Phil Taylor v Rob Cross: PDC World Darts Championship final predictions, betting odds, stats & Sky Sports TV start time

So the Sid Waddell Trophy will be lifted by either a rapidly rising star in his last match of an amazing debut season or a legend playing his last before retirement.

Two fantastic storylines but only one will get the fairytale ending they both deserve.

Our darts expert Chris Hammer, who tipped Rob Cross at 16/1 each-way pre-tournament and also backed Voltage to beat MVG in his semi-final preview, returns with his final predictions while he's also pulled together their routes to get here as well as a whole host of other facts, tournament stats, player quotes and Sky Bet odds to help you with your bets.

Rob Cross (1/1) v Phil Taylor (4/5)

• Final: (Best of 13 sets)
• TV coverage: Sky Sports Darts, 2000 GMT, New Year's Day

Head-to-head record

• Never played competitively

Routes to the final

(Click here for full tournament results)

Rob Cross

• First round: 3-0 v Seigo Asada
  (Ave: 104.12, 180s: 6, Doubles: 9/18)
• Second round: 4-3 v Michael Smith
  (Ave: 102.65, 180s: 16, Doubles: 12/31)
• Third round: 4-1 v John Henderson
  (Ave: 99.77, 180s: 7, Doubles: 13/22)
• Quarter-finals: 5-4 v Dimitri van den Bergh
  (Ave: 97.13, 180s: 11, Doubles: 19/50)
• Semi-finals: 6-5 v Michael van Gerwen
  (Ave: 100.97, 180s: 15, Doubles: 27/71)

Phil Taylor

• First round: 3-1 v Chris Dobey
  (Ave: 96.33, 180s: 3, Doubles: 11/25)
• Second round: 4-0 v Justin Pipe
  (Ave: 99.37, 180s: 2, Doubles: 12/22)
• Third round: 4-0 v Keegan Brown
  (Ave: 101.34, 180s: 4, Doubles: 12/19)
• Quarter-finals: 5-3 v Gary Anderson
  (Ave: 102.02, 180s: 12, Doubles: 20/40)
• Semi-Finals: 6-1 v Jamie Lewis
  (Ave: 99.87, 180s: 5, Doubles: 20/38)

Tournament Statistics

180s
Cross - 55
Taylor - 26

Average
Cross - 100.47
Taylor - 100.02

Doubles hit
Cross - 80/192 (41.66%)
Taylor - 75/144 (52.08%)

100+ checkouts
Cross - 5 (Highest 164)
Taylor - 9 (Highest 126)

Sets won-lost
Cross - 22-13
Taylor - 22-5

Legs won-lost
Cross - 80-72
Taylor - 75-43

Sets won-lost on deciding legs
Cross - 11-4
Taylor - 11-4

Tale of the oche

World titles
Cross - 0
Taylor - 16

Televised titles
Cross - 0 (1 major TV final)
Taylor - 100+

2017 Tournament titles
Cross - (2) 2x Players Championship events
Taylor - (2) World Matchplay, Melbourne Darts Masters

Career prize money (2017 in brackets)
Cross - £408,600 (£395,750)
Taylor - £7,634,754 (£491,142)

Age & Home town
Cross - 27, Hastings
Taylor - 57, Stoke-On-Trent

Year turned pro
Cross - 2017
Taylor - 1988

Final preview, prediction & best bet

I still have to keep watching those last two legs to believe it happened.

Michael van Gerwen, of all people, missing five match darts in the first and then another in sudden death?

Twice Rob Cross was braced for the ultimate deflation after such an absorbing and turbulent sporting battle, but twice he survived to win a match which will be forever etched in the annals of time.

And now he's in the final of his debut World Championship. In his first season as a pro. Against a legend preparing for his last match before retirement.

All the talk during the build-up to - and indeed during - has been whether Phil Taylor could possibly fulfil his fairytale ending and what the 'dream' final would be. The obvious choices were Barney or MVG.

But I doubt few will argue now that the sporting scriptwriters actually had something even more poetic planned to surprise us all.

Well, ahem, I say 'all' loosely because I went into great detail about why he was good enough to get this far at 16/1 in my pre-tournament preview and I'm delighted to see him prove it - although I'll be the first to admit us Voltage backers have been on a rollercoaster of emotions!

