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Darts Betting: Basic Bet Types
There are a range of Darts Betting Markets that can be selected when enjoying any event, the most common of which have been detailed below:
- Outright Markets
- Match Odds
- Correct Score
- Handicap
- Most 180s
- Highest Checkout Score
- 170 Checkout
- 9 Dart Finish
Darts Betting: Markets Explained
The Outright Market is designed for you to back which player you think will win a particular tournament. For example our PDC World Darts Championship outright tips back a set of players our experts believe will win. There are several factors to consider when having a bet on an outright, not least player form, historical performance in that given event (i.e. does the player like the format) and also the draw or predicted outcome of other matches en route to the final. All of these factors can influence the odds and should be taken into consideration when analysing which player you think will win outrigh
The Match Odds market works the same as in other sports, where the bet is simply predicting the player who will win a given match. There will be no drawn matches in the 2024 PDC World Darts Championship so there will be two options in the match odds market.
Betting on the correct score market is predicting the final score of a given match. The format of the tournament will determine the difficulty in predicting the correct score. For example, in a best of 33 legs match, it’s incredibly hard to say the result will be 17-11, despite generous odds available for such a bet. Whereas, it’s much easier to predict set play format, for example, betting on a player to win 4-1 in a best of seven set match, where each set is best of five legs. The PDC World Darts Championship uses a set play format.
The Handicap market is where the players do not start on equal terms and either player is effectively granted a head start, and this can apply to leg or set handicaps to increase the odds of a particular selection winning. For example, in a first to ten legs match, one player could be granted a +3.5 on the handicap, meaning if they lose 10-7, they win the bet as the handicap result is 10-10.5. This is popular when there is a clear mismatch between the players and can be either a + or – handicap bet type.
Betting on the most 180s market can add plenty of excitement to any match, especially with the ebbs and flows as momentum swings between players. This market means you are predicting which player will hit the most maximums during the match, which is three consecutive treble 20s in a single visit to the oche. If looking for an extended bet on this market, you can also select the Most Tournament 180s market where you back a player across a specific tournament to hit the most maximums.
The Highest Checkout Score market means you are betting on a player to achieve the highest outshot between the two competitors during the match. This in effect means which player wins a leg with the highest number left on the board, with the highest possible checkout score being 170 (see below for further details). If both players hit the same highest checkout, the bet will be voided. It’s certainly a risk-reward market as any player can hit a good finish which could then be difficult to beat.
Known affectionately within the game as ‘The Big Fish’, a 170 Checkout is when a player wins a leg with the highest possible three-dart combination, do finish a leg on, which involves hitting two consecutive treble 20s followed by a bullseye with the third dart. Certain players will look to leave this finish during a game as it can build momentum and engage the crowd, making for an entertaining spectacle. Selecting a player to achieve a 170 Checkout can be rewarding with long odds available.
Considered as the holy grail, a nine-dart finish is when a player wins a leg in the minimum number of darts possible. Essentially, this involves a player hitting two consecutive big scores, such as a 180 or a 177, and then checking out on a three-dart combination to finish. The regularity of which players achieve this feat has grown over the years and markets are now available on individual matches, as well as being able to bet on this event happening at least once during any particular tournament.
PDC Order of Merit and Tournaments
PDC Order of Merit Explained
The PDC Order of Merit is the ranking system used by the Professional Darts Corporation which is based on a players earnings over a two-year period. The ranking of players is then used to determine the seedings for various tournaments.
PDC Tournaments
There are a range of tournaments held during the year on the PDC Tour Calendar. The most lucrative have been detailed below, these are all considered major championships and are all televised ranking events, the most prestigious in the world of darts:
UK Open
- Month – March
- Venue – Butlin’s, Minehead
- Current Champion – Andrew Gilding
World Matchplay
- Month – July
- Venue – Winter Gardens, Blackpool
- Current Champion – Nathan Aspinall
European Championships
- Month – October
- Venue – Dortmund, Germany
- Current Champion – Peter Wright
World Grand Prix
- Month – October
- Venue – Morningside Arena, Leicester
- Current Champion – Luke Humphries
Grand Slam of Darts
- Month – November
- Venue – Aldersley Village, Wolverhampton
- Current Champion – Luke Humphries
Players Championship Series
- Month – February to November
- Venue – Butlin’s, Minehead
- Current Champion – Luke Humphries
PDC World Championship
- Month – December to January
- Venue – Alexandra Palace, London
- Current Champion – Michael Smith
These are certainly the most exciting and fun events to place a bet on, not least because they are all televised and have a range of different formats.
There are also several other non-ranking tournaments that also take place during the year, the most notable events have been listed below:
The Masters (January to February)
Premier League (February to May)
World Cup of Darts (May to June)
World Series of Darts (November)
Andy’s Bet Club Darts Betting Tips
Where To Bet on Darts
Paddy Power is our preferred bookie for the 2024 PDC World Darts Championship and they have an array of markets to bet on, along with competitive prices with the rest of the market.
