PDC World Darts Championship: Free darts betting tips, preview and predictions as the stars head for Alexandra Palace

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Recommended Bets: World Darts Championship

• 1pt e.w. Nathan Aspinall to win the World Championship at 40/1
• 1pt e.w. Dave Chisnall to win the World Championship at 28/1
• 0.5pts Aspinall v Price final at 50/1
• 0.5pts MVG, Aspinall, Chisnall & Price all to win their quarters at 66/1
• 0.5pts Stephen Bunting to win the first quarter at 28/1
• 0.5pts Jose de Sousa to win the fourth quarter at 33/1
• 1pt Michael Smith to hit most 180s at 10/1

Click here for Sky Bet odds

For a large chunk of the season, darts fans and pundits alike were quite rightly excited about how wide open the game had become and that anyone really could beat anyone irrespective of their ranking.

There was even a time earlier in the year when Michael van Gerwen's dominance was being called into question due to a lean patch in terms of both averages and titles - relatively speaking of course.

Indeed, when players headed to Dublin for the World Grand Prix to kick-start a hectic winter of majors, there had been 23 different winners of PDC events in 2019 and it could have been even higher, with 12 different title-less players losing in finals.

However, since then van Gerwen won four of the six remaining majors - World Grand Prix, Champions League, World Series & Players Championship Finals - to take his overall title haul for 2019 to 14, including eight on TV.

In three of those tournaments, including the recent compelling final in Minehead, he defeated his new chief rival Gerwyn Price, who had finally ended his 19-match losing streak against him a week earlier en route to dismantling Peter Wright at the Grand Slam of Darts.

So in a couple of months we've gone from a potentially wide open World Championship to one that's being hyped up as a two-horse race of sorts.

An MVG v Price final is just 3/1 and that tells its own story, especially at an event where shocks are common. However, such has been the sky high standard of darts they've been producing, few will be disappointed if the 'big two' meet in the final.

The 'real' world number two and 2018 champion Rob Cross may be a bit miffed about this considering he won the World Matchplay and European Championship this season, beating Price in the final of the latter back in October, but perhaps that gives him an extra motivation to make sure the conversation is a about a 'big three'.

As usual for the majors, I'll run through the draw quarter-by-quarter before picking out my semi-final winners and eventual champion as well as a couple of extra side bets.

QUARTER ONE

MVG should win, but Bunting is a value outsider

• (1) Michael van Gerwen v Jelle Klaasen/Kevin Burness
• (32) Ricky Evans v Mark McGeeney/Matt Campbell
• (16) Jonny Clayton v Ryan Joyce/Jan Dekker
• (17) Stephen Bunting v Arron Monk/Jose Justicia
• (8) James Wade v Ritchie Edhouse/Boris Koltsov
• (25) Steve Beaton v Kyle Anderson/Xiaochen Zong
• (9) Ian White v Darius Labanauskas/Matthew Edgar
• (24) Max Hopp v Gabriel Clemens/Benito van de Pas

I think it's fair to say van Gerwen will be pleased enough with his draw, and although no quarter is 'easy', the other three do look tougher.

James Wade and Ian White are his most likely quarter-final opponents but at that stage it’s best of nine sets and that could well be too long a format for either for them to live with him for.

The Machine may have won five floor tournaments this season but he hasn't exactly ripped up trees in the recent televised events, failing to reach the quarter-finals in any of the last six.

White may be more of a potential threat if he gets that far having bagged two European Tour titles, including one against MVG in a deciding leg in Holland having previously lost three finals against him, but more importantly he finally won his first televised quarter-final at the 10th attempt when reaching the last four of the Players Championship Finals.

His run was ended by van Gerwen but it was pretty close and he'll arrive at the Ally Pally full of confidence.

However, in theory, MVG should be more vulnerable in the earlier stages and that's why Stephen Bunting has caught the eye at a huge, albeit speculative, 28/1.

The Bullet has shown real signs that he's getting right back to his best this season and after reaching two non televised finals this year, he impressed greatly at the World Matchplay, where he beat Price and White in thrillers before being edged out by eventual champion Rob Cross in the quarter-finals, while he averaged 100+ in three consecutive matches at the recent Players Championship Finals.

