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The time has finally come for the PDC World Darts Championship to get underway, and in a change from previous formats, the seeded players will start in round one.
Because of that change, we now see the world's No. 2, Luke Humphries, start his campaign against the world No. 131 Ted Evetts on Saturday evening in a match that ‘Cool Hand’ will be hoping to navigate smoothly.
Luke Humphries vs Ted Evetts tips
Humphries to win 3-0: 2/11 @ bet365
Humphries to get most 180s: 2/7 @ bet365
2+ 100+ checkouts: 10/11 @ bet365
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
Humphries to win to nil
First-round ties can be tricky in any competition, but I anticipate Humphries navigating this tie with relative ease. The two have not met in any competition since 2021, but that precedes Humphries' rise through the ranks to become the phenomenal player he is. Evetts even holds the advantage in head-to-heads six to five, but that will surely change when in this game.
Because of set play, Evett will get some games, but Humphries will dominate and win the sets, and I believe to 3-0. Humphries' yearly average is 98.50, whereas Evett is at 88.24. Humphries' checkout percentage is at 41.18% compared to Evetts' 35.01%. Under the Ally Pally lights, the dominance will show.
Tip: Humphries to win 3-0 - 2/11 @ bet365
Bet Explanation: This bet wins if Luke Humphries wins three sets and Ted Evetts gets none.
Humphries to dominate the 180 count
Humphries is one of the best at hitting that magic number of 180. In the past 12 months, he is joint eighth on the leaderboard for most 180s hit with 559.
The names of those ahead of Humphries are some of the world’s best tungsten throwers, so it is no surprise that I am backing Humphries to edge the 180 hitting against Evett. Add in that Humphries has hit over 200 more 180s in the past year than Evett, who sits at 241, and this bet looks more likely.
Tip: Humphries to get most 180s in match - 2/7 @ bet365
Bet Explanation: This bet is a winner if Luke Humphries hits more 180s than Ted Evetts in the match.
There will be 2 or more 100+ checkouts
Luke is one of the best ton-plus finishers in the game, getting 21 so far this season in 34 games. He got two 100+ checkouts in his last game against Gian van Veen at the Players Championship, and I can see him pressing his dominance home here against Evett.
At minimum, the players will get nine games of darts over the three sets, which gives Humphries ample chance to get his arm and eye in fluid motion. With this, I expect at least two 100+ finishes in the match, as it also may take something special like that for Evett to get a game on the board.
Tip: 2+ 100+ checkouts - 10/11 @ bet365
Bet Explanation: This bet wins if there are two or more 100+ checkouts during the match.
Humphries vs Evetts odds
Humphries to win - 1/33 @ bet365
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The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.