We started the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship with a record-breaking 128 players, but by the time Friday’s session comes to an end, we will be down to just two. The Alexandra Palace extravaganza approaches its conclusion, and we are here to pick out some tasty bets ahead of the semi-finals on Friday, 2 January.
PDC World Darts Championship Semi-Final Tips
An epic tournament is set for an epic finish as four players battle it out for a spot in the World Championship final. We have analysed some of the best online bookies to produce two juicy selections ahead of Friday’s action.
| Market | Odds | Return for £10 |
|---|---|---|
| Luke Littler vs Ryan Searle Over 7.5 Sets | 8/15 (BoyleSports) | £15.33 |
| Gian van Veen vs Gary Anderson – Highest Checkout Over 149.5 | 5/6 (BoyleSports) | £18.33 |
| 1.81/1 (BoyleSports) | £28.11 |
*Odds correct at 21:00 on 01/01/2026. Odds subject to change.
Bet 1: Luke Littler vs Ryan Searle Over 7.5 Sets
Defending champion Luke Littler will be looking to reach the PDC World Championship final for the third successive year when he takes on Ryan Searle.
The 18-year-old secured his spot in the semis after thrashing Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski 5-0 with a 100 average. Speaking after the game, Littler revealed he wasn’t happy with his performance and vowed to get better… a scary thought for his next opponent.
Ryan Searle will be sharing the oche with Littler on Friday night, and Heavy Metal will certainly need to improve on his 91 average from the quarter-final victory over Jonny Clayton.
No Expiry Date
Generally speaking, Searle has been terrific throughout the tournament, dropping just two sets on his way to the semis. The 38-year-old looked particularly good when he averaged over 100 against Martin Schindler and James Hurrell in previous rounds.
While Searle remains a massive underdog, the big question is how many sets can the Englishman win against Littler? Ratajski failed to get anything on the board on Thursday, but it wasn’t for the lack of opportunities.
We believe Heavy Metal is capable of getting at least a couple of sets to his name, especially if he can find his rhythm and recreate his darts from the recent matches against Schindler and Hurrell. With that in mind, over 7.5 sets is the way to go.
Bet 2: Gian van Veen vs Gary Anderson Highest Checkout Over 149.5
Is Gian van Veen about to make his breakthrough into the darting mainstream? The Dutchman destroyed Luke Humphries in the quarters, thrashing the former world champion 5-1 with a 105 average.
The 23-year-old is absolutely flying, which is good news for us considering we backed him to win the tournament in our weekly newsletter (which you can subscribe to at the bottom of our homepage).
The youngster takes on a rejuvenated two-time world champion Gary Anderson on Friday, which should make for a classic encounter on the Ally Pally stage.
It feels like the Scot has turned back the clock with the way he has been playing, and the 55-year-old veteran is certainly capable of pushing his younger rival all the way.
Special moments will be needed to get over the line in this one, and that includes big checkouts. Van Veen has already hit a couple of 170 finishes at this tournament, though the Dutchman may have to produce a few more blockbuster to reach the final.
With both men in great form, we are backing the highest match checkout to be over 149.5, which is currently priced at around the 5/6 mark.
