2025 World Matchplay Darts Tips: Price Will Bring Fire to Winter Gardens

The 2025 World Matchplay Darts is upon us with 32 of the world’s best darts players set to battle it out to become champion at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens.

Luke Humphries is the defending titlist having beaten Michael van Gerwen in last year’s final and will be hoping to triumph in yet another triple crown event.

The World Matchplay seeds the top 16 players from the PDC order of merit against the top 16 players from the PDC Pro Tour order of merit who had not yet qualified.

Here, BetMGM has you covered with all the key information and which players might provide some value for the tournament.

When is the PDC World Matchplay and how to watch?

• Location: Winter Gardens, Blackpool
• Dates: 19th-27th July
• How to watch: Live on Sky Sports
• Format: Match play (no. of legs to win increases throughout tournament)
• Defending champion: Luke Humphries

Tip 1 – Gerwyn Price to win the World Matchplay @ 8/1

After a disappointing 2024, Gerwyn Price has rediscovered some of his old form this year.

A semi-final appearance in the BetMGM Premier League Darts has been surrounded by a World Cup final, three Players Championship titles, the Polish Darts Masters and most recently an impressive showing against Gary Anderson to lift the Baltic Sea Darts Open, making it two titles in a week.

With 388, the Welshman also sits second on the men’s tour – behind only world champion Luke Littler’s astounding 500 – for maximums hit this calendar year and is top of the pile for 95+ averages with 87 from 124 official matches too.

Yet he arrives in Blackpool having never won the World Matchplay – the closest he has come was runner-up in 2022 while he has failed to make it past the second round two years in a row.

Price is a different proposition this year though, making 7/4 for him to win his quarter look well-priced. At the same time, his propensity for 180s suggests 10/1 for him to hit the most in the tournament could be a standout option in our predictions market.

Just like last year, he faces Daryl Gurney in the first round. The Welshman had no issues in 2024 with a 10-4 victory – a similar result this time round could see him face fellow BetMGM Premier League player Chris Dobey, against whom he has won four of the last five.

With Ross Smith and a somewhat out-of-sorts Michael van Gerwen are in his quarter of the draw Price will be eyeing up a potential semi-final meeting with Luke Littler, a player he also holds a winning record against over the past year.

If he can continue the form he has shown in recent months, the Iceman’s 8/1 odds to go one better than that 2022 final and win it all hold strong appeal.

Tip 2 – Gary Anderson to win the World Matchplay @ 18/1

The 2018 Matchplay champion, Gary Anderson enters this year's tournament as an 18/1 shot.

Though the Scot hasn’t been at his majestic best in the last couple of years, it is hard to rule out a player of his calibre at those odds.

And the underlying stats from the past year suggest he has far from lost his mojo.

Anderson hasn’t really troubled in a major since his shock second-round exit at the World Championship but he has picked up a Players Championship title and the European Darts Grand Prix as well as a runner-up finish in the Baltic Sea Darts Open.

In winning the European Grand Prix, the Flying Scotsman became the first person ever to defend that crown while only Littler has more 105 or 110+ averages over the past year

There is arguably no finer player than Anderson when the two-time world champion is on form and his performances on the floor events over the past year or so mean he will fully believe he can add to his haul of major titles, the last of which came in 2019.

A first-round clash with Luke Woodhouse could be tricky, but winnable, before what should be an entertaining battle with Stephen Bunting in round two if the seedings hold true.

But Anderson has won his last four against the Bullet and, should he get past him once more, a meeting with former BetMGM Premier League champion Jonny Clayton in the quarters will hold zero fear given he just thrashed the Welshman 6-1 with a 108 average in last week’s Baltic Sea semis.

Luke Humphries would stand in his way in the semi-finals but Anderson – like Price a solid 10/1 for most tournament 180s – knows that on his day he can beat him and indeed snapped a five-game losing streak against the world number one last time they met.

If he catches fire on the big stage as he has on the floor, a 10th PDC major is well within the Scotsman’s reach.

World Matchplay Darts 2025 Odds

• Luke Littler 7/4
• Luke Humphries 3/1
• Gerwyn Price 8/1
• Josh Rock 14/1
• Gary Anderson 18/1
• Michael van Gerwen 18/1
• Stephen Bunting 20/1
• Nathan Aspinall 22/1
• BAR 28/1

Find the full World Matchplay odds here

Previous World Matchplay Darts Winners

Luke Humphries could become only the fourth darts player in history to win back-to-back World Matchplay titles after Rod Harrington (1998-99), Phil Taylor (2000-04, 2008-14) and Michael van Gerwen (2015-16).

Here are the past 10 winners of the event:

Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change