Who will win the final? Who will be the player to watch? Which seeds are most in danger of going out in their first game? A host of darts journalists, pundits and commentators tackle these and other questions ahead of the 2024 PDC World Darts Championship.

Who will reach the final – and who will win it?

Rod Studd: In terms of betting odds, I think Rob Cross offers some value at around 16-1, but the most likely final is Price v MVG/Humphries. I’ll go for the Iceman to finally become the twice man.

Dan Dawson: My boring answer is that Luke Humphries beats Gerwyn Price in the final, but I prefer to make silly hipster picks – so I’m going to say Dave Chisnall overcomes Ross Smith in a 180-fest on January 3rd.

Laura Turner: It’s tough to call this year as I could make a case for so many, but I’ll go Luke Humphries v Gerwyn Price and Luke to win.

Stuart Pyke: Pressure on after picking the winner last year! It is a tough one to predict but a Price/Humphries final looks a decent shout to me, and I’ve put my 10p on Price to win a second World Championship.

Ian Danter: I think the final will end up being between Gerwyn Price and Luke Humphries with Humphries triumphant, capping an extraordinary couple of months.

Phil Haigh: I fancy a third installment of Peter Wright vs Michael van Gerwen in a world final, with MVG edging it.

Christopher Kempf: Humphries vs Anderson in the final, with Humphries winning 7-5.

Carl Fletcher: Humphries v Price. Price will be pleased with the way the seedings have unfolded and I expect him to exploit this opportunity as he’s been playing well all year. Humphries is in the form of his life. For me he’s the one to beat and that’s why I’m tipping him to continue his current form and claim the title here.

Chris Hammer: I can’t see anyone stopping Luke Humphries in his quarter of the draw and if he does meet Michael van Gerwen in the semis then I’d still fancy him to progress and then go on and lift the trophy. The runner-up will be the winner of an expected clash between Gerwyn Price and Gary Anderson. I’m kind of on the fence about it due to the crowd but if Price hangs in there and makes it a longer match, he’ll tire Anderson out.

Dylan Williams: On paper we should be watching Gerwyn Price v Luke Humphries fight it out for the Sid Waddell Trophy on the 3rd of January, but darts isn’t played on paper. I’m a believer that it’s Dave Chisnall’s time. He will overcome Gerwyn Price in the showpiece final at Alexandra Palace.

Lendel Faria: This year has been Luke Humphries’ breakthrough year. Gerwyn Price has also been very steady this year without winning any major tournaments, but his form has never really gone away. Michael van Gerwen has not been completely consistent this year, but in Minehead it was the old MVG again at times. Michael Smith and Peter Wright both had a disappointing season, unfortunately we have to be honest about that. Ultimately, I think that Luke Humphries will be too strong for Michael van Gerwen and for Gerwyn Price. So I think we’ll see a new name on the trophy.

Kevin Barth: Luke Humphries and Gerwyn Price will reach the final and Humphries will win it. Humphries really impressed me in the last months, making
the transformation to one of the best players in the world, no matter how big the stage is. He has the right mindset and will be ready to perform. Price has shown so many signs of brilliance this year, but never got the results. The draw will help him and I think this is the moment for him to shine again.

Jetze Jan Idsardi: It’s Michael Smith’s time to defend his title, but his half is stacked with former world Champions. Gerwyn Price will be looking to convert his averages into results, while Rob Cross and Peter Wright know the trick of peaking at Ally Pally. However, Gary Anderson is my man to beat in this half. The Scotsman has returned to form this year and will hope to start 2024 with a bang. In the other half, I can’t look past two men: Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen. The two could meet in a mouthwatering semi-final, and I think the winner also wins the final. Luke Humphries will be the lucky one.

Jack Garwood: It’s incredibly difficult to look past Luke Humphries right now. The man is on fire. In the past others have struggled with the burden of being a major title winner and been bogged down after their maiden success. Luke has done the complete opposite, and the rest of the world must be incredibly fearful of Cool Hand right now. I think Luke beats Rob Cross in the final. Voltage has had a quality year and gone about his business very nicely in 2023.