Michael Smith missed two match darts to beat him in the second round while he was taken the distance by World Youth champion Dimitri van den Bergh in the quarter-finals after seeing a 4-1 lead wiped out.

I suppose the main concern now is that the mentally-draining battles he's been through must go some way to neutralising his advantage of youth, given Taylor's route to get here has been far more straightforward.

The 57-year-old has often - and understandably - used the excuse of fatigue when he comes up short in major tournaments over the past few years, which is the primary reason he's cut out all the events he doesn't care about.

Even so, before every big week+ long major starts we've all pondered whether he'll be able to hack it in the latter stages when he comes up against the relentless younger players. And this was no different, especially because he hadn't won here since 2013 or made the final since 2015.

You can't let silly thoughts of sporting gods and destiny get in the way of logic, can you?

Except logic - and anyone who followed it - has yet again forgotten this is Phil Taylor.

And it's even more laughable when the same thoughts were held this summer before his beloved World Matchplay, where he was a massive 20/1 after being handed a stinker of a draw. But he thrashed all his opponents so comfortably, including Barney, MVG & Adrian Lewis, that he was almost fully charged to destroy Peter Wright in the final for a 16th Blackpool crown.

This tournament is obviously the only one he cares about more and exactly the same thing has happened again except, as it turned out, with an easier run of games.

And even when he faced pre-tournament second favourite Gary Anderson in his only real battle, the Flying Scotsman's wheels had rusted.

A 6-1 drubbing of Jamie Lewis was a harsh scoreline, with the Welshman missing nine set darts overall and five of Taylor's sets coming via last-leg deciders. Maybe those sporting gods are giving him a helping hand after all.

On the back of a full day of rest, he'll be fresh as he needs to be alright.

I annoyingly didn't tip Taylor although at least I said anyone putting a sentimental fiver on him weren't without hope if either Barney or Cross could do his 'dirty work' and knock out MVG.

And that's only gone and happened. To think he was 12/(to bloody)1.

As for trying to find some value for the final - it's so very close to call. We've run social media polls on who our readers think and want to win. Both are pretty much 50-50 after 100s of votes cast while the bookies are also finding it impossible to split them.

The stats above show Cross scores much heavier although the averages are almost level due to their contrasting fortunes on the doubles, with Phil Taylor by far the most deadly.

Voltage has youth on his side but has played way more legs and been embroiled in pressurised matches - but on the flip side that will give him plenty of confidence to draw on if it gets tight.

You've also got to consider Taylor will want this more for obvious reasons - but could desperation be his undoing when it comes to the absolute crunch?

Whoever wins, I actually think the scoreline will be rather lopsided. If Cross makes a fast start, this will fuel his enthusiasm and devastating scoring while Taylor could wilt in the despair of his dream petering out. It's the hope that kills you and all that.

On the flip side, if it's the Power who gets ahead early, that momentum he's got going on will pick up pace and together with his title-winning experience, he'll get the job done with the minimum of fuss. Just like at the World Matchplay.

I can't desert Cross now but I'm not going to be shocked by any means if Taylor pulls it off.

Prediction: Cross 7-3 Taylor (8/1 with Sky Bet)

Suggested bets

Less than 10.5 sets at 5/4

Rob Cross to win and hit most 180s at 5/4

Sky Bet's Price Boosts

Rob Cross to win, score over 16.5 180s and a checkout of over 135.5 at 6/1 from 4/1

Phil Taylor to win, hit most 180s and highest checkout at 16/1 from 10/1

Featured Sky Bet RequestABets

Taylor to have a 130+ checkout on a set winning leg - 5/1

Cross to hit 20 or more 180s and three or more 100+ checkouts - 7/1

30 or more 180s and three or more bull finishes in the match - 10/1

What time does Taylor v Cross start and what channel is it on?

The action begins at 2000 GMT on New Year's Day, with Sky Sports Darts screening every throw live.

If you don't have Sky, we will be covering the game with a live leg-by-leg betting blog to keep you on top of the drama.

What the players are saying

Phil Taylor (Via www.PDC.tv)

"It's surreal to be honest with you, it's like I'm not even here. It's like winning the lottery for me. I never expected to beat Gary Anderson [in the quarter-finals], and the way Jamie [Lewis, in the semi-finals] was playing I thought I was going to be 4-0 down.

