2025 Australian Darts Masters: Preview and two outright betting tips
Odds Now's darts tipster Matt Hill is on hand to guide you through this weekend's World Series action as the PDC's best head Down Under for the 2025 Australian Darts Masters.
Matt takes a closer look at the draw, the odds and offers up two outright selections, priced at 5/1 and 20/1 respectively.
Stephen Bunting vs Brody Klinge
Josh Rock vs Simon Whitlock
Luke Littler vs Haupai Puha
Damon Heta vs James Bailey
Gerwyn Price vs Joe Comito
Chris Dobey vs Tim Pusey
Luke Humphries vs Jonny Tata
Mike De Decker vs Brandon Weening
Bunting/ Klinge vs Rock/ Whitlock
Littler/ Puha vs Heta/ Bailey
Price/ Comito vs Dobey/ Pusey
Humphries/ Tata vs De Decker/ Weening
Bunting/ Klinge/ Rock/ Whitlock vs Littler/ Puha/ Heta/ Bailey
Price/ Comito/ Dobey/ Pusey vs Humphries/ Tata/ De Decker/ Weening
Top half winner vs bottom half winner
Luke Littler - 6/4
Luke Humphries - 4/1
Gerwyn Price - 5/1
Josh Rock - 17/2
Stephen Bunting - 12/1
Chris Dobey - 16/1
Damon Heta - 20/1
Mike De Decker - 22/1
250/1 BAR
I can't say I'm crazy about the World Series as a betting medium. These tournaments tend to sit somewhere between a standard TV tournament and an exhibition in terms of how seriously those involved are taking it – and that translates into the results.
Take this year as a prime example. In five events, Luke Littler has gone off as betting favourite every time – correctly – but has yet to take any of the titles.
Does this mean the Nuke hasn't played well in them? No, far from it. But you would have to suggest that the hunger to pick up this kind of trophy is not as strong as, say, a major or a Premier League. Again, understandably so.
It's this point which does tend to rope me into a wager because it does feel like a 'surprise' result is not out of the question. However, you can probably draw the line at one of the eight local qualifiers going all the way.
So, if we use putting a line through the eight regional entrants but also being happy to take on Littler as a start point, it gives us an angle into things from a punting perspective.
Let us first look at the half of the draw which does not contain Littler. Here, we have Luke Humphries (4/1 outright), Gerwyn Price (5/1 outright), Chris Dobey (16/1 outright) and Mike De Decker (22/1) outright.
Again, I'm assuming none of the four home qualifiers will be coming out of this section – though one causing a round one upset is not off the cards, given the short format and decent standard of Oceanic darts.
De Decker is on World Series debut here and will be keen to make a splash, with a potential Premier League spot next year not out of the question if he shines in the back-half of 2025.
He does have a testing little opener against Brandon Weening though. The Python was seeded fourth at last year's WDF World Championship and only went out in round three to eventual champion Shane McGurk, so I think De Decker has got an early test on his hands there.
I also worry about his ability to beat three truly world class players in a row currently. His top game is unquestionably elite standard but consistency has been the Belgian's Achilles heel, so I can pass him up at the prices.
Dobey is having a frustrating year, having mopped up on the floor at times but finding himself unable to convert those good performances to the TV stages.
While the Geordie remains a World Championship specialist, early exits at the Masters, UK Open and World Matchplay will have frustrated him – and he has not been beyond the quarter-finals in any of his four World Series appearances this year.
That leaves us with Humphries and Price. Only a point separates them in the betting, which tells a story in itself. And yet, I think you have to be with the Welshman at the moment in such a match-up.
Price is having a phenomenal 2025, probably not picking up the titles his performances have deserved. But he did land a first World Series crown of the year in Poland last month – and he is defending champion here.
Gerwyn Price won last year's Australian Darts Masters (PDC.TV)
He lost little credit in defeat to Josh Rock in the World Matchplay quarter-finals, going down 16-11 in a storming game where he averaged over a ton.
The Iceman has won 24 of his last 28 games on the PDC circuit, including a win over Humphries en route to a Euro Tour triumph last month, so he's definitely the one to be with on recent form.
I'm a big fan of Humphries and would never write him off lightly. But his schedule has been unusually light in recent times and there was visible frustration on show when he was last seen, exiting the Matchplay in the opening round to Gian van Veen.
It may be that Cool Hand is just suffering a little bit of a dip at the moment and while he's always capable of turning on his best game, it may not be enough to stop a rampant Price in this section.