Connor Cain: Logic says it’s very hard to argue against Luke Humphries; he’s won three out of the last four majors and nearly every match seems to be a 100+ average. All good runs come to an end though and the Worlds is a different beast. MVG may not have any ranking majors to his name but like Luke, he’s playing some unbelievable darts and is still the holder of the World Series of Darts Finals and Premier League. The Green Machine will be disappointed with “only” having three world titles to his name, but I think he rectifies it here and reminds everyone who the Guvnor is – MVG beats a resurgent Gary Anderson in the final.

Who will be the player to watch?

Rod Studd: Luke Humphries. Will be fascinating to see how he goes. Can he keep up his red hot streak?

Dan Dawson: Depends what you like watching really… if you like seeing players win stuff, then Luke Humphries is arguably the best pick. MVG is undoubtedly going to throw some amazing stuff, but the average stuff in between might see him come unstuck at some point. I do think one of Ross Smith and Chris Dobey has a very real chance of going very deep in the tournament. But if you just like watching people lomp around big stages brandishing their thumb, then I’ve got the perfect recommendation for you – send a crisp £5 note in the post and I’ll let you know who it is.

Laura Turner: This year feels like the year to keep an eye on the young, up and coming stars – Luke Littler, Owen Bates and Gian van Veen.

Stuart Pyke: Really looking forward to seeing Luke Littler on the Ally Pally stage! As I said when he won the World Youth Championship just a couple of weeks ago, “The kid can play!” If he keep his feet on the ground and his head in a good place, he can be anything he wants in this sport. Exciting, talented and with a telling swagger!

Ian Danter: In terms of seeded players Gary Anderson is so so dangerous down at 21st seed, although he may well face Gezzy early on so perhaps he may not go deep. Rob Cross looks to be getting back to the Voltage we know from his breakthrough year, and he’s in Michael Smith’s quarter of the draw which might work in his favour.

Phil Haigh: Damon Heta. Both because he could have a run and he will do something very daft on the walk-on.

Christopher Kempf: Gian van Veen is the player to watch, his 2023 season in senior events was one of the most impressive ever for a youth player.

Carl Fletcher: Luke Littler is in a section of the draw that could lead to him enjoying a nice run. He’s clearly a special talent and nothing would surprise me with him during this event. Wouldn’t even rule out a quarter-final run.

Chris Hammer: A lot of eyes will obviously be on Luke Littler – especially if he sets up a dream third-round meeting with James Wade – but I think we’ll see some fireworks from my dark horse Ross Smith, who I fancy to hit A LOT of 180s en route to the semi-finals. He’s been averaging almost 100 for the past two months but is somewhat under the radar due to not being in the Grand Slam.

Dylan Williams: Given my prediction for Chizzy to go all the way, he’s my one to watch. It’s likely he’ll need to beat Humphries, MVG and Price in succession to lift the title – but if he’s tuned into his power scoring and clutch finishing – he is one of the very few who can manage such an accomplishment.

Lendel Faria: The majority will probably go for Luke Littler and Gian van Veen, let me be original for once; I’ll choose Stephen Bunting and Wessel Nijman. Bunting deserves to be well inside the top 16, but is now at 18. Since Bunting has gone a little heavier with his darts, he has put a few extra percent on top of his level. I can see him beating Dimitri in the last 32. Michael van Gerwen is going to have a tough time with Bunting, but he’ll still be able to pull it off, I think. Wessel Nijman disappeared from the scene for two years, but has returned in a great way. He performed excellently this year on the Development Tour and on the Dutch amateur tour. In my view, he is one of the five Dutch players who are in the best form at the moment and I think he’ll win his match against Steve Beaton and perhaps Wessel will also manage to surprise Daryl Gurney in round two.

Kevin Barth: Watch out for Chris Dobey. So many good performances, but also so
many losses this year for him. But he is the kind of player that can find solutions to finally break through all that. I see him at least in the quarter-finals.

