Ferdinandos

Both players qualified through their Pro Tour ranking. Doets was ranked 4th and Dennant 23rd, but in terms of their seasonal average there is very little between them. Doets averaged less than 1 point higher than his opponent but managed to win more games. His timing is better, but on this stage we already saw that anything can happen. Doets has more experience on big stages but didn't do that well on them. The Ally Pally stage suits him well, though, having reached the last 16 last year and being involved in a fantastic game against M. Smith in 2024. However, Dennant will be a much tougher opponent than his first-round opponents in previous years. Odds above 2.40 are value here to me.

There is a big difference between these two in terms of seasonal averages. O'Connor averaged 84.09 while Kciuk only averaged 84.61. However, the Polish darter has been playing well in his most recent games. He finished at the top of his group at the WDF World Masters and averaged over 90 in multiple games there. He got through the Polish qualifiers where he also averaged over 90 in the semifinals. He lost both of his games he played on this stage, but O'Connor also lost his first-round game here last year, averaging only 86. Overall, O'Connor is the better player and could win this 3-0 if he throws his best darts. But he's just too inconsistent, and at these odds the value is with The Thumb.

Humphries would be an obvious pick to reach the final, but he hasn't won much this season despite playing well. He might lack some confidence this year. Wade is another contender. He managed to sneak his way deep into TV-stage tournaments without the big averages, but with great timing. However, these two are also in the same quarter of the draw. I'm going for another player who has been very solid and has had some success on the big stage this year. Noppert reached the semifinals in the Masters, World Grand Prix, and Grand Slam. I feel like he made another big step forward this year and could cause an upset. It also helps that he is in the opposing half of the draw from Littler. Josh Rock is probably his biggest opponent on his way to the quarterfinals, where he could meet Van Gerwen or Anderson??"both legends of the sport, but not in their prime anymore.

After reaching the final on his debut, he went on to win it last year as the big favorite. This year he might be an even bigger favorite, and rightfully so. After his win here at Ally Pally, he also won the UK Open, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts, and the Players Championship Finals. He also reached the final of the Premier League and the World Series of Darts Final. He recorded the highest average over the whole season, and certainly in a bigger-set format I don't think anyone will be able to stop him.