PDC World Darts Championship daily tips: Luke Humphries on collision course with ex world finalist

Luke Humphries kicks off the defence of his title as the Englishman headlines the opening day.

The likes of Kim Huybrechts, Keane Barry and Jermaine Wattimena also feature as they look to start their world championship campaigns with a bang.

Here, we take a closer look at the action on day one and pick out some of the best bets along the way.

Good luck and please gamble responsibly.

(all odds are subject to change after the article's latest update)

 

Day One match schedule

Thibault Tricole vs Joe Comito

Jermaine Wattimena vs Stefan Bellmont

Kim Huybrechts vs Keane Barry

Luke Humphries vs Tricole/Comito

 

Thibault Tricole to win 3-1 vs Joe Comito – 9/4

Frenchman Thibault Tricole makes his second appearance at Alexandra Palace as he looks to emulate his second-round run from a year ago.

The French Touch is a former WDF world championship finalist and has been a regular on the PDC tour for the last couple of years.

Kicking off the tournament will come with butterflies, but we still expect Tricole to get the better of New Zealand’s Joe Comito. Backing the correct score of 3-1 is currently available at around the 9/4 mark.

 

Jermaine Wattimena to win 3-0 vs Stefan Bellmont – 11/8

Since his impressive quarter-final run at Players Championship 15 in August, Stefan Bellmont has only picked up two victories on the PDC tour.

Jermaine Wattimena, on the other hand, is a regular on the circuit and a familiar face for the fans. The Dutchman enters this year’s worlds having reached the European Championship final and the Grand Slam of Darts quarters.

Wattimena is a heavy favourite and we’re backing him to claim a dominant 3-0 victory. 

 

Kim Huybrechts vs Keane Barry over 4.5 sets – 11/8

Match of the night will see Belgium’s Kim Huybrechts take on Ireland’s Keane Barry.

The Irishman has dominated head-to-head meetings, winning all three encounters since 2022.

Huybrechts recently reached the Czech Darts Open final but apart from that, his season has been relatively quiet.

This has the makings of a close match and we’re backing over 4.5 sets which is currently priced around the 11/8 mark. 

 

Luke Humphries vs Tricole/Comito

Luke Humphries has enjoyed a tremendous year as the world champion, winning three other major crowns and reaching six big finals. He also won two European Tour titles and a recent Players Championship event in Wigan.

Humphries is miles above his two possible rivals and we’re backing him to progress without much drama. A 3-0 win is the way to go.