Jetze Jan Idsardi: It’s hard to look past Luke Humphries as the one to watch at the moment, but there are more players who can grab the spotlight. Chris Dobey has had an excellent year and his draw also seems quite favourable. Hollywood reached the quarter-finals last year, but I think he will put in some electric performances to reach the semi-finals this year.

Jack Garwood: I’ve recently discovered the curse of the number 18 seed. It’s the only seed to have never gone past the last 16 stage of the World Championship. Unfortunately, Stephen Bunting is the number 18 seed this year. Fortunately, I think this is the year the curse is broke. Bunting has been excellent in the last six months, and for me is on the cusp of a return to the big leagues.

Connor Cain: Stephen Bunting – anyone who has watched darts over the last few months knows just how well The Bullet is playing. Semi-finalist at the Grand Slam and quarter-finalist at the Players Championship Finals, there’s little to suggest that Stephen will falter at Ally Pally – the switch to 18g darts from 12g have unleashed a new Stephen Bunting. He is only defending £15,000 at the Worlds and his ranking of 18 doesn’t reflect his ability – his run here will catapult him into that top 16.

How far will the defending champion Michael Smith go?

Rod Studd: Very difficult to predict but let’s have a guess that it’ll be “Heaven knows I’m miserable now” in round four when the Smiths perform on stage. Ross to beat Michael. 1980s song title pun there for much older readers…

Dan Dawson: I’m expecting him to be good. I don’t buy into the narrative that he’s been poor this year. It has not been his best year, but he hasn’t been dreadful. I think he’ll get to the last 16 and then could run into a brilliant Ross Smith or Dobey. If he did reach the quarter-finals, it might be an in-form Rob Cross, but if The Bully Boy does manage to win his quarter, then he could quite easily go on and win the whole thing.

Laura Turner: Michael has suffered a few early exits in TV events of late – I hope he can find that top form again that delivered that amazing nine darter in the final, but it’s a tough quarter with the likes of Cross, Dobey etc.

Stuart Pyke: There’s no doubt that being world champion has been a have weight on Michael Smith’s shoulders. The change of darts manufacturer has had an effect even though he will tell you otherwise. Pressure is on for him to perform and I still think he will go deep to at least the quarter-finals and maybe better!

Ian Danter: Michael needs to rediscover his best form to get to the business end in January. His namesake Ross lurks in the draw as does Dobey and Cross so that consistency of T20 hitting must be found and quickly. Perhaps being back on that stage where he won so dramatically last year will be the necessary inspiration for him to click into gear.

Phil Haigh: It would be no surprise if he goes much deeper, but the fourth round against (probably) Ross Smith or Chris Dobey looks a bit sticky.

Christopher Kempf: Michael Smith will lose in the fourth round to Ross Smith 4-1.

Carl Fletcher: Definitely not in the same form as he was last year but still more than capable of defending his crown. Having said that I envisage him going out in round four, possibly to Ross Smith or Chris Dobey. His opening game could be tricky too against Kevin Doets or Stowe Buntz.

Dylan Williams: Smith isn’t the threat he was 12 months ago in my opinion. A change of equipment has affected his consistency and belief at crucial points in matches. I see him exiting at the quarter-final stage at the hands of a revitalised Rob Cross.

Kevin Barth: It hasn’t been the year of Michael Smith. Of course we all know what he can do, but also the pressure of defending that World Championship title will be too high. Stowe Buntz could already become a tough test, also Mike De Decker. If he gets past those two, Chris Dobey will be too much for The Bully Boy.

Jetze Jan Idsardi: After winning the World Championship, Bully Boy would have expected to kick on in 2023. That didn’t happen, and his form of the last month causes a little concern. His first game shouldn’t be a problem, while Madars Razma shouldn’t be the biggest obstacle either. However, in the fourth round he could meet either Ross Smith or Chris Dobey. I think his defence ends there.

Jack Garwood: Bully Boy is a tough one to call this year. Mentally he looks as strong as ever. But his game just isn’t where he needs it to be as he attempts to retain the crown atop Muswell Hill. I think he loses in the fourth round to Dobey or Ross Smith.

