Luke Humphries can ramp up for defence of darts world title by retaining World Grand Prix

Luke Littler lit up past Christmas and caller twelvemonth erstwhile helium dominated headlines connected the beforehand and backmost pages with his astonishing tally to the World Darts Championship final.

The Warrington wonderment was lone 16 astatine the clip and looked unstoppable arsenic helium ploughed his mode done the tract astatine London’s Alexandra Palace.

But alternatively of blowing speech Luke Humphries successful a stunning showdown, The Nuke was disarmed arsenic the satellite No.1 rocketed his mode to victory.

Littler has enjoyed a palmy 2024, winning the Premier League and World Series, but helium has remained successful Humphries’ shadiness arsenic Cool Hand Luke has won six televised ranking titles portion besides lifting the World Cup with Michael Smith.

His emergence to the apical began erstwhile helium won his archetypal important title, the World Grand Prix, 12 months agone and helium returns to Leicester bidding to articulation Phil Taylor and Michael Van Gerwen arsenic the lone players to observe triumph successful the tourney successful consecutive years.

Humphries, who besides won the World Matchplay astatine the Winter Gardens successful Blackpool successful July, has reached 8 of the past 10 PDC finals truthful it is somewhat astonishing to spot Littler chalked up arsenic the 7/2 favourite with Paddy Power, Betfair and Betway among others to hoist aloft the trophy connected Sunday.

Humphries has to beryllium the 1 to bushed and he’s 9/2 with StarSports, SpreadEx and Sporting Index to statesman the countdown to his satellite title defence connected a triumphant note.

Humphries is besides backable astatine 6/5 with William Hill to triumph the archetypal 4th of the gully which includes Ross Smith, Stephen Bunting, Johnny Clayton and Raymond van Barneveld.

Littler, meanwhile, is 6/4 with Betfred to triumph the 2nd 4th though Nathan Aspinall is large astatine 8/1 with Betway if helium catches fire, portion Chris Dobey is 11/2 with Sky Sports to triumph a 4th fourth headed by Van Gerwen.

The leaves the 3rd 4th which should beryllium taken by Gerwen Price astatine 7/2 with Unibet, BetUK and BetMGM. The Welshman is worthy an each-way dabble astatine 14/1 with StarSports and SpreadEx to triumph the rubric helium claimed successful 2020 fixed that he’s successful the other fractional of the gully to the 2 Lukes.

• Stick Dave Chisnall, Ross Smith, Johnny Clayton, James Wade and Nathan Aspinall successful an opening time acca with World Grand Prix sponsors BoyleSports.

• Kansas City tin widen their cleanable commencement to the NFL play to 5-0 erstwhile the erratic New Orleans Saints sojourn Arrowhead Park for a Monday Night Football battle. The Chiefs are chasing an unprecedented 3 consecutive World Series successes and look arsenic beardown arsenic ever arsenic they decorativeness the 4th fourth powerfully to assertion the W. The Saints conflict to adjacent retired games arsenic good and Kansas are 10/11 with the bulk of firms to triumph by implicit 5.5 points. Saints wide receiver Chris Olave is 12/5 with SpreadEx to people a touchdown astatine immoderate clip and JuJu Smith-Schuster tin station six points for the Chiefs astatine 9/2 with William Hill arsenic helium fills the breach for injured apical people Rashee Rice.

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