The Debate: Who will win the World Darts Championship?

The 2025 World Darts Championship promises to be as enthralling as ever as the biggest stars on the planet battle it out for the grandest prize the sport has to offer over the festive period.

From a betting perspective, it appears to be a straight two man race between reigning champion Luke Humphries and last year's runner-up Luke Littler.

But with former winners Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson desperately hoping to take advantage of a wide-open bottom half of the draw, could we be primed for one of the outsiders come through the pack and capture the coveted Sid Waddell trophy?

Members of the bet365 News team share their thoughts on who they believe will crowned champion in the New Year.

Luke Humphries

Mark Mothershaw

In my opinion there is only one player capable of thwarting Luke Littler’s bid for a maiden World Darts Championship crown in the New Year, and that man is Luke Humphries.

Pound-for-pound, ‘The Nuke’, who has romped to Premier League and Grand Slam of Darts glory during a quite absurd first year on tour, is probably the best player in the world right now. His recent form and outlandish averages don’t lie.

But, there is an apparent Achilles Heel to his game, that being the reigning world champion.

‘Cool Hand’ beat his rival in the 2024 final to cap off a truly remarkable few months for the Newbury man, and since defeating Littler on the biggest stage, he has continued to prove that he is one of a select few players able to genuinely contend with upcoming star.

In the five matches the pair have locked horns in since the New Zealand Masters in August, Humphries has reigned supreme on four occasions - quite convincingly in a couple of those clashes too.

In fact, no player on the tour has beaten Littler more times than the Newbury man this calendar year, and that is something which has happened by design, not by chance.

The world number one’s recent success at the Players Championship Finals extended his winning run over ‘The Nuke’ to three matches, and I have every expectation that number will extend to four come early January.

Littler is rightly receiving all of the media attention for bringing so many new, fresh eyes to the sport, but that will surely only add to the huge pressure already weighing down on his shoulders as he looks ahead to his second Ally Pally campaign.

As many of the greats will attest to, the World Darts Championship is an entirely different beast to any other event on the circuit, and it takes more than just colossal averages, confidence and fanfare to prevail.

Humphries will undoubtedly have to ride out some stormy waters over the next few weeks because his passage to a potential semi-final with Littler is far from straightforward, but if he does get there - which I expect him to do - then Littler will succumb to the same fate as 12 months prior.

Like ‘The Nuke’, Humphries is a better player now than he was this time last year, and that, together with the fact that there is no player with more drive and motivation than ‘Cool Hand’, will spur him on to etch his name further into World Darts Championship history.

Luke Littler

Ellis Statham

Almost a year on from his defeat to Luke Humphries at the Ally Pally back in January, Luke Littler is ready to add his name to the PDC World Darts Championship winners list.

A phenomenal breakthrough year for Littler puts him firmly in contention for this year’s Worlds, having lost seven sets to four in last campaign’s final back in January.

The ‘Nuke’ has come a long way since then though, reaching five PDC major finals in 2024 (including the 2024 World Darts Championship final) and winning three - the Premier League, the World Series of Darts Final and the Grand Slam of Darts.

While there is no denying that Littler will face firm competition in the form of Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson, evidence suggests that the ‘Nuke’ should get the better of any opponent if he is to perform at the level we all know he can.

Such is the nature of the Darts calendar, Littler has gone head-to-head with Humphries, arguably his greatest competition at this year’s Worlds, on 14 occasions this year.

He has come out on top eight times, registering a greater three dart average (100.63), higher checkout percentage (41.35%) and more 100+ checkouts (14) across their matchups.

If you needed any proof that the ‘Nuke’ can step up against the best of the best, there it is.

In the last year, Littler has embedded his name into the sport and there is no reason why he can’t go one step further than last year and lift the Sid Waddell Trophy on 3rd January 2025.

Michael van Gerwen

Liam Williams

It would be criminal if a player of Michael van Gerwen’s abilities ended his career with the three world titles he’s currently on, and he might not get an easier route to the final than he’s been presented with this time around.

The big stumbling block is the resurgent Gary Anderson likely waiting in the fourth round!

But if Mighty Mike can get past the Flying Scotsman, he has very little to fear with Luke Humphries and Littler waiting on the other side of the draw.

Of course, for Humphries and Littler to meet in the semi-finals, they’ll likely have to get past Stephen Bunting or Mike De Decker and Rob Cross which aren’t foregone conclusions.

Van Gerwen’s form over the last 12-24 months is the biggest concern, not winning a single major title, but he has reached finals of the World Matchplay and Masters and he does have wins over the two Lukes on the big stage.

He has beaten Humphries 10-9 in the World Series of Darts Finals and Littler 10-6 at the World Matchplay, both of which should provide the Dutch star with confidence heading into the Ally Pally spectacular.

If the three-time world champion can get as far as the final, he’ll have absolutely no reason to fear either.

Gary Anderson

Jaquob Crooke

“I probably am playing better than ever,” admitted Gary Anderson as he gears up for a 16th consecutive World Darts Championship.

The Flying Scotsman has been in excellent form in 2024. A hat-trick of PDC ranking titles and a seasonal average of 99.86 – the highest of any Tour Card holder – reaffirm the notion that Anderson has all of the ingredients to stage a successful capture of a third world title.

While his form on the big stage hasn’t been quite as prolific in comparison to the floor events, very few know what it takes to win at the Alexandra Palace better than Anderson.

He also demonstrated he can contest the longer formats having taken Luke Littler to a 31st leg in their astonishing Grand Slam of Darts semi-final.

Importantly, Anderson is on the right side of the draw. He avoids crossing paths with either Littler or Luke Humphries until the final and the bottom section consists of high-class players who are horrendously out of form.

A third round tie with Ross Smith is probable and Smudger was conquered by Anderson in the European Darts Grand Prix final in April.

A potential blockbuster with Michael van Gerwen is on the cards in the fourth round and we all know how Anderson relishes those occasions, having toppled his old foe in this year’s Grand Slam.

If he prevails in that, you would be hard-pressed to suggest the two-time world champion doesn’t go all the way to the showpiece on Friday 3rd January.

On the basis of recent major events with the successes of Mike De Decker and Ritchie Edhouse, quite literally anyone could be lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy in the New Year.

So if chaos does ensue, back Anderson to hold his nerve.