The fourteenth World Cup of Darts gets under way in Frankfurt, Germany on Thursday, with England warm favourites to win their first title since 2016.
They are one of four seeded teams who avoid the group stages, alongside fellow four-time winners the Netherlands, defending champions Wales and last year’s runners-up Scotland.
The other 36 teams battle it out in 12 groups of three, with the winner progressing to the knockout stages.
There are no singles matches any more, the format is a best-of-seven doubles match in the groups before best-of-15 in all knockout games until a best-of-19 final.
talkSPORT BET welcome offer – Bet £10 Get £30 in free bets (app only)*
World Cup of Darts tips
- Germany to win the World Cup of Darts @ 8/1
- Northern Ireland to win the World Cup of Darts @ 20/1
- USA to win Group L @ 10/11
Hometown heroes could get the win
England are odds-on to win this year’s World Cup of Darts with the last two world champions Luke Humphries and Michael Smith looking to add the title to their already full trophy cabinets.
Their price shortened even further at the news that Gerwyn Price had pulled out for defending champions Wales, to be replaced by Jim Williams.
The English pair are rightfully favourites but this will be their first time competing together and they are short enough.
Martin Schindler and Gabriel Clemens have had two years to get accustomed to each other and were beaten semi-finalists in this tournament last year.
The pair are both ranked in the top 24 in the world and have had solid individual years, as Schindler won the 2024 International Darts Open and Clemens reached the semi-final of the Players Championship recently.
Crucially they will have the raucous home crowd behind them and may well outrun their odds at the prices.
Northern Irish pair underrated
Only four players have competed at all 14 editions of the World Cup of Darts, one of which is Northern Ireland’s Brendan Dolan.
The veteran has rarely had as good a partner as Josh Rock however and they could impress in their debut year as a pair.
After a meteoric rise through the ranks, the former World Youth Champions’ career stalled somewhat but he won his first European Tour event, the 2024 Dutch Darts Championship, in May and is knocking on the door of the world’s top 16.
The Northern Irish pair could surprise a few.
USA should come out on top of section
Group L sees the United States, Portugal and Italy face off in one of the more competitive sections.
The US pair of Jules Van Dongen and Danny Lauby Jr are dangerous and look the most balanced in the group.
Jose de Sousa has been in decline for some time and little is known about his playing partner David Gomes.
Italy have a record of one win and 12 defeats at the World Cup and are worth avoiding, side with the United States to top this section.
talkSPORT BET welcome offer – Bet £10 Get £30 in free bets (app only)*
Odds correct at time of writing and subject to change
18+ New customers only. Opt in via app & bet £10 on any sports at 2.00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get 3x £10 Free Bets on selected markets. Free bets expire in 7 days. Card payments & Apple Pay only. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- GamCare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org
