Darts Tips: World Championship Semi Final Friday Predictions & Odds
Thursday’s quarter-finals at Alexandra Palace were all relatively one-sided affairs, with each match decided by a margin of three sets or more.
That said, there were still plenty of memorable moments. Luke Littler produced a 170 finish, while Gian van Veen stole the headlines with a stunning 5-1 victory over 2024 world champion Luke Humphries.
Now here at Free Bets we switch our attention to the final four.
Darts Tips: World Championship Semi Finals
Littler is now as short as 1/2 with betting sites to lift the title for a second consecutive year. Van Veen is his nearest rival according to the oddsmakers at 7/2. Gary Anderson, in his first World Championship semi-final since 2022, is a 7/1 chance.
We have a double for the semi-finals, along with a separate tip for each match.
Tip 1: Luke Littler -2.5 Set Handicap vs Ryan Searle & Gian van Veen to beat Gary Anderson at Evens with bet365
Ryan Searle did enough to see off a below-par Jonny Clayton on New Year’s Day, but there was still a regression in Heavy Metal’s level. He posted a 91 average and relied more on clinical finishing than power scoring.
It was not a performance that inspired much confidence regarding his chances against Littler, whose opponent last night, Krzysztof Ratajski, averaged 96 but still failed to win a set.
Littler has not been seriously challenged for long periods at this event, and it feels as though his biggest test will come on finals night rather than this evening.
The next best player in the tournament after The Nuke has been Van Veen, and a final between the pair would be fitting. After beating Humphries 5-1 thanks to an excellent display of scoring and finishing, there is little doubt over his ability to deliver another high-quality effort in the semi-finals.
Anderson has done very little wrong in this tournament, but even he would likely come up short against van Veen at his best, which we are seeing repeatedly.
Tip 2: Luke Littler to beat Ryan Searle 6-0 at 9/2 with Paddy Power
Four of Littler’s five wins in this competition have been whitewashes. Searle looked like a player who had run out of steam slightly yesterday, and if he falls a couple of sets behind here, it could be over quite quickly.
His A game, which we saw in rounds two to four, would be enough to keep this close, but anything below that level would likely result in a non-competitive contest.
Littler has probably been fortunate to drop only the two sets he has so far, but competing against him on this stage clearly adds to the nerves, with players knowing that if they miss opportunities, they may not get another chance.
Tip 3: Gian van Veen to Throw 6+ Perfect Darts of a 9 Dart Finish at 6/5 with BetMGM
Van Veen threw six perfect darts into a nine-darter twice against Charlie Manby, and once again in his win over Humphries.
The latter landed a winner for readers of this column at Evens, and I am happy to go in again, fully expecting another relentless showing from the Dutchman.
Eleven 180s in 27 legs, plus a 170 finish last night, is a sensational return. He also produced a 170 against Alan Soutar, and he is clearly capable of teasing more nine-dart attempts.
Darts World Championship Schedule
Alongside our darts tips for the day, here's a look at the schedule for Friday's semi finals.
Friday, 2 January
- Evening Session - 7:30pm Start
- Luke Littler vs Ryan Searle
- Gian van Veen vs Gary Anderson
