Michael Van Gerwen is a favorite for this year’s PDC World Darts Championship, but the Dutchman will face fierce competition to claim the Sid Waddell Trophy.
Champion Peter Wright, who beat Michael Smith in an exciting final 7 last year, and 2021 champion Gerwyn Price are clear favorites with £500,000 to be awarded to the winner.
In the genesis of the tournament, Van Gerwen countered critics who argued that he should have won more than three world titles given his talent, but Van Gerwen, 33, argues he has nothing to prove.
“Of course I want to add more, but as long as I keep winning tournaments, the World Championships will follow,” he told the PA news agency. “There it is, keep believing in yourself. People always say you have to do this or that, I’ve won four big tournaments this season so I’m not complaining. I’m fine From now on, only more to come.
“I don’t have to prove anything, everybody knows what I’ve done in darts in the last 10-15 years, what I can do. I just want to do what I love most, and that’s to play as well as I can.” Here is the 2023 World Darts Championship schedule:
2022/23 World Darts Championship odds – as of 21 December
Michael van Gerwen 5/2
Michael Smith 11/2
Gerwyn Price 13/2
Peter Wright 10/1
Luke Humphries 14/1
Josh Rock 16/1
Johnny Clayton18/1
Dimitri Van den Bergh 25/1
Nathan Aspinall 28/1
Dirk van Duijvenbode 33/1
Rob Cross 33/1
Danny Noppert 33/1
Dave Chisnal 33/1
Joe Cullen 40/1
Damon Heta 40/1
Gary Anderson 40/1
Raymond Van Barneveld 50/1
James Term 50/1
Ross Smith 66/1
Ryan Searle66/1
Chris Dobey 80/1
Jose De Sousa 80/1
Alan Soutar 100/1
by the way Betfair
Prediction
We’re going with Michael van Gerwen (9/4 pre-tournament), he’s back in form this year with four major titles that made him the best player of his generation and a tough man to bet against.
But Michael Smith (7/1) may be people’s choice after the heartache against Wright last year. Now may be the time for Bully Boy, who has been revived after catching a streak of eight major recent losses to finally achieve victory at the Grand Slam. However, Smith could run into trouble with the likes of Luke Humphries, Dave Chisnall and Joe Cullen, who pose tough hurdles on the way to the final.
A dark horse or someone to follow? It should be Nathan Aspinall (33/1). Asp is mentally stronger after surviving the injury nightmare and now has results to back it up after making the World Grand Prix and Grand Slam finals, which means there can be value in every way in the Stockport man.
Definitely Josh Rock (16/1) is one for the future and the 21-year-old will be dying to make some noise here, but the prospect of being the sixth favorite makes him a daunting choice for punters, but fans will lick their lips with Callan Rydz as unlikely to be able to confirm any title credentials. in a second round match.
2022/23 World Darts Championship
Game Calendar
Thursday, December 15 (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Mickey Mansell 3-1 Ben Robb (K1)
Keane Barry 1-3 Grant Sampson (R1)
Jermaine Wattimena 2-3 Nathan Rafferty (K1)
Peter Wright 3-0 Mickey Mansell (K2)
Friday, December 16
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Alan Soutar 3-0 Mal Cuming (R1)
Boris Krcmar 3-0 Toru Suzuki (R1)
Adrian Lewis 3-0 Daniel Larsson (K1)
Kim Huybrechts 3-0 Grant Sampson (R2)
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Rowby-John Rodriguez 2-3 Laurence Ilagan (K1)
William O’Connor 3-0 Beau Greaves (K1)
Keegan Brown 2-3 Florian Hempel (R1)
Michael Smith 3-0 Nathan Rafferty (K2)
Saturday, December 17
Afternoon Session (1100 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Martin Lukeman 3-0 Nobuhiro Yamamoto (K1)
Simon Whitlock 3-2 Christian Perez (K1)
Adam Gawlas 3-2 Richie Burnett (K1)
Daryl Gurney 0-3 Alan Soutar (R2)
Evening Session (2000 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Ryan Meikle 3-2 Lisa Ashton (R1)
Cameron Menzies 3-1 Diogo Portela (R1)
Josh Rock 3-1 Jose Justicia (K1)
Dimitri Van den Bergh 3-0 Laurence Ilagan (K2)