Connor Cain: 2023 has not been kind to Michael Smith. The world champ has admittedly been a bit lax when it comes to his practice and commitment this year, intent on enjoying his triumphs after so much hard work and dedication. Nobody can deny Michael Smith that but whether he likes to say it or not (spoiler: he won’t), these new darts don’t seem to have clicked like he would’ve liked. Not only has he suffered some early exits in big majors, some of the performances have been mediocre at best. He faces either Kevin Doets or Stowe Buntz on the opening night and I’m backing the American to shock The Bully Boy on night one. Buntz showed us his quality by reaching the quarter-finals of the Grand Slam of Darts, and playing earlier in the night against Doets will serve Buntz well.

Which first round match are you most looking forward to?

Rod Studd: Sherrock vs Wattimena.

Dan Dawson: There are quite a few – I’m really looking forward to seeing the lads from the Philippines; people will think I’m mad, but I think Reynaldo Rivera could beat Keane Barry and then give MVG a big scare a la Malicdem/Wright. I feel similar about Nebrida in his little section with Whitlock and Gary Anderson. I think Veenstra v Robb and Littler v Kist could both be brilliant (if Kist is fit to play), but the standout tie is Ricardo Pietreczko and Mikuru Suzuki because Pikachu’s head might actually fall off when the crowd start making their presence felt.

Laura Turner: All of them, love the early rounds of the Worlds! Looking forward to seeing Fallon and Mikuru back on the Ally Pally stage. We all know what Fallon can do, but Mikuru also came very close to a win last time she was here, losing in a last set decider against James Richardson.

Stuart Pyke: Luke Littler v Christian Kist is my first round pick.

Ian Danter: There’s a few tight contests potentially. Keegan Brown v Boris Krchmar looks close, as does Cameron Menzies v Rusty Jake Rodriguez. I also hope Mikuru Suzuki v Ricardo Pietrecko gives us some drama and it’ll be nice to see Darren Webster back on a big stage – he may give Niels Zonneveld some problems!

Phil Haigh: Boring answer probably but Luke Littler is not to be missed against Christian Kist who is going to want to make the bookmakers look a bit silly for making him a lengthy underdog against the teenager.

Christopher Kempf: Littler vs Kist. Littler for being one of the most talented teenagers ever, Kist for having shown unexpected strength on the ProTour after years of competitive irrelevance.

Carl Fletcher: I quite like the look of Richard Veenstra v Ben Robb. Can see this being an evenly matched encounter. I’m a big fan of both players and with Kim Huybrechts up next for the victor, they’ll both consider this an opportunity to progress even further.

Chris Hammer: Luke Littler and Fallon Sherrock will have a lot of eyes and excitement surrounding their games but I am also looking forward to how Owen Bates is introduced…and performs!

Dylan Williams: My picks include matches which will feature two Kiwis. Martin Lukeman v Haupai Puha and Richard Veenstra v Ben Robb jump off the page. Hoping to see the New Zealanders reproducing the potential they’ve shown during World Series events Down Under. If they do they could push Smash and Flyers. Expecting two competitive matches.

Lendel Faria: Ryan Joyce vs Alex Spellman is for me the best match in the last 96. Ryan Joyce reached the semis in Minehead last month and played very well over the course of that tournament. Alex Spellman has been bossing the CDC and the other events in North America. Alex is in my opinion the best player out of North America at the moment, even with Stowe Buntz having an amazing run in Wolverhampton. Both ProTour players wouldn’t have been particularly pleased with Dennis and Phil who did the draw!

Kevin Barth: I think Ryan Joyce vs Alex Spellman could be special. Joyce is always
underestimated and Spellman has also shown that he could have a bright
future. I expect a high class battle, maybe over the full distance.

Jetze Jan Idsardi: Richard Veenstra vs Ben Robb has a lot of potential: two quick players, who are both big scorers. Personally, I am looking forward to the debut of Thibault Tricole. The French player plays Mario Vandenbogaerde in a game that could go either way.

Jack Garwood: Ryan Joyce vs Alex Spellman is a real intriguing one for me, as is Luke Littler’s debut at the World Champs against Christian Kist (dare I Say this match may have been a lot different six months ago). But I’m going for Simon Adams vs Ricky Evans. Having seen Simon in action during the Modus Super Series this week the real contrast in style, but burst of energy from both makes for a great watch.