Onto the top half then, and if we're going with the mantra of opposing Littler due to questionable motivation, then it leaves us with Josh Rock (17/2), Stephen Bunting (12/1) and Damon Heta (20/1) to choose from.
You could feasibly make a case for all three.
Rock is probably in the form of his life, having bludgeoned Northern Ireland to a surprise World Cup success in June alongside Daryl Gurney, before backing that brilliance up in Blackpool last month.
The 24-year-old was majestic in making his way through to the Matchplay semi-finals and found himself both 5-0 and 9-6 up on Littler in an epic semi-final, which he eventually lost 16-14.
This first World Series appearances therefore feels well merited and there's nothing to say he won't go very deep this weekend – though at the prices, I'm happy to give him a watching brief.
A trip to Australia is not exactly around the corner and having travelled over with his partner, it may be more a case of soaking things up here and adjusting to the pleasures and rigours of being a PDC road-tripper.
Then there's Bunting, who has been absolutely loving his time on the World Series this year with two tournament wins and a further two runner-up efforts.
The Bullet has still got to prove he can bring his best to the very biggest events, with mediocre World Championship and World Matchplay records still a nagging doubt. However, you cannot fault his record in this sphere.
I do have a slight nagging worry about his recent performances, though. He was well beaten by Niko Springer in his last Euro Tour outing, while I thought he was pretty average at the Matchplay despite finding a way past Ryan Joyce and Gary Anderson, before Jonny Clayton readily put him away.
And so, that leads us on to Heta – the forgotten man in this market, to my eye.
It would be easy to read my content and just think I have an unhealthy obsession with the Aussie, who I find myself quite frequently putting up to win events.
This is quite simply though because I feel his price does not often reflect his actual prospects. And while I accept there are questions to be answered about his major record to date, there's no doubt he excels in all other areas to an elite standard.
I didn't think his exit to Andrew GIlding at the Matchplay was as bad as made out, either. He played well, as did his opponent, and he came out narrowly on the wrong side of things. Gilding's subsequent performances backed that theory up.
Heta is another man wanting to force his way into the Premier League picture and I believe he is tantalisingly close to doing so – probably needing to pick up either a couple of these kind of events or one big one to cement a spot in next year's line-up.
On World Series debut in New York, he played very well, dropping just one leg in his first two matches before exiting to Nathan Aspinall with a 104 average.
A repeat of that level here will make him a hard man to get rid of for anyone, including potential round two opponent Littler, who has felt the wrath of Heta on big TV stages before.
We haven't even added in the home element yet, either. Heta's switch to the professional ranks was prompted by a stunning success at the 2019 Brisbane Darts Masters, where a rampant crowd roared him all the way to the title as a regional qualifier.
Clearly, playing for his country means a lot to the Aussie. It was that patriotism that helped carry Heta and Simon Whitlock to the 2022 World Cup of Darts title – and similar support is guaranteed in Wollangong.
Ultimately, the price is key to everything and at 20/1 (EW 1/3 2 places), taking a chance on Heta rising to the occasion on home soil once again looks a savvy play.
2pts win – Gerwyn Price – 5/1 (Betfred, Ladbrokes, StarSports)
0.75pts EW – Damon Heta – 20/1 (various – 1/3 odds 2 places)
Price is enjoying a fabulous year, winning on the World Series recently and can take advantage of a favourable draw.
Heta will be desperate to make a strong bid in home territory and is capable of shocking Littler in round two. A good value play.
Matt Hill is Odds Now's Head of Content and leads our digital operation, while also offering his insight as a tipster across darts and football.
Having worked in the industry for the best part of a decade, including extended stints with Betfred and LiveScore, Matt joined the project in May 2024 with the sole aim of making Odds Now a key player in the betting content space.
He has also forged a reputation as a respected darts tipster, landing numerous three-figure outright winners over the years, while his love for lower league football also helps him pick out the odd obscure winner in that space.
When not at the editorial desk, Matt enjoys travelling the country supporting his beloved Carlisle United FC, chucking a few arrows and spending time with his young family.
Matt Hill is Odds Now's Head of Content and leads our digital operation, while also offering his insight as a tipster across darts and football.
Having worked in the industry for the best part of a decade, including extended stints with Betfred and LiveScore, Matt joined the project in May 2024 with the sole aim of making Odds Now a key player in the betting content space.
He has also forged a reputation as a respected darts tipster, landing numerous three-figure outright winners over the years, while his love for lower league football also helps him pick out the odd obscure winner in that space.
When not at the editorial desk, Matt enjoys travelling the country supporting his beloved Carlisle United FC, chucking a few arrows and spending time with his young family.
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