World Matchplay Darts Betting Preview, Littler Waits In Semis

Written By:

Zachary Kelley

Published On:

July 24, 2026 11:47 AM

World Matchplay Darts Betting Preview, Littler Waits In Semis
  • Luke Littler looks to defend his World Matchplay Darts title and is -2000 to advance to the final.
  • Friday’s first quarterfinals matchup favors Gerwyn Price (-185) over Ross Smith.
  • Gian van Veen has -130 odds to defeat James Wade in the other quarterfinals match.

BLACKPOOL, England – Friday’s quarterfinal matches at PDC World Matchplay favor Gerwyn Price and Gian van Veen to meet in the semifinals. Betting odds at darts betting sites say Luke Littler will host the winner of that potential semifinal in Sunday’s final, but first the quarterfinals matches must be played.

Ross Smith Vs Gerwyn Price Betting Lines

PlayerSpreadOdds To WinTotal
Ross Smith+2.5 (-135)+140O27.5 (-120)
Gerwyn Price-2.5 (+105)-185U27.5 (-110)

Gerwyn Price is the betting favorite in this matchup with -185 odds after his 11-5 win over Rob Cross. On the other side, Ross Smith advanced after his last 16 opponent Cameron Menzies withdrew due to illness.

That creates a rust vs rest debate, as Smith hasn’t thrown many darts since his first-round match while Price brings plenty of confidence into this match. Back the Iceman to cover the 2.5-leg spread at +105 odds behind some serious momentum.

Gian van Veen Vs James Wade Betting Lines

PlayerSpreadOdds To WinTotal
Gian van Veen-2.5 (+150)-130O27.5 (-135)
James Wade+2.5 (-200)+100U27.5 (+105)

A rematch of last year’s quarterfinal favors Gian van Veen to get revenge over James Wade with -130 odds. The best bet in this match is the over at 27.5 legs, which comes with -135 legal sports betting odds.

Their head-to-head meeting in last year’s World Matchplay went 29 legs, and van Veen’s last match against Wessel Nijman went to a tiebreak.

Littler Heavily Favored To Reach Final Again

Luke Littler has already booked his ticket to the semifinals, and he has -2000 odds to win that match against Dirk van Duijvenbode. There are -120 odds favoring Littler to cover the 7.5-leg spread against van Duijvenbode.

Luke Littler Vs Dirk van Duijvenbode

PlayerSpreadOdds To WinTotal
Luke Littler-7.5 (-120)-2000O26.5 (+105)
Dirk van Duijvenbode+7.5 (-110)+900U26.5 (-135)

Littler expects to host the winner of van Veen/Wade in his pursuit for back-to-back World Matchplay titles. He has -400 odds to repeat as champion at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.

World Matchplay Futures Odds

  • Luke Littler -400
  • Gerwyn Price +750
  • Gian van Veen +1000
  • James Wade +2000
  • Dirk van Duijvenbode +2000
  • Ross Smith +2500

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Ben Fiore

Zachary Kelley

Zach graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Writing, Editing, and Media. Zach is interested in the legalization aspect of sports betting and enjoys participating in DFS. He has a passion for sports writing and most enjoys writing about football and baseball both professional and collegiate.