World Championship of Darts – Day 13: Preview, order of play, how to watch and predictions as Luke Littler and Michael Van Gerwen take center stage

The main event

Luke Littler returns to the Alexandra Palace stage tonight with his chances of claiming a maiden World Darts Championship boosted after Luke Humphries’ stunning exit.

Humphries was crushed 4-1 by Peter Wright last night, opening the Littler division with the pair scheduled to meet in the semi-finals.

However, Littler will have to overcome Ryan Joyce in the fourth-round clash before considering a route to the final on Friday.

The photos say it all pic.twitter.com/hiOheEPlO6

— Luke Littler (@LukeTheNuke180) December 29, 2024

The 39-year-old from Newcastle beat Ryan Searle in a final set in the third round but admitted he would be in trouble if Littler played to his full potential.

He said: “I’ll go into the game thinking I can win the match, but I’ll also feel like I’m the underdog to win. We’ve seen so many times in sports that the favorite doesn’t always win, otherwise it would be boring to watch, wouldn’t it?

“If Luke Littler plays at his absolute top level, he can beat anybody and he’ll easily sweep me aside.”

Littler was surprised by his opponent’s misjudgment, saying: “I didn’t know he said that.

“If that’s what he’s thinking, it’s not really good for his game.”

Littler struggled during his first win at Ally Pally before a stunning final set saw him see past Ryan Meikle but looked more composed in the win over Ian White.

The 17-year-old will follow Michael van Gerwen onto the stage tonight with the Dutchman taking on Jeffrey de Graaf.

Van Gerwen beat Brendan Dolan last time out but was moved by his performance, especially in the closing stages.

He said: “I think the fifth set was absolute c***. And you are not allowed to do that. Especially against Brendan, he’s like a fighter who never gives up and you don’t want to get yourself in trouble, but I almost did.”

Another 𝐰𝐢𝐧 in the bag! 💚🎯 The journey continues – to the last 16! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/pD0QDzYoJ4

— Michael Van Gerwen (@MvG180) December 28, 2024

The evening session begins with an interesting clash between Stephen Bunting and Luke Woodhouse.

Two more Tynesiders take part in the afternoon session with Chris Dobey taking on Kevin Doets and Callan Rydz taking on Rob Owen.

Game series

Afternoon session (1230 GMT)

Kevin Doets vs. Chris Dobey
Rob Owen vs. Callan Rydz
Ricardo Pietreczko to Nathan Aspinall

Afternoon Session (1900 GMT)

Stephen Bunting v Luke Woodhouse
Michael van Gerwen v Jeffrey de Graaf
Luke Littler vs. Ryan Joyce

How to watch

The PDC World Championship is shown on Sky Sports in the UK.
You can watch the afternoon session on Sky Sports Darts and the Main Event from 1230 GMT. The evening session has been on Sky Sports Darts since 1900.

Predictions

Joyce could be a tough opponent for Littler. He has nothing to lose, he admits, and a carefree approach could prove productive against the tournament favourite, for whom expectations will only rise after Humphries’ departure.

It’s hard to imagine Littler losing, but expect Joyce to claim a few sets and put pressure on the teenager, who with the odd flash has struggled to hit top form so far this tournament.

Van Gerwen is now Littler’s biggest threat and should see off De Graaf with minimal fuss.

In the event of close matches, there could be another first on the night, but we’ll go with Bunting to beat Woodhouse.

Afternoon matches seem a bit easier to predict. We go with wins for Dobey and Rydz with Aspinall finding Pietreczko’s way.