The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. If you click links to other sites on this page, we will earn commission.
2025 World Matchplay prediction & odds: Cool Hand Luke can freeze out Winter Gardens rivals
Follow our darts betting tips for the 2025 edition of the World Matchplay at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens
World Matchplay Betting Tips
The 2025 Matchplay gets underway at the Winter Palace in Blackpool on Saturday, with Luke Humphries looking to retain the title he won for the first time 12 months ago.
He will know that one of the main threats to his success will come from his namesake and teenager Luke Littler, who has to wait until Sunday to get his campaign underway against the 2023 quarter-finalist Ryan Searle.
Humphries, currently ranked one in the world, beat Michael van Gerwen 18–15 in last year’s final, becoming only the fourth player to win the World Darts Championship and the World Matchplay in the same year.
‘Cool Hand’ Luke gets his campaign underway on Saturday against the World Youth Champion Gian van Veen.
Last year’s beaten finalist and three-time champion Van Gerwen has a tricky opening match-up against fellow countryman Raymond van Barneveld on Monday.
MvG, Gerwyn Price and Josh Rock are priced up as the biggest threats to the two Lukes, who contest favouritism for the World Matchplay on betting sites.
Humphries to come out on top
There’s not much to choose between Littler and Humphries, with either player capable of beating the other on any given day.
Humphries, 30, won their last meeting 11-8 in the Premier League Darts play-offs, ending a run of three straight defeats, but it’s Little who leads the head-to-head between the pair.
He is going into the tournament with one defeat in his last seven, and that came in the quarter-finals of the European Tour against Price.
Littler went out in the first round of this event last year, albeit he got an awful draw against van Gerwen, and while he should go better 12 months on, it’s Humphries that will take some stopping.
World Matchplay prediction 1: Humphries to win - 4/1 Bet365
World Matchplay best bets: Flying Scotsman may take-off
Gary Anderson goes into the tournament in great form and is an interesting outsider in the betting. He was a beaten finalist in the Baltic Sea Darts Open at the weekend, going down 8-3 to Gerwyn Price, but he averaged 108.03 in his quarter-final victory over Jonny Clayton.
The run moved him back to 12th in the world, and the 2018 champion faces Luke Woodhouse in the first round in Sunday’s evening session.
World Matchplay prediction 2: Anderson to reach the final - 8/1 Betfred
Please Gamble Responsibly
Sports betting can be enjoyable, but it’s important to stay in control and gamble responsibly.
Whether you are using the best online casino, slot sites, poker sites, or online bookmakers, responsible gambling should always be a priority.
All licensed gambling sites in the UK are required to provide tools such as deposit limits, time-outs, self-exclusion, and self-assessment questionnaires. These are designed to help you manage your activity and protect your well-being.
Many operators, including online bookmakers and new casino sites, will offer free bets or a casino bonus. While these can be tempting, it is vital to read the terms and conditions of any offer before taking part.
If you are concerned about your gambling behaviour, support is available from:
We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
We aim to offer every online gambler and reader of The Independent a safe and fair platform through unbiased reviews and offers from the UK’s best online gambling companies.
Gambling can be addictive, always play responsibly and only bet what you can afford to lose. Gambling sites have a number of tools to assist you to stay in control, including deposit limits and time outs. If you think you have a problem, advice and support is available for you now from BeGambleAware or Gamcare.
Any offers or odds listed in this article are correct at the time of publication but are subject to change. Terms & Conditions apply to all offers.
