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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Jack Rathborn

PDC World Darts Championship odds, tips and prediction including Michael Van Gerwen

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Michael Van Gerwen is the favourite at this year’s PDC World Darts Championship but the Dutchman will face fierce competition in the hunt to claim the Sid Waddell Trophy.

The likes of defending champion Peter Wright, who got the better of Michael Smith in a thrilling final last year, and 2021 champion Gerwyn Price were the clear favourites with £500,000 up for grabs to the winner, but both were knocked out before the semi-finals.

In the build-up to the tournament Van Gerwen has hit back at critics who argue he should have more than three world titles given his talent, but the 33-year-old maintains he has nothing to prove.

“Of course I want to add more, but as long as I keep winning tournaments, World Championships will follow,” he told the PA news agency. “That’s how it is, keep believing in yourself. People always say you have to do this or that, I have won four big tournaments this season so I am not complaining. I am doing fine. From this moment, there is only more to come.

“I don’t have to prove anything, what I did in darts in the last 10 or 15 years, everyone knows what I am capable of. I just want to do the thing I love the most and that is play as well as possible.” Here’s the schedule for the World Darts Championship 2023:

2022/23 World Darts Championship odds - as of January 2

Michael van Gerwen - 6/11

Michael Smith - 31/10

Dimitri Van den Bergh - 12/1

Gabriel Clemens 29/2

Via Betfair

Prediction - pre-tournament

We’re going with Michael van Gerwen (9/4 pre-tournament), he’s back in the sort of form that made him the greatest player of his generation with four major titles this year, making him a tough man to bet against.

But Michael Smith (7/1) might just be the people’s pick after heartache last year against Wright. Reinvigorated after snapping a streak of eight major final losses to finally clinch glory at the Grand Slam, Bully Boy’s time might be now. But Smith may run into trouble with the likes of Luke Humphries, Dave Chisnall and Joe Cullen providing tricky barriers in his path to the final.

A dark horse or one to watch? It's got to be Nathan Aspinall (33/1). The Asp is mentally stronger after coming through his injury nightmare and now has the results to back it up, after making the World Grand Prix and Grand Slam finals, meaning some eachway value could be found in the Stockport man.

Certainly Josh Rock (16/1) is one for the future and the 21-year-old will be eager to make some noise here, but his odds as sixth favourite make him a daunting pick for punters, but fans will be licking their lips at a possible second round match with Callan Rydz, which could validate any title credentials.

2022/23 World Darts Championship

Schedule of Play

Thursday December 15 (1900 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Mickey Mansell 3-1 Ben Robb (R1)

Keane Barry 1-3 Grant Sampson (R1)

Jermaine Wattimena 2-3 Nathan Rafferty (R1)

Peter Wright 3-0 Mickey Mansell (R2)

Friday December 16

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Alan Soutar 3-0 Mal Cuming (R1)

Boris Krcmar 3-0 Toru Suzuki (R1)

Adrian Lewis 3-0 Daniel Larsson (R1)

Kim Huybrechts 3-0 Grant Sampson (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Rowby-John Rodriguez 2-3 Lourence Ilagan (R1)

William O‘Connor 3-0 Beau Greaves (R1)

Keegan Brown 2-3 Florian Hempel (R1)

Michael Smith 3-0 Nathan Rafferty (R2)

Saturday December 17

Afternoon Session (1100 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Martin Lukeman 3-0 Nobuhiro Yamamoto (R1)

Simon Whitlock 3-2 Christian Perez (R1)

Adam Gawlas 3-2 Richie Burnett (R1)

Daryl Gurney 0-3 Alan Soutar (R2)

Evening Session (2000 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Ryan Meikle 3-2 Lisa Ashton (R1)

Cameron Menzies 3-1 Diogo Portela (R1)

Josh Rock 3-1 Jose Justicia (R1)

Dimitri Van den Bergh 3-0 Lourence Ilagan (R2)

Sunday December 18

Afternoon Session (1100 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Madars Razma 3-1 Prakash Jiwa (R1)

Karel Sedlacek 3-0 Raymond Smith (R1)

Luke Woodhouse 3-0 Vladyslav Omelchenko (R1)

Damon Heta 3-0 Adrian Lewis (R2)

Evening Session (2000 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Mike De Decker 3-1 Jeff Smith (R1)

Scott Williams 3-1 Ryan Joyce (R1)

Matt Campbell 0-3 Danny Baggish (R1)

Nathan Aspinall 3-1 Boris Krcmar (R2)

Monday December 19

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Andrew Gilding 3-2 Robert Owen (R1)

Danny Jansen 3-2 Paolo Nebrida (R1)

Niels Zonneveld 0-3 Lewy Williams (R1)