The last of those came in a 10-3 defeat to the Iceman, who posted a mark of 108.75 that would have beaten anyone.

If Bunting can fly out of the blocks - assuming he's managed to get past either Arron Monk or Jose Justicia and then potentially Jonny Clayton - then he really could have a chance of beating MVG for the first time on TV since they both moved to the PDC.

He'd then have to beat Wade or White to seal the deal as far as this bet is concerned but I'd rather be backing him at small stakes at 28/1 now than the bigger-name duo, who are both around 8/1.

QUARTER TWO

Nathan Aspinall at 11/2

• (5) Gary Anderson v Brendan Dolan/Nitin Kumar
• (28) Steve West v Ryan Searle/Robbie King
• (12) Nathan Aspinall v Andy Boulton/Danny Baggish
• (21) Krzysztof Ratajski v Jamie Hughes/Zoran Lerchbacher
• (4) Michael Smith v Luke Woodhouse/Paul Lim
• (29) Dimitri Van den Bergh v Josh Payne/Diogo Portela
• (13) Adrian Lewis v Cristo Reyes/Lourence Ilagan
• (20) Darren Webster v Ryan Meikle/Yuki Yamada

The rise of Nathan Aspinall started on this very stage last year when, as a 500/1 tournament outsider ranked 73 in the world, he trailed 2-0 in sets to Gerwyn Price, who had a match dart to reach round three.

Obviously, it missed and the Asp seized his second chance in emphatic fashion, not only going on to win the match with the help of a vociferous crowd but also reaching the semi-finals, where he'd average 100 in a compelling defeat to Michael Smith.

You can read more about Aspinall's career turning point against Price and his incredible 2019, in which he sensationally won both the UK Open and US Darts Masters, in my recent interview with the Stockport thrower, but essentially he's got the all-round game and belief now to go one step further at the Ally Pally.

He's grounded and takes nothing for granted having spent most of 2018 playing with the primary focus of earning money to pay the bills and put food on the table - but with hundreds of thousands now in the bank, he admits his new mindset of playing solely for titles has helped him find a new level.

Aspinall is not afraid of anyone, beating both Price and Cross on the final day of the UK Open that ended with his 170 checkout, while Voltage was again one of his victims on the final day of the US Darts Masters, where he also beat Peter Wright and Michael Smith with an overall average of 103.

He's also defeated MVG in two of their three meetings in 2019 - including a 6-1 thrashing in a Players Championship event back in February and also on the stage of the Gibraltar Trophy in September - so what's not to like?

In addition to this, the Asp has reached three Pro Tour finals to help him further climb the rankings to 12th and regardless of what happens over the next few weeks, he surely deserves a spot in the 2020 Premier League.

He doesn't head the betting in this quarter however, with last year's runner-up Michael Smith vying for favourtism alongside his close friend and mentor Gary Anderson at around 3/1.

The Flying Scotsman has endured a largely miserable season affected by injuries and loss of form so it would take quite a leap of faith to see the value in his price.

Bully Boy, widely dubbed as one of the most naturally gifted players in the game, was in my staking plan for the title last year and I have little doubt he'll one day be a world champion with countless other majors in his locker.

His knocking on the door is getting louder and louder, finishing runner-up to Cross at the World Matchplay while he's also reached the semi-finals of both the Champions League and European Championship in recent months.

One market I am backing him in this year is to hit the most 180s at 10/1 - just like he did last year when he fired in 64 of them to top the standings ahead of Anderson (51) and MVG (46).

He's playing second fiddle to van Gerwen for maximums hit in televised tournaments this year - 295 v 261 - and obviously he'll need to reach the semi-finals to have a chance. Therefore this is something of a saver side bet should Aspinall not live up to my expectations.

Any fans of Adrian Lewis might be interested to read the verdict of Paul Nicholson in his feature for Sporting Life while I can't move onto quarter three without an honourable mention for Paul Lim.

The veteran 65-year-old is competing in his 12th PDC World Championship and his 24th overall dating back to his BDO debut in 1982! Astonishing, isn’t it?

The nine-darter he hit eight years later earned him a whopping £52k although this year the prize is double... but only if a player does it twice! Let's hope this moment is saved for Lim.

