Darts Tips

Luke Humphries to reach the Final 

Luke Humphries added the World Matchplay to his ever-growing trophy cabinet 12 months ago and I fully expect him to be there or thereabouts in his pursuit of back-to-back titles in Blackpool. Cool Hand would appear to have landed on the softer side of the draw, making him an attractive option to reach this year's final.

The Newbury ace should have enough in his locker to get past Gian van Veen in round one and he would then be expected to see off either Danny Noppert or Cameron Menzies in the second round. While things could begin to get a lot trickier thereafter against the likes of Nathan Aspinall and Stephen Bunting, it would be difficult to oppose Humphries once the format increases as we head into the latter stages.

Moreover, the Newbury ace has won both the Premier League and US Darts Masters in recent months, so he could take some stopping by the seaside. 

Stephen Bunting to Reach the Semi-Final

Housed on the same side of the draw as the aforementioned Humphries, I’m expecting a strong showing from Stephen Bunting at this year's World Matchplay. The St Helens star enjoyed a deep run at the 2025 World Darts Championships, reaching the semi-finals, and there is plenty of scope for him to be amongst the final four in Blackpool. 

The Bullet has already bagged a pair of World Series of Darts titles this year,  winning both the Bahrain and Nordic editions, not to mention he finished as runner-up at the Poland Darts Masters earlier this month. His seasonal figures also make for impressive reading, with Bunting averaging 97.77 across 2025, while he currently sits 6th on the PDC’s 180 leaderboard with a return of 378.

Yes, Bunting faces some tough tests if he is to enjoy an extended stay at this year's World Matchplay, but he has been the most consistent performer of the eight players in his quarter of the draw this year, making him worthy of support to reach the semi-finals.

Gerwyn Price to Reach the Semi-Final

Having won both the Poland Darts Masters and the Baltic Sea Darts Open over the previous two weekends, Gerwyn Price looks primed for an assault on the latter stages in Blackpool. The Iceman is a former Matchplay runner-up, so he knows what it takes to put together a lengthy run in this particular competition. 

Price has cut a rejuvenated figure in 2025 and will arrive at the Winter Gardens as a genuine contender to lift what would be a first-ever World Matchplay title. While the fourth quarter of the draw has Michael van Gerwen in it, as well as Chris Dobey and Josh Rock, Price’s path to the semi-finals looks more favourable than the others. On current form, I fancy the Welshman to navigate his way to the last four.

The opening match of the 2025 World Matchplay will see James Wade go up against Joe Cullen on Saturday night. Wade is worthy of pre-match favouritism, however, I’m keen to back Cullen to come out on top in the 180 battle. 

Experienced campaigner Wade has long had a reputation as a tough nut to crack, but he is not renowned for being a heavy 180-hitter, typically opting for a more methodical approach. That was evident at last weekend’s Baltic Sea Darts Open, with Wade losing the 180 count in three of his four outings, failing to muster up a single maximum in two of those tussles. It’s also worth noting that ‘The Machine’ hit fewer 180s than his opponent in three of his four matches at last year's World Matchplay.

Cullen, on the other hand, can at times be the epitome of a first dart merchant - if he lands a treble 20 with his first throw, the next two can often follow suit. ‘The Rockstar’ crashed in six 180s in his opening victory over Brendan Dolan last year, not to mention he also outmaxed Wessel Nijman 8-5 in his first assignment at the 2025 World Darts Championships.

While it is not the most attractive of odds, I was expecting to see Luke Humphries priced up a little  shorter than 1.44 in his first round clash with Gian van Veen. Thus, I’m more than happy to back ‘Cool Hand’ to get his title defence up and running with a victory on Saturday night. 

The Newbury ace went all the way last year, and he looks more than capable of repeating the feat this summer. While there is no denying that World Youth Champion van Veen is a dangerous first round opponent, Humphries' superior class should see him over the line. The newly-crowned Premier League and US Darts Masters champion could also hold the psychological edge in this clash, having triumphed in four of the overall five meetings between the pair. 

Rising star van Veen was edged out of the Baltic Darts Sea Open by Jonny Clayton last weekend, and world number one Humphries should also prove too streetwise for the young Dutchman on Saturday night.

Nathan Aspinall is a player who I would include in any conversation regarding potential winners of this year’s World Matchplay. The Stockport star has been in tremendous form across the first half of 2025 and he will be quietly confident about his chances of lifting the Phil Taylor Trophy for the second time in the space of two years.

‘The Asp’ entered uncharted territory in this year's Premier League, reaching the play-offs after finishing 3rd in the table behind Luke Littler and Luke Humphries during the regular season. Aspinall has also claimed a couple of European titles this year, not to mention he has also enjoyed multiple deep runs on the World Series of Darts, picking up a pair of wins over Luke Littler along the way.  

Admittedly, Wessel Nijman represents an awkward first round opponent for Aspinall, though the latter did win the pair’s only previous meeting on the Euro Tour at the start of June. While I don’t envisage a landslide victory for Aspinall on Saturday night, he should have enough in the tank to overcome the Dutchman, especially with the backing of the Winter Gardens crowd.