Record-breaking Littler 4/6 for World Championship hat-trick after Matchplay domination

Luke Littler has been trimmed into a best price of 4/6 to make it a hat-trick of PDC World Championship wins next January after one of the most impressive major displays ever concluded in him retaining his World Matchplay crown on Sunday night.

The 19-year-old sensation powered past Gerwyn Price 18-9 in the final at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens to maintain his 100% record in this year’s major events, capping a week where the Nuke’s frightening dominance over the rest of the sport’s stars has appeared larger than ever before.

He opened up his campaign with a breathtaking 109.53 average in a 10-6 win over German prospect Niko Springer – yet farcically, that ended up being his ‘poorest’ display of the week. His 11-8 defeat of Nathan Aspinall, which featured a nine-dart finish in the opening leg, resulted in an astronomical 113.68 average, before dipping back to 109.57 when routing good friend Josh Rock 16-7 in the quarter-finals.

Surprise semi-finalist Dirk van Duijvenbode was completely outclassed by Littler in the final four, at times looking in awe of the youngster in a 17-5 hammering. And while Price performed admirably in defeat during Sunday’s showpiece (averaging 104.97), he was no match for the menacing Littler who looked in cruise control from minute one with a 111.53 showing.

Littler breaking new ground

Littler has already set countless records since arriving in the PDC as a 16-year-old and his World Matchplay rolling tournament average of 111.04 absolutely crushed the previous best of 106.31 set by the legendary Phil Taylor in 2010.

The general consensus among darts fans and pundits has long been that longevity would be the only way Littler could usurp Taylor as being considered the game’s greatest ever player. The Power won 16 PDC World Championships and 87 major championships in total during a career spanning three decades.

However, that school of thought does appear to be changing in some quarters as Littler continues to perform at loftier levels than ever seen before.

Littler has now set his sights on trying to win every major ranking event in the same season, having now captured the World Championship, World Masters, UK Open and World Matchplay in 2026.

The biggest threat to him completing the set appears to be his qualification for November’s Players Championship Finals in Minehead.

Having opted not to play any of the floor events (Pro Tours) thus far in 2026, Littler currently sits over £20,000 outside the 64 qualifying spots and will have to not only just turn up, but enjoy strong success, in the season’s final events.

The youngster confirmed his intention to play in the four remaining UK Pro Tour events, which take place in Leicester – two in August and two in November. Should he opt to skip the other four events (in Den Boesch, Netherlands), it’s fair to assume he will need to win at least two of the Leicester events to make MInehead.

It adds an interesting sub-plot to a groundbreaking campaign, where the top dog has operated on a completely different level to his peers.

Humphries still considered best of the rest in latest odds

It takes a brave or stupid punter to go against Littler in this current climate where majors are concerned and many feel the Warrington ace’s price could yet go shorter before the Christmas darting bonanza at Ally Pally.

Yet for those who are seeking alternatives, bookmakers are clear in their opinion that Luke Humphries remains the chief threat to Littler’s throne.

The 2024 World Champion was a shock early departure at last week’s Matchplay, losing to Cameron Menzies in round one, but remains the only player who has frequently managed to compete with – and beat ≠ Littler with any kind of regularity.

Humphries is a best price of 6/1 to win the 2027 PDC World Championship as things stand – a price no doubt influenced by the each-way angle given Cool Hand is assured to stay on the opposite half of the draw to Littler if he remains world number two.

Despite enduring a poor year by his high standards, Humphries has won four of his last five meetings with Littler and knows he can tussle with the Nuke on the biggest stages, with notable successes including the 2024 World Championship final and the 2025 Premier League final.

Cool Hand exited last year’s World Championship to Gian van Veen, the 12/1 third-favourite at the time of writing.

Van Veen continued to build on his excellent major championship record last week when making the semi-finals at Blackpool despite rarely reaching his best level. A bout of kidney stones derailed his early campaign this term but the Dutchman is certainly a contender when at his best – even though he does have a concerning record against Littler on the big stages.

The other man punters are keen to get on side is Matchplay runner-up Gerwyn Price, who is a 14/1 chance for the 2027 PDC World Championship after his Blackpool exploits.

The Iceman is now five years without a major title but the recent signs are certainly positive and Littler’s freakish levels should not let his 105 average in the final go unnoticed. Indeed, Price has been backed with several firms in the wake of his noble showing in defeat.

Outside of those, punters would be taking a leap of faith. Wessel Nijman remains the one player with real untapped potential on the big stage but the eight-time Pro Tour/ European Tour winner in 2026 is still yet to show his best at the majors. He is a 20/1 chance for Ally Pally glory in 2027 at the time of writing.

READ MORE: SD column – Racing deserves praise for superb Saturday

PricedUp.bet have fantastic darts boosts on offer for every major tournament! New customers who register via THIS LINK can receive £20 in free bets.

18+. New customers only. Opt in required. Minimum bet of £40 on any selections. Min odds of evens (2.00). Pre-game only. Free bet awarded upon settlement. Free bet split into 4 x £5. Free bet on accumulators only. Free bet expiry 24 hours. Other free bet terms apply. Maximum pay-outs apply. GamCare.org.uk | UK only. Full T&Cs apply. #ad