If anyone wants to know the price for anyone to hit a nine-darter, it's just 8/11 whereas it's even-money that nobody does it. There have been nine perfect legs in the PDC World Darts Championship - all since the 2009 edition but none since Gary Anderson managed it en route to winning the 2016 staging.

Click here to watch them all.

QUARTER THREE

Dave Chisnall at 5/1

• (2) Rob Cross v Kim Huybrechts/Geert Nentjes
• (31) Danny Noppert v Steve Lennon/Callan Rydz
• (15) Joe Cullen v James Wilson/Nico Kurz
• (18) Jermaine Wattimena v Luke Humphries/Devon Petersen
• (7) Peter Wright v Rowby-John Rodriguez/Noel Malicdem
• (26) Keegan Brown v Mickey Mansell/Seigo Asada
• (10) Dave Chisnall v Vincent van der Voort/Keane Barry
• (23) Jeffrey de Zwaan v Raymond van Barneveld/Darin Young

As mentioned at the top of this article, I doubt Rob Cross is happy with everyone waxing lyrical about MVG and Price.

It seems daft to think he has a point to prove at the end of a year in which he's won World Matchplay and European Championship as well as reaching UK Open and Premier League finals. Surely it's a 'big three' rather than a 'big two'?

Voltage is joint favourite with Peter Wright to come through this section although Snakebite can't afford to be complacent after his shock early exit against Toni Alcinas 12 months ago.

He could come up against the dangerous Asian Tour players Noel Malicdem and Seigo Asada, who gave James Wade a huge scare last year, before a potential meeting with my pick Dave Chisnall.

The 'new' Chizzy has been a resurgent force this year after a tough couple of campaigns, winning three titles including his first in front of a crowd on the European Tour stage since 2013, which really is a significant accomplishment.

He raised the roof en route to the Gibraltar Darts Trophy final when nailing his third nine-darter of the season and 11th of his career - just imagine if he made that 12 at the Ally Pally.

He also reached his fifth major final – and seventh on TV overall – at the World Grand Prix and although he’s lost the lot, they have all been against Phil Taylor or MVG. It's unfair to say he chokes on these occasions - if he's ever guilty of that it tends to be against lesser players at times when big names have crashed out and the draws have opened up for him.

The St Helens man deserves a big trophy so much and he's definitely playing well enough this season to reach at least the semi-finals.

Should he meet Cross in the quarters, he has the mental edge having won their last six meetings, including at the Grand Slam of Darts and World Series of Darts Finals.

If you need more convincing then Paul Nicholson and stats analyst Carl Fletcher have also gone for Chizzy in this section of the draw in their respective columns for Sporting Life. Great minds and all that!

Sadly I'm not expecting a fairytale send-off for Raymond van Barneveld - I just hope he's able to claim one last win on this stage against Darin Young and then maybe another against Jeffrey de Zwaan, although he'll need to draw upon the support of the crowd.

If he can produce his best then he's obviously still a danger for Chisnall, and at that stage of the tournament there's still plenty of rest between each game. But with his fatigue issues, should he venture as far as the quarter-finals, it's hard to see him producing a consistent high standard, the like of which is required for such long matches.

QUARTER FOUR

Gerwyn Price should go through but Jose de Sousa for value

• (6) Daryl Gurney v Justin Pipe/Benjamin Pratnemer
• (27) Glen Durrant v Jose De Sousa/Damon Heta
• (11) Mensur Suljovic v Ted Evetts/Fallon Sherrock
• (22) Chris Dobey v Ron Meulenkamp/Ben Robb
• (3) Gerwyn Price v William O'Connor/Marko Kantele
• (30) John Henderson v James Richardson/Mikuru Suzuki
• (14) Simon Whitlock v Harry Ward/Madars Razma
• (19) Mervyn King v Ross Smith/Ciaran Teehan

It says a lot about how formidable Gerwyn Price has become that he's so close to MVG in the tournament betting at 5/1 second favourite despite being in arguably the toughest quarter of the draw.

His average of 108 in the Grand Slam of Darts final against Peter Wright just hours after posting three figures in a mentally draining first-ever victory over MVG not only underlined his phenomenal ability but also his stamina and desire in highly pressurised circumstances.

He maintained these levels at the Players Championship Finals before falling just short against his arch rival when the title was on the line, although he did have four darts to take the match to a deciding leg - just like five of their previous six meetings in 2019.

