PDC World Championship darts: Tuesday afternoon preview and best bets

Our darts expert Matt Hill (@Matt_Hill93) got his tournament up and running yesterday with 9/4, 5/2 and 9/4 winners from six selections.

He’ll be hoping to keep the good vibes rolling into Tuesday’s action, which starts with four afternoon clashes covered in detail below.

PDC World Championship 2025 betting tips

James Hurrell vs Jim Long

James Hurrell has enjoyed an impressive first year on the Pro Tour, making three quarter-final appearances and taking a few scalps of note on the floor.

However, he’s still searching for a first TV win having exited at the first hurdle on his sole Euro Tour outing, his first UK Open game (to a qualifier) and at Minehead last month.

The latter was particularly painful, having been 5-3 up on Danny Noppert and missing a match dart en route to a 6-5 reverse.

I’m not sure Ally Pally is the place to be looking for your first TV win as a PDC pro and experienced Canadian Jim Long may be good enough to take advantage here.

Priced out at 8/5, Long is a veteran of the game who has appeared at Ally Pally before, making the second round in 2019 after beating Mickey Mansell 3-1 on debut.

He now plies his trade on the Seniors tour and made the semi-final of the Seniors World Championship earlier this year, averaging 90 in three straight victories before losing to an inspired John Henderson.

That tournament is set play too, so that gives us some good form to assess him on and I think there’s more than enough to suggest he can cause an upset here.

I’m a little surprised he’s drifted in the betting and I’ll be taking the 8/5 as a one point win bet.

Best bet - Jim Long to win @ 8/5 (Ladbrokes)

Kevin Doets vs Noa-Lynn van Leuven

Noa-Lynn van Leuven didn’t have much look with her Grand Slam draw in October and I think she’s been dealt a tough hand again here at Ally Pally. 

Kevin Doets shone on this stage 12 months ago when whitewashing dangerous American Stowe Buntz in the opening game of the tournament, before so nearly dumping out then-reigning champion Michael Smith.

He went down to Bully Boy 3-2 despite averaging over a ton and won plenty of admirers that day, while his 2024 efforts have shown that to be no flash in the pan.

Good runs at both the UK Open and European Championship show Doets as a capable big stage player and I’m sure he’ll relish this opportunity to make round two once again.

Van Leuven’s Women’s Series exploits have been impressive regardless of your opinion on her participation there but transferring that form to this kind of arena is a tough ask.

She looked a little overwhelmed by it for large parts of the Grand Slam though we did see some flickers of her true ability against Ryan Joyce in particular.

I worry about crowd involvement with Van Leuven here and when I also factor in how good Doets is in these kind of fixtures, I have to look at the 3-0 correct score as a viable outcome.

Again, 8/5 is the best price on offer with Ladbrokes and I do think it’s worth chancing a point on.

Best bet - Kevin Doets 3-0 Noa-Lynn van Leuven correct score - 8/5 (Ladbrokes)

Ryan Joyce vs Darius Labanauskas

Ryan Joyce remains one of the most understated and underrated players in the PDC, having enjoyed another fabulous year of progress.

Relentless made the final four of the World Grand Prix and the last eight of the PC Finals, beating household names like Nathan Aspinall, Josh Rock, Rob Cross, Cameron Menzies and Martin Schindler along the way with his typical no-fuss approach..

Both of those runs were only halted by world champ and world No1 Luke Humphries, which is a good barometer of what is often required to dump Joyce out.

His opponent here, Darius Labanauskas, is in an exclusive club of players to have hit a nine-darter on the Ally Pally stage but he’s not the same player who made the last eight here back in 2020.

The 48-year-old Lithuanian is a popular figure but has been declining in recent times and having lost his tour card at the end of 2023, has been virtually non-existent this term other than a brief World Cup of Darts outing and one Euro Tour appearance.

His qualification through the Nordic and Baltic route is welcome from a nostalgic perspective but a seasonal average of 86 shows he has a bit to find with his classy opponent here.

Unless we see a vintage version of Laba on Tuesday afternoon, I see Joyce prevailing quite comfortably. I’ll chance the 3-0 again here, which is an attractive 13/5 all things considered.

Best bet - Ryan Joyce 3-0 Darius Labanauskas correct score @ 13/5 (Quinn Bet)

Mike De Decker vs Luke Woodhouse

This final match of the afternoon session looks set to be a high-quality affair between two players in good nick.

Mike De Decker has been one of 2024’s breakout stars on the highest level, winning the World Grand Prix with one of the most impressive ever routes to a maiden major victory that I can remember.

He’s sixth favourite in the outright market here as a result, but will have to come through a few stiff tasks if he’s to triumph, starting here with Woodhouse.

Woody took care of Lourence Ilagan without breaking sweat, landing us a 9/4 winner in the process. He may feel like as an underdog here, he has somewhat of a “free shot” against the well-fancied Belgian.

If so, he’s a dangerous opponent. Woodhouse can post ton averages no problem, won’t be overawed by De Decker’s 180 hitting and will quietly fancy his chances having already blown off the cobwebs onstage.

For those who like a previous meetings stat, he also won the pair’s only other PDC meeting on the Pro Tour earlier this year by a  6-3 scoreline.

The 180 line is set high here with good reason. De Decker is as good as anyone at peppering that lipstick. In reality, he always has been but now he has the confidence on stage, he executes his top level with far more frequency. 

Woodhouse is another first dart merchant and will like the fast pace here, so I see potential fireworks.

The 180 line being covered will, as always, be dependent on whether the match goes beyond three sets. 

To be honest, I expect it to, so backing both to hit over 4.5 180s each looks worth a point at 17/10 on Bet365 via their Bet Builder tool.

Best bet - Both players to hit over 4.5 180s @ 17/10 (Bet365)

Matt Hill's best PDC World Championship afternoon bets on Tuesday, December 16, 2024

• Jim Long to win @ 8/5 (Ladbrokes)
• Kevin Doets 3-0 Noa-Lynn van Leuven correct score - 8/5 (Ladbrokes)
• Ryan Joyce 3-0 Darius Labanauskas correct score @ 13/5 (Quinn Bet)
• Both players to hit over 4.5 180s @ 17/10 (Bet365)