Connor Cain: Ricardo Pietreczko vs Mikuru Suzuki. Normally so calm and mild-mannered, Pikachu collapsed in the hostile atmosphere in Wolverhampton when he faced Beau Greaves. The German fought the crowd and let them know exactly what he thought of them and seemed to harbour that grudge in his next game. Unfortunately, I don’t think he gets an easy-ride here and we’ve seen how hostile the Ally Pally crowd can make the atmosphere (see Gerwyn Price vs Gabriel Clemens). Throw in the mix a top quality player in Mikuru Suzuki and you have a recipe for a really tasty opening round tie – and literally anything can happen in this.

Which seeds are most in danger of going out in the second round?

Rod Studd: Most obviously Callan Rydz vs Ricardo Pietreczko and Gabriel Clemens v Gian van Veen, but I’ll also throw in Wright vs gentleman Jim Williams. Wright has three round two losses to go with his two world titles. I’ll also mention Kim Huybrechts v Richard Veenstra who beat Michael Smith in Minehead, Josh Rock vs Luke Woodhouse and Andrew Gilding vs Luke Littler.

Dan Dawson: I think the second quarter could be carnage for the seeds – Jim Williams is a huge threat to Wright, Szaganski is quite capable of beating Barney, Wade has been good lately but may still have a problem with Campbell or Ilagan, Littler might terrorise Kist and then Gilding, but my big fear is for Dirk van Duijvenbode. At the start of this year nobody was playing better than him, but his injury looks like it could be a career-ruining one. I fervently hope it isn’t, but I’d think whoever wins out of Keegan Brown and Boris Krcmar will be licking their lips.

Laura Turner: I think Luke Littler has the game to beat Gilding if he can overcome Kist.

Stuart Pyke: I am tipping Littler to beat Andrew Gilding and he could well then topple James Wade, as I said, “The kid can play!”

Ian Danter: Callan Rydz’s drop off in form worries me. He faces the winner of Pietreczko v Suzuki. I doubt Andrew Gilding will want to run into youth sensation Luke Littler at this stage and if Jose De Sousa isn’t fully concentrating/counting, someone like Richie Edhouse could take him in round two.

Phil Haigh: A couple of very impressive youngsters will fancy their chances of winning their opening rounds and then downing a seed. Andrew Gilding could be in trouble against Littler and Gabriel Clemens could be caught cold by Gian van Veen. Dimitri van den Bergh could be vulnerable too.

Christopher Kempf: Many seeds have had difficult years and are playing nowhere near their potential, the most vulnerable of these being Dirk van Duijvenbode, Jose De Sousa, Jonny Clayton, Dimitri Van den Bergh and Callan Rydz.

Carl Fletcher: Peter Wright seems an obvious choice with Jim Williams potentially up first for him. Others you’d worry about include Jonny Clayton and Dirk van Duijvenbode who seems out of sorts, the latter especially. Dimitri could also be looking at an early exit too.

Chris Hammer: Peter Wright is going to have his work cut out against Jim Williams while Dirk van Duijvenbode’s injury problems means he could easily crash out early doors. I also think Gian van Veen will knock out Gabriel Clemens.

Dylan Williams: Madars Razma. Mike De Decker will take care of the Latvian. Given Dirk’s recent dip in form and the shoulder injury that doesn’t seem to be shifting, Keegan Brown or Boris Kcrmar will fancy a pop at him. Although Clemens made it to the semis last year, I’m predicting an early exit at the hands of Gian van Veen.

Lendel Faria: Callan Rydz and Andrew Gilding are the two seeds most in danger to lose their first match in this championship. Callan Rydz plays Ricardo Pietreczko or Mikuru Suzuki. Ricardo has been massively disappointing in the last two events, but he also has won a Euro Tour where he has shown some brilliant finishing. I think (or hope) that Pikachu has learned from Wolverhampton and that he has the right mindset going into this event because if that happens he has the ability to beat Callan Rydz. Andrew Gilding is playing Christian Kist or Luke Littler. Gilding has had a very good year in which he won the UK Open, in the latter stages of the year he hasn’t been bad, but he has regressed a little bit. Luke Littler is probably the worst draw that Gilding could have got and I think that Luke is going to come through that one I feel.

