A new name will go onto the Sid Waddell Trophy on Wednesday night when the final of the PDC World Darts Championship is played out as the teenage sensation Luke Littler takes on the man of the moment in Luke Humphries.
This is all set to be an incredible final as we crown either the youngest world champion the sport has ever seen or the new world number one will cement his status in that position by landing the biggest title in the game for the first time.
Luke Littler
The World Youth champion Luke Littler is looking to add the senior version of the title to his CV just a month or so after winning that youth crown and you have to say he has looked every bit a champion throughout the course of this event. He hasn’t really been tested in any match to date and the one time he was behind, against Rob Cross in the semi-final, he bounced back pretty much immediately and then proceeded to pull away from a player who was throwing world class darts at the time.
Littler will go into this final with a tournament average of 101.82 and you wouldn’t be surprised if he betters that in this final. He has hit 50 180s in the tournament to date but the really impressive thing about him has been his finishing. He is checking out at a shade under 45% in this tournament and if that continues here then he is going to be hard to beat. The obvious question when assessing a 16-year-old is whether nerves will get the better of him. On everything we’ve seen so far you would say no but this is a different level to anything he has ever experienced.
Luke Humphries
Luke Humphries is looking for a fourth TV title in the space of a few months in this final. He has already won the World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship Finals and now has the biggest of them all firmly in his sights. I think it is fair to say that he has warmed into this tournament but that isn’t always a bad thing. The winners of this peak in the new year and not before Christmas and Humphries has definitely done that. His last two performances have been title winning levels.
As such, Humphries will go into this with a tournament average of 99.33 after a semi-final where he threw an average of 108.74. Like his opponent in this match, Humphries has also slammed in 50 180s in the tournament but his finishing has been a little lower at 40.64%. He has also lost an extra set to Littler having played a match fewer than the man he’ll meet in this final. Humphries shouldn’t have nerves to worry about. He has been featuring in a number of TV finals recently.
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Head-to-head
The head-to-head for this one is pretty simple. This will be the first time they have ever met in competitive play so they will get to know each other throughout the duration of this match.
Betting
I think this should be a cracking final between two of the biggest talents the game has ever witnessed and the obvious place to start for it is the 180s. Both are first dart merchants and generally when the first dart goes into the 60 two bed fellows follow it and I’m not sure a 33.5 180 line is going to be high enough for these two exponents of the scoring art. Littler hit 16 180s in eight sets against Rob Cross in the semi-final while Humphries hit 14 in six sets against Scott Williams. You’d have to think we’ll get at least 10 sets here so this 180 line could be smashed to pieces.
I also like the idea of Luke Humphries hitting four or more 100+ checkouts. He hit six of them in just 25 legs of darts against Williams on Tuesday and is generally hitting a one every seven legs he wins in the tournament. I think Humphries wins this final but I would be surprised if he doesn’t win towards 30 legs in it so even on his average in the tournament to date he would cover this line quite comfortably. He might well need to be clinical from the 100-121 range in this final and I don’t think this mark is beyond him. If he only wins 24 legs we would need one every six legs and that feels in his range.
The next bet I like in this final is for there to be a 170 checkout. Both men are known for leaving this shot and will manage the board in such a way that they do leave it and the way they pepper the 60 bed the bullseye will get threatened here. Humphries reeled in the big fish in his semi-final and I expect to see a number of goes at it over the course of this final. If the first 60 lands a shot at the bull will almost be a guaranteed and at a shade above 2/1 I’ll take the chance that one of them nailed the centre of the board and reels in another big fish.
Finally I’ll go with double five to be the tournament winning double. We saw in the semi-final that Luke Littler will do everything he can to leave double 10. He even went 16 D10 on 36 in one of the legs such is his love for D10 but with some nerves around should he be in a position to win the title he might well come inside it and have to go up to D5 for glory. Humphries is more of a 32 man for a double but he’s been leaving tops a lot more in this tournament so it wouldn’t be out of the question that he chases the doubles around. D5 can also be at the end of a 90 or a 130 combination or even an 85, 87, 88 or 89 if the single is hit first dart followed by the treble 20 when looking to set up at least a shot for the bullseye so it might not even need a missed double to get us there. I’ll play the 20/1 that the title is won on D5.
Tips
Back Over 33.5 180s for a 4/10 stake at 1.75 with Coral
Back L.Humphries – 4+ 100+ checkouts for a 3/10 stake at 2.38 with Bet365
Back 170 checkout for a 2/10 stake at 3.10 with Spreadex
Back Double 5 – Tournament Winning Double for a 1/10 stake at 21.00 with Bet365
