The biggest tournament on the darting calendar is here, and on Thursday, the opening round of the PDC World Championship gets underway at Alexandra Palace, London. For 2025-26, we have a record prize fund of £5 million, with the winner taking home a life-changing £1 million.
In a change to the format, the tournament has been expanded to 128 players, and all 32 seeds will enter the first round, unlike previous years, where they’d enter the second round.
It’s created a bit of controlled chaos in the betting markets for the opening round, but as KC and the Sunshine Band once preached, that’s the way we like it. We’ve taken a look to see where the early value lies and landed a couple of our best bets for the opening week.
PDC World Darts Championship First Round Best Bets
With 64 games to choose from over the next week or two, there’s a lot to choose from. If you’re looking for our outright picks, check out our PDC Darts World Championship Odds and Tips Guide. But if you’re looking for a little bit of first-round value, stick around, as we’ve got lots to discuss.
| Game | Result | Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Cullen vs Bradley Brooks | Bradley Brooks to win | 8/13 | BetMGM |
| Martin Lukeman vs Max Hopp | Max Hopp to win | 8/13 | Boylesports |
| Ian White vs Mervyn King | Ian White to win | 4/5 | BetMGM |
| Total Odds | 3.49/1 | BetMGM |
*Odds correct at 9:30 GMT on 9/12/2025. Odds subject to change.
Bet 1: Joe Cullen vs Bradley Brooks – Bradley Brooks to Win
When the draw was made a couple of weeks ago, few games leapt off the page like Joe Cullen vs Bradley Brooks. Cullen may only be mid-thirties, but he’s a seasoned veteran on tour these days, up against one of the game's most exciting talents in Brooks.
However, it’s been a tough year for Cullen. In an interview with Online Darts, he’s admitted to “partly falling out of love with darts”. His inconsistent form has been an issue, and although he won The Masters, he has had several early Players Championship exits and modest runs in a host of TV titles. A dangerous, but vulnerable seed.
Bradley Brooks is on the up. He worked his way through Q-School to regain his card and landed his first senior PDC ranking title, winning the Players Championship 21 in Leicester, beating the likes of Chris Dobey, James Wade and Gerwyn Price.
He’s beaten Cullen already this season in a 6-5 thriller at the European Darts Open, and at 8/13, we’re backing him to repeat the feat. Confidence is key in darts, and Cullen is making all the wrong noises after what sounds like a gruelling year and is likely in need of a rest.
Bet 2: Martin Lukeman vs Max Hopp – Max Hopp to Win
Everyone loves a comeback story in sport, and Max Hopp could play that role in this year's PDC World Championship. The former World Youth Champion (2015) is rebuilding his career after a string of injuries has plagued his form over the last few years.
Let’s not forget that Hopp is a multi-tournament winner, having won the Players Championship and the German Darts Open back in 2018. He’s starting to find some form toward the back end of 2025 as well.
A number of last 32/16 runs at the Players Championship floor events have shown glimpses of what he’s capable of. He was well beaten by Gerwyn Price at the Finals in Minehead, but just being back amongst the elite is a milestone in itself.
For Martin Lukeman, that breakout year of 2024, where he made it to the UK Open quarter-final and Grand Slam final, eventually losing 16-3 to Luke Littler, feels like a lifetime away.
2025 has been a grind. He’s had a lot of early exits in the ProTour and has failed to progress past the last 16 in any event. He’s out of nick, and has never made it past the second round at the Worlds. Hopp gets the nod here as our second pick of the week.
Bet 3: Ian White vs Mervyn King – Ian White to Win
What a draw for these two veterans. Their best darts are arguably behind them, but they’ve both still got the nous and guile to get the job done on the main stage.
The bookies have this down as pretty much a coin flip, and it’s the closest game in terms of odds for the opening round. But we’re siding with Ian “Diamond” White on this one, priced at 4/5.
Neither player's form coming into the Worlds has been particularly noteworthy. But White kicked off 2025 strongly, qualifying for the Players Championship Finals, showing that his floor game has been solid. He made the final of the Players Championship 9, beating none other than Luke Littler in a thriller in Leicester, and still has the fight to compete, which is imperative at the majors.
He fared well at Alexandra Palace in 2025, getting to the third round before losing to Littler, who went on to win the title.
For King, it’s been a tough year. He lost his PDC Tour Card at the end of 2024 and was declared bankrupt shortly after. A drop down to the Challenge Tour has meant he’s had to rebuild his career.
He’s fighting hard to get back in amongst the big boys and has landed a couple of wins and deep runs to his name. But not playing at the highest level at this stage of his career generally doesn’t bode well for making a step up.
White has beaten King three times out of the last four, and the odds of 4/5 to extend that run seem extremely generous.