Kevin Barth: You have to name Dirk van Duijvenbode, his shoulder is the one thing, but he also seems to have lost mental stability. His first match doesn’t
look that tough, but with his situation nothing will go easy. I also believe that Jim Williams will shock Peter Wright. Andrew Gilding has been there and there abouts, but Luke Littler doesn’t fear anybody and will cause problems. Florian Hempel will defeat Dimitri van den Bergh for the second time on the Ally Pally stage.

Jetze Jan Idsardi: At the start of the year he was one of the best players in the world, but an injury has set Dirk van Duijvenbode way back. Both Keegan Brown and Boris Krcmar will fancy their chances against the damaged Dutchman. I would also express my condolences to Andrew Gilding: drawing Luke Littler is an absolute nightmare for every seed.

Jack Garwood: Jonny Clayton’s form is a real worry right now. The Ferret will either play Steve Lennon or Owen Bates, and that’s a draw I think Jonny will look at and think he could have done without. Dirk Van Duijvenbode’s injury also means he is at risk when he takes on Keegan Brown or Boris Krcmar.

Connor Cain: Dave Chisnall. Chizzy faces a tricky round two tie against either Cameron Menzies or Rusty-Jake Rodriguez and though the St Helens man has won five titles on the floor/Euro Tour, his TV form has been horrific at best. He got a couple of wins at the recent Players Championship Finals but would’ve been disappointed to lose to Luke Woodhouse. That being said, it normally takes a special performance to send him packing here. I really don’t want to fall into the trap of underestimating James Wade but he is prone to dropping a clanger, and a round two match-up against Matt Campbell or Lourence Ilagan can see him punished. In fairness though, James Wade is the king of dropping clangers and still winning so maybe I should omit him from this question. Andrew Gilding comes into this as the UK Open champion and has had an okay year outside of that. But if Littler gets past Christian Kist as I expect he will, he more than has the game to beat Gilding – and most people in this tournament. Littler averaged over a ton recently to defeat Gian van Veen in the world youth final and Phil Taylor has hailed him as the best young player he’s ever seen. If you’ve seen anything about this kid, you’ll know this isn’t hyperbole and I predict a good run here from Littler before he competes on the tour next year.

In 2023 we’ve seen more first-time major winners, including Luke Humphries who has won three of the last four titles – is this the strongest field we’ve ever had for a World Championship?

Rod Studd: Everyone knows as a contrarian I like to disagree with obvious narratives so I’ll say 2017 is probably the strongest looking back. Five players had 100+ tournament averages. MVG had records galore including a 106 tournament average. Reyes and Barney set record losing averages. The Reyes display v MVG in round two with a 106 average says it all about the strength in depth. He was ranked 32 at the time.

Dan Dawson: Yes and no. I think there are more potential winners than ever and the strength in depth continues to improve, but one of the reasons that’s been able to happen is because there is no dominant force at the top of the sport who is consistently average 102+ for the entire year, tournament after tournament. Humphries is making a move to potentially be the next guy to do it. The very top end of the game is not as good as it has been in the past, but everything else is better than ever. In my mind, that makes it more exciting and more interesting – and it sets up a brilliant World Championship.

Laura Turner: I think we say it every year, but this is an amazing field of players, and the international qualifiers are getting stronger and stronger each year which makes it even more competitive! I’ve been impressed by the American’s Buntz and Spellman – it wouldn’t surprise me if there were a few early upsets this year or a new face picking up the title!

Stuart Pyke: The strongest field argument is put forward every year. It is what it is, but I think there is the longest list of genuine contenders to win the title. Van Gerwen, Humphries, Price, Smith, Aspinall and you have to throw Stephen Bunting into the mix as an outside punt! Bring it on it’s the best time of the year!