Sunday, December 18
Afternoon Session (1100 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Madars Razma 3-1 Prakash Jiwa (R1)
Karel Sedlacek 3-0 Raymond Smith (R1)
Luke Woodhouse 3-0 Vladyslav Omelchenko (K1)
Damon Heta 3-0 Adrian Lewis (R2)
Evening Session (2000 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Mike De Decker 3-1 Jeff Smith (K1)
Scott Williams 3-1 Ryan Joyce (K1)
Matt Campbell 0-3 Danny Baggish (K1)
Nathan Aspinall 3-1 Boris Krcmar (R2)
Monday, December 19
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Andrew Gilt 3-2 Robert Owen (K1)
Danny Jansen 3-2 Paolo Nebrida (K1)
Niels Zonneveld 0-3 Lewy Williams (R1)
Jose de Sousa 3-2 Simon Whitlock (K2)
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Geert Nentjes 1-3 Leonard Gates (R1)
Ritchie Edhouse 2-3 David Cameron (R1)
Steve Beaton 0-3 Danny van Trijp (R1)
Gerwyn Price 3-1 Luke Woodhouse (R2)
Tuesday, December 20 (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Jim Williams 3-2 Sebastian Bialecki (K1)
Jamie Hughes 1-3 Jimmy Hendriks (K1)
Ricky Evans 3-1 Fallon Sherrock (R1)
Raymond van Barneveld 3-1 Ryan Meikle (R2)
Wednesday, December 21
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
2x First Round, 2x Second Round
John O’Shea – Darius Labanauskas (R1)
Martijn Kleermaker – Xicheng Han (R1)
Callan Rydz and Josh Rock (R2)
Dave Chisnall v Andrew Gilding (R2)
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
4x Second Round
Mervyn King v Danny Baggish
Gabriel Clemens vs. William O’Connor
Michael van Gerwen v Lewy Williams
Stephen Bunting – Leonard Gates
Thursday, December 22
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
4x Second Round
Krzysztof Ratajski – Danny Jansen
Ryan Searle vs. Adam Gawlas
Mensur Suljovic v Mike De Decker
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Karel Sedlacek
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
4x Second Round
Gary Anderson vs. Madars Razma
James Wade v Jim Williams
Luke Humphries – Florian Hempel
Vincent van der Voort v Cameron Menzies
Friday, December 23
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
4x Second Round
Brendan Dolan vs. Jimmy Hendriks
Chris Dobey – Kleermaker/Han
Ross Smith – O’Shea/Labanauskas
Rob Cross and Scott Williams
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
4x Second Round
Martin Schindler v Martin Lukeman
Danny Noppert v David Cameron
Jonny Clayton vs. Danny Van Trijp
Joe Cullen v Ricky Evans
Tuesday, December 27
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x Third Round
Dimitri Van den Bergh – Ratajski/Jansen/Nebrida
Nathan Aspinall vs. Rydz/Rock
Clayton/Beaton/Van Trijp – Dolan/Hughes/Hendriks
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x Third Round
Wade/J Williams/Bialecki – Clemens/O’Connor/Greaves
Gerwyn Price v Raymond Van Barneveld
Peter Wright and Kim Huybrechts
Wednesday, December 28
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x Third Round
Searle/Gawlas/Burnett – Jose De Sousa
Noppert/Edhouse/Cameron – Alan Soutar
Anderson/Razma/Jiwa – Dobey/Kleermaker/Han
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x Third Round
Cullen/Evans vs Damon Heta
Van Gerwen/Zonneveld/L Williams – Suljovic/De Decker/J Smith
Michael Smith – Schindler/Lukeman
Thursday, December 29
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x Third Round
Van Duijvenbode/Sedlacek/Ray Smith – Ross Smith/O’Shea/Labanauskas
Cross/S Williams/Joyce – King/Campbell/Baggish
Chisnall/Gilding/Owen – Bunting/Nentjes/Gates
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
1x Third Round, 2x Fourth Round
Humphries/K Brown/Hempel – Van der Voort/Menzies/Portela
Fourth Round matches to be announced on 29-30 December
Game schedule is subject to change. Changes will be reported on pdc.tv and via OfficialPDC social media channels.
Format
Round One – Best of five sets
Second Round – Best of five sets
Third Round – Best of seven sets
Round Four – Best of seven sets
Quarterfinals – Best of nine sets
Semi-Finals – Best of 11 Sets
Final – best of 13 sets