Darts Betting Strategy and Hints
Betting on the darts is much like betting on any other sport, there are plenty of angles to research and explore to give you an edge over the bookmaker. We have listed some of the best strategies for punting on darts below:
Current Form
- How well have they performed in recent events? Have they managed to get to the latter stages of tournaments?
- How well are they currently throwing in terms of averages, 180 scoring and Checkout Percentages?
- What % of legs have they won recently, look for anything over 60% as that’s considered a good number of legs won.
Head to Head
- What is the head-to-head record between two given players? Is there a favourable mismatch in wins between them?
- Have the players faced off recently? Does one player have a physiological edge over the other?
- Have they previously met in the current tournament you’re betting on, if so what was the outcome?
Season Performance
- What is the player’s season average like? The elite players within the game will tend to average 95+ consistently.
- How well are they power-scoring? What’s their season record for 140+ and 180 maximum hitting?
- How well have they been closing out legs of darts? What is their Checkout Percentage? Anything over 40% is a good indicator.
Event Preference
- Some players prefer certain formats, look for players that have performed particularly well in that event previously.
- How far did they get in that tournament last year, do they have good experiences to draw upon?
- Have they previously won the event, is it a venue and trophy that holds more significance for them?
Event Draw
- Studying the draw and possible routes to any darts final can be pivotal, especially when it comes to Outright betting.
- Look at what section of the draw a player is in, and what the class of the opponents that they will potentially meet is?
- See if you can predict who will win each match to determine the chances of a given player reaching the final.
A few useful websites have been listed below to help you compile the statistics before placing a bet:
PDC World Darts Championship 2024
The PDC World Darts Championship is without doubt the showpiece event on the PDC Tour Calendar as the world’s elite gather at the Alexandra Palace in London to compete for the coveted Sid Waddell Trophy. The tournament is played over the festive period and gets underway on December 15th, with the final being held in the New Year on the evening of January 3rd.
A total of 96 players will enter the event with the 32 highest-ranked players on the PDC Order of Merit automatically receiving a bye to the second round. The first round will be made up of 32 players from the Pro Tour Qualification and 32 qualifiers from a series of international and secondary tours. The format of the event is set play, with the number of sets increasing as the tournament progresses.
The Front Runners
Player – Luke Humphries
Tournament Odds – 4.0
Cool Hand Luke has had a stellar breakthrough year and is unquestionably the form player entering this year’s tournament, especially having captured the last three major championships of the season. He’s simply the hottest player on the planet right now as he looks to claim a maiden world crown.
Player – Michael van Gerwen
Tournament Odds – 4.5
The Green Machine is arguably the biggest threat to Humphries and certainly has pedigree at this level having already won three world championship titles. The Dutchman has also won nine tournaments this season and his game is in good shape as he looks to win a first World Championship since 2019.
Player – Gerwyn Price
Tournament Odds – 6.5
The Ice Man is sure to give a good account of himself this year as he’s been scintillating at times this season. The 2021 champion has failed to make it beyond the quarter-finals in the last two editions, but he’s certainly got the power-scoring and finishing ability, and arrives here in decent form.
Player – Michael Smith
Tournament Odds – 11.0
Bully Boy fulfilled his darting destiny in January as he claimed a maiden World Championship, beating Michael van Gerwen in a thriller, a game that featured arguably the greatest leg of darts ever seen. While he’s not been at his best of late, he’s not to be underestimated.
The Players to Watch
Player – Josh Rock
Tournament Odds – 34.0
Rocky is one of the up and coming talents in the game and is regarded as one of the most powerful scorers on tour. The youngster made it through to his first major quarter-final at the recent Grand Slam of Darts and certainly has a big future in the game. Rock is definitely one to keep an eye on.
Player – Gian van Veen
Tournament Odds – 67.0
Having won a two-year PDC Tour Card via the Order of Merit at Q-School at the start of the year, GVV is certainly one of the hottest prospects in the game of darts. The Dutchman is a power-scorer on the maximum front and there is everything to suggest he puts together a decent run on debut.
Player – Luke Littler
Tournament Odds – 67.0
The Nuke is a phenomenal player at just 16 years of age and makes his World Championship debut here. Littler recently won the PDC World Youth Championship, beating Gian van Veen 6-4 in the final, and he’s receiving plenty of plaudits from the media and fellow professionals.
Player – Ricardo Pietrczko
Tournament Odds – 151.0
Pikachu is worth a look here, the young German should arrive full of confidence having collected his first PDC tour title this season, after beating Peter Wright in the final of the German Darts Championship on the European Tour. He’ll be one to monitor for next season.
Expert Predictions
Why not have a read of our experts’ outright predictions for the tournament.
Betting Tips and Strategies for the World Darts Championship 2024
When it comes to betting on the World Darts Championship this year, you can certainly draw on the Darts Betting Strategy and Hints section. Additionally, the cream always tends to rise to the top at Ally Pally, so look out for the front runners and steer clear of debutants and those players who are out of form coming into the tournament.
