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Can the Flying Scotsman derail the Dutch express in a sudden-death thriller?
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The atmosphere inside Alexandra Palace is set to reach a fever pitch this evening as the Paddy Power World Darts Championship reaches its penultimate stage on Day 19 of the competition. It is Friday, January 2, 2026, and the famous London venue will be rocking as four of the finest players on the planet step up to the oche, each just one victory away from a place in Saturday’s grand finale. The broadcast cameras from Sky Sports will be rolling from 7.40pm, capturing every dart thrown in what promises to be an evening of high drama and relentless scoring.
Read on for the best bet for the PDC World Darts Championship and the analysis in addition to the best betting offers to take full advantage of.
Darts betting tips: PDC World Darts Championship semi-finals Best Bet for Friday January 2
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Luke Littler enters this final as the standard-bearer for the sport. His unbeaten run at Alexandra Palace and his relentless 100+ averages make him the formidable favourite. While Van Veen’s run has been heroic, Littler’s proven ability to dominate this specific stage should see him successfully defend his title.
- Luke Littler is currently operating at a devastating 0.54 180s per leg ratio, significantly overshadowing Ryan Searle’s 0.28.
- Gary Anderson edged out Gian van Veen 16-14 in their previous high-stakes televised meeting at the 2024 Grand Slam.
- Gian van Veen averaged a monstrous 111 across the final three sets of his quarter-final victory over Luke Humphries.
Anderson vs Van Veen — bet365 Market Snapshot
Swipe through key markets with illustrative probabilities and sample bet365 odds based on our semi-final analysis.
Van Veen enters as the clear favourite at 8/15, but Anderson’s 6/4 price offers significant value for a player with his stage pedigree.
We predict a marathon 6-5 Anderson win (tipped at 17/2), though the bookies see a Van Veen victory as the more likely outcome.
A high-scoring affair is expected. Bookmakers can’t split them on “Most 180s” with both priced at 1/1.
The narrative arcs for tonight could not be more compelling, offering a distinct blend of inevitability and unpredictability. In the opening tie, we witness the reigning world number one and defending champion, Luke Littler, continuing his defence of the Sid Waddell Trophy against the heavy-scoring Ryan Searle.
Scoring Power: Tournament Average
Littler has consistently hit the 100+ mark, while Searle has been solid but slightly less explosive in raw scoring terms throughout the event.
The defending champion has averaged over 100 in 14 of his Ally Pally appearances, including a rampant 5-0 win last time out.
Heavy Metal is close to the 100 mark but dropped to 91.43 in his quarter-final, a level that won’t suffice here.
Maximum Impact: 180s Per Leg
This metric reveals the biggest gap between the two players: Littler is finding the lipstick almost twice as often as Searle.
A resoundingly one-sided stat. Littler’s firepower allows him to surge clear or turn matches around instantly.
Searle relies more on cover shots and big combination finishes rather than relentless 180 hitting.
Finishing: Checkout Percentage
Both players have been clinical on the outer ring, with barely one percent separating their doubling success rates.
60 successful doubles from 112 attempts highlights just how hard it is to break his throw when he gets a shot.
Despite a lower scoring average, Searle stays competitive by nailing big finishes and punishing mistakes.
It is a clash that pits the prodigious talent of the “Nuke” against the determined grit of “Heavy Metal”. However, it is the second semi-final that has truly captured the imagination of the darting public. The legendary “Flying Scotsman” Gary Anderson takes on the fearless Dutch youngster Gian van Veen in a contest that feels like a massive generational collision.
With the format now extended to the arduous best of 11 sets, stamina, timing, and mental fortitude will be tested to their absolute limits in this pressure-cooker environment.
Semi-Final Analysis
Luke Littler vs Ryan Searle
The evening begins with what many expect to be a coronation procession for the world number one. Luke Littler has been nothing short of imperious, winning 17 of his last 18 matches at this venue. His quarter-final performance was a masterclass in efficiency; he was serene in dispatching Krzysztof Ratajski 5-0, creating an aura of invincibility that is becoming difficult to bet against.
Ryan Searle, affectionately known as “Heavy Metal,” faces a monumental task. While he has enjoyed a strong tournament, including four whitewash victories in his first five games, his quarter-final win over Jonny Clayton exposed some chinks in the armour. Despite firing in three ton-plus checkouts, Searle operated at a 57 per cent checkout success rate but only managed a match average of 91.43. Against a player of Littler’s calibre, who has posted averages exceeding 100 in 14 of his Ally Pally appearances, such slack darts will be royally punished.
For Searle to compete, he cannot rely on standard scoring alone; he must disrupt Littler’s rhythm with massive finishes. The BettingTips4You Expert Rating suggests Searle thrives on “scraps”—big combination checkouts when under pressure. Expect him to target the bullseye frequently; if he can land a couple of high-pressure bull finishes, he might pinch a set or two, but the Nuke’s relentless 180 hitting power will likely prove too much over the long format.
Gian van Veen vs Gary Anderson
This is undeniably the main event. Gian van Veen has arguably been the player of the tournament thus far, having dismantled the world number one Luke Humphries with a breathtaking 5-1 victory. His provisional rise to third in the world rankings is fully deserved, and his ability to average over 111 in the closing stages of that quarter-final suggests he gets stronger as the match wears on.
However, writing off Gary Anderson is a perilous game. The 55-year-old Scot is playing with a freedom and aggression that rolls back the years. He has already ended the hopes of Van Gerwen and Wattimena, and he will not be intimidated by Van Veen’s heavy scoring. Anderson’s rhythm is hypnotic, and if he finds his range on the treble 20 early, this game will descend into a classic toe-to-toe slugfest.
The key battleground will be the clutch moments. Van Veen showed incredible poise against Humphries, winning all three sets that went to a fifth leg.
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Gary Anderson To Win 6-5
While the bookmakers may lean towards the youthful exuberance and recent form of Gian van Veen, there is immense value in backing the experience and tenacity of Gary Anderson to edge this in a deciding set. Anderson has already dispatched two world-class Dutchmen in this tournament—Jermaine Wattimena and Michael van Gerwen—proving that his mechanics are working as smoothly as ever.
Crucially, Anderson holds a significant psychological edge from their last major meeting on the big stage: a 16-14 thriller at the 2024 Grand Slam. That match demonstrated Anderson’s ability to stay with the youngster dart-for-dart and strike when the pressure peaks. Although Van Veen was sublime in his 5-1 demolition of Luke Humphries, the longer set format at Alexandra Palace often favours the seasoned campaigner who knows how to pace their emotional energy. Anderson is a 180 machine, and if he can match Van Veen’s scoring, his vast experience in sudden-death situations makes a 6-5 victory a highly plausible, high-reward outcome.
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