Humphries, Smith or MVG – Who will win this years PDC World Championships

This year’s PDC World Championships are set to take place this Friday with the winner taking home the Sid Waddell trophy and £500,000. 

But with some new faces coming into the sport and some players getting even better, who will take home the prize? 

Well, one of the favorites for this year’s crown is Grand Slam winner and Player Championship final winner Luke Humphries. Humphries beat three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen in the Players Championship final to secure a second televised trophy in his last two competitions. Humphries now has his eyes set on the World Championship being joint favorite to win the competition. 

Van Gerwen is joint favorite with Humphries to take home the trophy. Ranked second in the world, van Gerwen is set to make it a fourth world title if he can win it all. The seven-time premier league champion is set to play Keane Barry or Reynaldo Rivera in his first game of the tournament.  

Last year’s PDC World Champion Michael Smith has dipped in form since winning last year’s competition. Still ranked number one in the order of merit, Smiths hopes of a return to form may see him win a second World Championship in the space of a year.  

There are some players representing the North East at this year’s World Championships. With the likes of Chris Dobey, Ryan Joyce and Callan Rydz taking the stage at Ally Pally this year. 

Joyce recently found himself in the semi-final of the Players Championships losing out on a final spot to the eventual winner Luke Humphries.  

Chris Dobey has found himself invited back to the premier league for this coming season despite reaching the last 16 of the grand slam of darts and being 17th in the order of merit. 

Callan Rydz joins the fellow North East players on the Alexandra Palace stage with his last televised game being a 6-3 defeat to Michael Van Gerwen in the Players Championships.  

This year’s tournament is a little different as the sponsors of this year’s event, Paddy Power, are donating £1000 to prostate cancer for every 180 hit at the tournament. Paddy Power sparked outrage on social media when they displayed a dart board with the triple 20 in green. They have since the outrage came out and announced that the board will not be changing and announced the gesture to the darting community.