Ian Danter: I think that’s possibly the case. The strength of those like Littler and van Veen, plus those who’ve benefitted from regular appearances with cameras present on Modus Super Series events levels up the playing field more than ever before. Absolutely no hiding place at the Palace these days!

Phil Haigh: Potentially. It’s always tempting to think the next one is the most open/strongest and it might be, but around 2013-15 with Taylor and RVB in the mix is up there.

Christopher Kempf: The strength of the field is certainly less concentrated in a few elite players as it was for most of the history of darts – until ca. 2020 there was always one obvious favourite to win the title, and that favourite usually won. The field is certainly more balanced than at any point in the tournament’s history, but I don’t think the potential exists in 2024 to surpass the achievements of 2017 and 2018. To me it is inconceivable that any two players in the present moment could average a combined 112 over 32 legs, for instance.

Carl Fletcher: I think every year we say the same, is this best field ever. I don’t like to say that as I’m sure if you look back at other events at the time you probably felt that. It’s a competitive event for sure and there’s certainly a plethora of players who’ll come into this with ambitions of winning the title.

Chris Hammer: As every year passes, we see fewer and fewer low quality games due to the global standard always increasing. But I do think there’s a bit of a gulf between the realistic winners and the chasing pack.

Dylan Williams: We seem to say the same thing every year – but it is the case. The game continues to evolve and with that we see better, more professional players taking to the biggest stage the game has to offer. In years gone by you could make a clear case for most of the ProTour qualifiers to breeze through their first round matches, but with the development of the game across the globe, I can see a few upsets on the cards from our international representatives.

Lendel Faria: Yes and no. No because of the fact that Phil Taylor and 2016 Michael van Gerwen aren’t in the field. Yes because of the fact (and yes I know everyone is saying it) that the strength in depth is probably the best that it’s ever been. A lot of the international qualifiers are in fact better than the qualifiers from the ProTour. Darts is going places and it probably will result in one of the best World Championships ever!

Kevin Barth: I’m no fan of talking about strongest fields. It’s a good one, the
standard in general is growing and there are some really interesting new names, especially Luke Littler. But on the opposite we have some international players who really could under perform. It’s a really interesting field, but I don’t want to lift it to the best ever. The results and the level of play will show.

Jetze Jan Idsardi: The ProTour qualifiers have always been of a great level, but the international qualifiers have rarely been better than this year. The amount of ‘walk-overs’ have been severely reduced, while more and more players can push the best players in the world. I say it every year, but this edition of the World Championship could be spectacular.

Jack Garwood: I’m not so sure on that. With the emergence of new winners (We’ve had in the last couple of years with Jonny Clayton, Joe Cullen, Chris Dobey etc), it also feels like the top boys have taken a dip. MVG is human. Smith isn’t firing. Wright is unpredictable and Price’s form has been great, but he’s found ways to lose this year. With lots of new international qualifiers in the field it’s also hard to make that call. That Ally Pally stage is a nervy place for many on debut!

Connor Cain: I hate the phrase “most wide open World Championship ever” because it seems to be used every year, but I have to admit it may be applicable for the 2024 World Championship. I don’t need to tell you why MVG, Luke Humphries and Gerwyn Price kick-off favourites, and though Michael Smith has had a disappointing year as the defending champion, you can’t ever write him off. Peter Wright is another who’s struggled in 2023 but still managed to capture a major and Rob Cross is arguably playing his best darts since winning this tournament in 2018. And who could forget Gary Anderson – one of the best big-match players we’ve ever seen. Anderson has threatened to win the World Championship when he’s been out of form, now he’s playing some of the best stuff he’s played in years consistently and only a fool would write him off. Then you’ve got your dangerous dark horses such as Stephen Bunting and Damon Heta. I’ve also just realised I’ve not mentioned Jonny Clayton and the World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall! That is how stacked this field is. The 2024 World Championship really could be the strongest field yet and there’s genuinely about eight people who it would not shock me if they lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy. I also want to place on record that sources close to me inform me that Simon Whitlock is ready for a march so expect some Wizard magic!

Picture: PDC