Premier League Darts Play-offs: Prediction, tips and odds

Keith Deller MBE Updated: 21 May 24 11:46

Keith Deller MBE is backing Luke Humphries to follow-up his 2024 World Darts Championship success by landing the coveted Premier League crown at London's O2 Arena on Thursday night.

Premier League Darts - Outright Winner

Luke Humphries - To Win Outright @ 6/4
Michael Smith & Luke Humphries - To Contest Final @ 7/2

I tipped Luke Humphries up at the start of the competition and I've seen nothing to alter my view as we head into the play-offs.

The manner in which he has acclimatised to this competition, after waiting so long to be included, has been truly superb.

No player boasts more nightly successes across this year's event than Humphries, and he is in the top two in pretty much all of the vital statistics too.

He's the only player to have come through the league phase of the event with a three-dart average in excess of 100 (100.87), whilst his 42.03% checkout success ranks as the best amongst the eight players in the competition.

It's not just those numbers that stack up in his favour though, because, for me, he's rediscovered the same fluency and confidence that took him to the top of the world at Alexandra Palace in January.

'Cool Hand' will be the first to admit that his performances did indeed dip for a two or three week period a month or two back, but he's bounced back in superb fashion, and undoubtedly looks the player to beat on Thursday.

We all know that the group stages mean very little when we get to Finals Night, but I just feel that a fully on-song Luke Humphries is the best player in the world right now.

In terms of the final, well I am tipping up Humphries to tackle the underdog of the opening semi-final, Michael Smith.

Table-topper Luke Littler is the heavy betting favourite to prevail in that clash, but the fact the 'Bully Boy' appears to hold absolutely no fear against 'The Nuke' suggest another upset could be on the cards.

The St Helens' man has won five of their seven Premier League meetings to date, and despite this encounter being a prolonged best-of-19 affair, I still have the feeling that he will pull off a victory.

You can get 7/2 on Smith and Humphries coming through their last four matches, which carries plenty of appeal for me.