Jose de Sousa 3-2 Simon Whitlock (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Geert Nentjes 1-3 Leonard Gates (R1)

Ritchie Edhouse 2-3 David Cameron (R1)

Steve Beaton 0-3 Danny van Trijp (R1)

Gerwyn Price 3-1 Luke Woodhouse (R2)

Tuesday December 20 (1900 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Jim Williams 3-2 Sebastian Bialecki (R1)

Jamie Hughes 1-3 Jimmy Hendriks (R1)

Ricky Evans 3-1 Fallon Sherrock (R1)

Raymond van Barneveld 3-1 Ryan Meikle (R2)

Wednesday December 21

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

2x First Round, 2x Second Round

John O’Shea 2-3 Darius Labanauskas (R1)

Martijn Kleermaker 3-0 Xicheng Han (R1)

Callan Rydz 0-3 Josh Rock (R2)

Dave Chisnall 3-1 Andrew Gilding (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

4x Second Round

Mervyn King 3-2 Danny Baggish

Gabriel Clemens 3-0 William O‘Connor

Michael van Gerwen 3-0 Lewy Williams

Stephen Bunting 3-1 Leonard Gates

Thursday December 22

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

4x Second Round

Krzysztof Ratajski 3-1 Danny Jansen

Ryan Searle 3-0 Adam Gawlas

Mensur Suljovic 3-0 Mike De Decker

Dirk van Duijvenbode 3-2 Karel Sedlacek

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

4x Second Round

Gary Anderson 3-1 Madars Razma

James Wade 2-3 Jim Williams

Luke Humphries 3-2 Florian Hempel

Vincent van der Voort 3-0 Cameron Menzies

Friday December 23

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

4x Second Round

Brendan Dolan 3-1 Jimmy Hendriks

Chris Dobey 3-0 Martijn Kleermaker

Ross Smith 3-1 Darius Labanauskas

Rob Cross 3-1 Scott Williams

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

4x Second Round

Martin Schindler 3-1 Martin Lukeman

Danny Noppert 3-1 David Cameron

Jonny Clayton 3-0 Danny Van Trijp

Joe Cullen 3-1 Ricky Evans

Tuesday December 27

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

3x Third Round

Dimitri Van den Bergh 4-1 Krzysztof Ratajski

Nathan Aspinall 3-4 Josh Rock

Jonny Clayton 4-1 Brendan Dolan

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

3x Third Round

Jim Williams 3-4 Gabriel Clemens

Gerwyn Price 4-0 Raymond Van Barneveld

Peter Wright 1-4 Kim Huybrechts

Wednesday December 28

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

3x Third Round

Ryan Searle 3-4 Jose De Sousa

Danny Noppert 2-4 Alan Soutar

Gary Anderson 1-4 Chris Dobey

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

3x Third Round

Joe Cullen 4-0 Damon Heta

Michael Van Gerwen 4-2 Mensur Suljovic

Michael Smith 4-3 Martin Schindler

Thursday December 29

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

3x Third Round

Dirk Van Duijvenbode 4-3 Ross Smith

Rob Cross 4-1 Mervyn King

Dave Chisnall 2-4 Stephen Bunting

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

1x Third Round, 2x Fourth Round

Luke Humphries 4-3 Vincent van der Voort (R3)

Gerwyn Price 4-1 Jose de Sousa (R4)

Jonny Clayton 4-3 Josh Rock (R4)

Friday December 30

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

3x Fourth Round

Kim Huybrechts 0-4 Dimitri Van den Bergh

Gabriel Clemens 4-1 Alan Soutar

Michael Smith 4-1 Joe Cullen

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

3x Fourth Round

Rob Cross 2-4 Chris Dobey

Michael van Gerwen 4-1 Dirk van Duijvenbode

Luke Humphries 1-4 Stephen Bunting

Sunday January 1

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

2x Quarter-Finals

Dimitri Van den Bergh 5-3 Jonny Clayton

Michael Smith 5-3 Stephen Bunting

Evening Session (1930 GMT)

2x Quarter-Finals

Gerwyn Price 1-5 Gabriel Clemens

Michael van Gerwen 5-0 Chris Dobey

Monday January 2 (1930 GMT)

2x Semi-Finals

Gabriel Clemens vs Michael Smith

Dimitri Van den Bergh vs Michael van Gerwen

Tuesday January 3 (2000 GMT)

Final

Schedule of play subject to change. Any amendments will be advised at pdc.tv and through the OfficialPDC social media channels.

Format

First Round - Best of five sets

Second Round - Best of five sets

Third Round - Best of seven sets

Fourth Round - Best of seven sets

Quarter-Finals - Best of nine sets

Semi-Finals - Best of 11 sets

Final - Best of 13 sets

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