events like the Premier League and World Series of Darts Finals, while he's favourite to win the last two events of the season; the Players Championship Finals in Minehead next weekend and then the World Championship at the Alexandra Palace in December.

His trailblazing success and meteoric rise has also seen him become a viral star in the wider sporting landscape and helped darts transcend popular culture like never before.

The closest a darts has ever come to winning BBC's SPOTY was when Phil Taylor finished second behind AP McCoy in 2010 so it would be no surprise given Littler's mass appeal if he was to go one better than the Power in December.

He's currently 5/2 second favourite in the betting behind Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson, who won a brilliant gold for Great Britain in the 800m in Paris during the summer.

Olympic gold medalists do traditionally have the upper hand when it comes to SPOTY but in 2021 - the year Tokyo 2020 eventually took place - it was another teenage star in Emma Raducanu who lifted the trophy ahead of Tom Daley and Adam Peaty.

It could well be the closest race 1/4 favourite Hodgkinson has been involved in this year which is remarkable when Littler's pre-match meal consists of a curry, a Boost and some Squashies!

Sports Personality of the Year: Latest odds

  • Keely Hodgkinson 1/4
  • Luke Littler 5/2
  • Mark Cavendish 14/1
  • Lando Norris 20/1

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