"It's a bit like John Part when he beat Kirk Shepherd in the final [in 2008], I'm just picking up the pieces to be honest with you.

"It will be massive. And the best thing for me, I've got a day off so I can rest up. I'm shattered, two games on the trot under pressure is hard work so I'm thankful for a day off. Thank you for New Year's Eve!

"I'm not going to practice, I'm just going to relax and get ready for the next day. Energy is all I need now. It's hard, it really is. I'm still playing okay, but not good enough really - I can play better."

Rob Cross

"Actually, Phil said to me at the Grand Slam "me and you in the final" and now that's come true. He's my favourite player. He's been dominant and now he's leaving it's going to be special for him but at the same time I've got to do my own job and do what I need to do to win that game.

"It's amazing, I never expected this rise. I'm just a working boy from a normal household. I believe in my ability and that's how I got here. But who's to say there's not another person out there who can come and do all this, because it's possible - anything's possible.

"So I've just got to get my head down now and focus on that game, because there's just one game left to win the Worlds - it's amazing."

Phil Taylor's career major titles

• 14 x PDC World Champion (1995-2002, 2004-2006, 2009, 2010, 2013)
• 2 x BDO World Champion (1990, 1992)
• 16 x World Matchplay champion (1995, 1997, 2000-2004, 2006, 2008-2014, 2017)
• 11 x World Grand Prix champion (1998-2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013)
• 5 x UK Open champion (2003, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2013)
• 6 x Grand Slam of Darts champion (2007-2009, 2011, 2013, 2014)
• 6 x Premier League champion (2005-2008, 2010, 2012)
• 4 x European Champion (2008-2011)
• 3 x Players Championship Finals champion (2009, 2011, 2012)
• Masters champion (2013)
• Champions League of Darts winner (2016)
• 4x World Cup winner (2012, 2013, 2015, 2016)
• Over 100 other PDC titles

The stunning rise of Rob Cross (courtesy of www.PDC.tv)

• March 2016: As a Rileys Amateur Qualifier, he reaches fourth round of the UK Open Finals in Minehead, where he loses 9-5 to Michael van Gerwen, who hit a nine-dart finish between two 170 checkouts.
• March 2016: Joins PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour
• June 2016: Wins first Challenge Tour event.
• September 2016: Wins two Challenge Tour events, hitting a nine-darter in one. Tops final 2016 Challenge Tour Order of Merit to secure PDC Tour Card for 2017/2018.
• February 2017: Makes PDC ProTour debut in Coral UK Open Qualifier One in Wigan, earning £250 prize money.
• March 2017: Reaches fifth round of UK Open Finals in Minehead, losing out 10-6 to Peter Wright.
• March 2017: Wins Players Championship Three in Barnsley, defeating Mervyn King 6-5 in final.
• April 2017: Quarter-finalist on European Tour debut, losing out to Benito van de Pas.
• May 2017: Wins Players Championship 12 in Milton Keynes, defeating Ian White 6-5 in final.
• July 2017: Defeats Michael van Gerwen for the first time on his way to another European Tour quarter-final in Germany.
• September 2017: Reaches European Tour final in Germany, losing to Michael van Gerwen.
• September 2017: Wins Players Championship 19 in Dublin, defeating Peter Wright 6-2 in final.
• October 2017: Wins Players Championship 21 in Barnsley, defeating Adrian Lewis 6-3 in final.
• October 2017: Reaches European Tour final in Germany, losing to Michael van Gerwen.
• October 2017: Reaches first TV final at the European Championship in Belgium, losing 11-7 to Michael van Gerwen.
• November 2017: Quarter-finalist on debut in World Series of Darts Finals and Grand Slam of Darts.
• November 2017: Semi-finalist in Players Championship Finals, losing to Jonny Clayton. Moves up to 20th in PDC Order of Merit.
• December 2017: Reaches World Darts Championship final on Alexandra Palace after beating Michael van Gerwen.

Related darts links

• Sky Bet's World Darts Championship odds
• World Darts Championship draw, schedule & results
• PDC tournament calendar & results for 2017
• PDC World Championship nine-darters