The former pantomime villain Price, who has started turning those jeers to cheers over the second half of this year, may have 'only' won two televised titles in his total career haul of nine but it could so easily be more had it not been for MVG in recent months... and a dodgy flight back in March.

When trailing 10-9 in the UK Open semi-final with Aspinall, couldn't quite believe his bad luck when his dart drifted into single one when aiming at 20 although he came so close to salvaging the situation with his attempt on the bullseye.

Nevertheless he'll be adding more major titles to his CV in the months and years to come - but first he has to negotiate this tough quarter.

Price has only managed two wins on this stage in five appearances – and they both came two years ago – but this is his first proper attempt as a feared player without the controversy. All that booing in the wake of last year’s Grand Slam hindered him here against Aspinall last year, so expect a different animal this time.

Although William O'Connor won't be an easy opponent by any means in his second match, he won't be fazed by his potential path to the quarter-finals but at that point he's probably going to be meeting one of Daryl Gurney, Glen Durrant, Mensur Suljovic or Chris Dobey.

Duzza is perhaps the most likely opponent on paper having enjoyed a fantastic debut season with the PDC after scraping his Tour Card at Q School.

The three-time Lakeside champion, who is bidding to become the first ever holder of both the BDO and PDC world titles, has won two Players Championship titles, reached three TV semi-finals and still hasn’t lost to MVG from two meetings, including that World Matchplay epic, so he really shouldn’t be underestimated in any shape or form.

Two of his other semi-finals were at this winter's World Grand Prix and Grand Slam of Darts so he's got great recent form and he's obviously well used to preparing for set play world championships at this time of year.

You can read more about Durrant's year in my interview with the man himself, but he is in danger of an early exit at the hands of either Jose de Sousa or Damon Heta.

De Sousa may well have been involved in a memorably turgid clash with Michael Barnard last year but he's been earning rave reviews in recent months having won two Players Championship titles by defeating Price and Duzza in finals.

The 45-year-old, who only earned his first ever Tour Card via the European Qualifying School Order of Merit back in January, became the first Portuguese winner of a PDC event in September with a crushing 8-1 victory over Price.

"I have fought for 25 years to come here and at last I can do this. It's amazing for me to play against the best players in the world and prove I can play just like them," he said in the wake of that success.

A few weeks later he was at it again, edging out Durrant 8-6 in what was his third final of the season.

"If I play my best game I can beat almost anyone. I practice so hard, every day and I want to make a big future for myself."

At this rate he's well on course for that and at 33/1, he might be worth a small, speculative punt to come through this quarter.

It'll also be interesting to see what Brisbane Darts Masters hero Heta can do over here after his astonishing victories over James Wade, Gary Anderson, Simon Whitlock and Rob Cross saw him defy odds of 250/1, but it's a big ask to perform to that level in this.

Who makes the final and wins the title?

My two predicted semi-finals are Van Gerwen v Aspinall and Chisnall v Price, which you can effectively back at 66/1 in Sky Bet's 'quarter winner acca' market.

At this point those who backed the MVG v Price final at those stingy odds - although it is Price Boosted to 5/1 with Sky Bet - will be feeling confident about the prospect of a blockbusting New Year's Day.

Should that happen, Iceman fans will be concerned over that horrendous head-to-head record which is now 20-1 in MVG's favour but as previously mentioned their last seven matches have been so close.

While that record will never be level, if you started the counter now then in five years who knows who’ll be in front?

Personally, I do believe Aspinall has the game and battling qualities to defeat van Gerwen, even over a longer format although admittedly he'd probably need the defending champion to make mistakes.

It would be a fitting finale for him to meet Price for the title a year on from that incredible match which in many ways was a turning point for both of their careers.

In the aforementioned interview, Aspinall admitted how playing Price brings out the very best in him - as we've seen from a number of results - and he's just one of those players who's already proved in a short space of time that he can rise to the big occasion.

An Aspinall v Price final is a whopping 50/1 but, for value, I'm going to make the Stockport man my headline selection at 40/1 each-way for the title.

Chisnall also makes it in because I do believe the 28/1 is far too big for the form and confidence levels he's been showing this season.

• Posted at 1120 GMT on 11/12/19.

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