by Michael Van Gerwen is the favorite for this year’s PDC World Darts Championship, but the Dutchman will face stiff competition in the hunt for the Sid Waddell Trophy.
The likes of defending champion Peter Wright, who got the better of Michael Smith in a thrilling Final 7 last year, and 2021 champion Gerwyn Price are favorites with £500,000 up for grabs for the winner.
In the build-up to the tournament, Van Gerwen has hit back at critics who argue he should have more than three world titles given his talent, but the 33-year-old maintains he has nothing to prove.
“Of course I want to add more, but as long as I keep winning tournaments, the world championships will follow,” he told the PA news agency. “It’s like that, keep believing in yourself. People always say do this or do that, I’ve won four big tournaments this season so I’m not complaining. I’m doing well. From this moment, there is only more to come.
“I have nothing to prove, what I’ve done at darts for the past 10 or 15 years, everyone knows what I’m capable of. I just want to do what I love the most and that’s play the best I can. Here is the schedule for the 2023 World Darts Championship:
2022/23 World Darts Championship odds – as of 21 December
Michel van Gerwen 5/2
Michael Smith 11/2
Gerwyn Award 13/2
Pierre Wright10/1
Luke Humphries 14/1
Josh Rock 16/1
Jonny Clayton 18/1
Dmitri Van den Bergh 25/1
Nathan Aspinal 28/1
Dirk van Duijvenbode 33/1
Rob Cross 33/1
Danny Nopert 33/1
Dave Chisnal 33/1
Joe Cullen 40/1
Damon Heta 40/1
Gary Anderson 40/1
Raymond van Barneveld 50/1
James Wade 50/1
Ross Smith 66/1
Ryan Searle 66/1
Chris Dobey 80/1
Jose De Sousa 80/1
Alan Soutar 100/1
Via betting fair
Prediction
We go with Michael van Gerwen (9/4 pre-tournament) he’s back in the kind of form that made him the greatest player of his generation with four major titles this year making him a tough man to bet.
But Michael Smith (7/1) might just be the people’s choice after heartbreaking last year against Wright. Reinvigorated after stringing together a string of eight major final defeats to finally clinch Grand Slam glory, Bully Boy’s time could be now. But Smith could get in trouble with the likes of Luke Humphries, Dave Chisnall and Joe Cullen, creating tricky barriers on his way to the final.
A dark horse or one to watch? It has to be Nathan Aspinall (33/1). Asp are mentally stronger after coming through their injury nightmare and now have the results to back it up, having made the World Grand Prix and Grand Slam finals, which means some value each way could be found in Stockport Man.
Granted, Josh Rock (16/1) is one for the future and the 21-year-old will be eager to make some noise here, but his chances as the sixth seed make him a daunting choice for bettors, but the fans will lick their lips. in a potential second-round match with Callan Rydz, which could validate all of the title credentials.
2022/23 World Darts Championship
Game schedule
Thursday, December 15 (7:00 p.m. GMT)
3x first round, 1x second round
Mickey Mansell 3-1 Ben Robb (R1)
Keane Barry 1-3 Grant Sampson (R1)
Jermaine Wattimena 2-3 Nathan Rafferty (R1)
Peter Wright 3-0 Mickey Mansell (R2)
Friday, December 16
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
3x first round, 1x second round
Alan Soutar 3-0 Mal Cuming (R1)
Boris Krcmar 3-0 Toru Suzuki (R1)
Adrian Lewis 3-0 Daniel Larsson (R1)
Kim Huybrechts 3-0 Grant Sampson (R2)
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
3x first round, 1x second round
Rowby-John Rodriguez 2-3 Lourence Ilagan (R1)
William O’Connor 3-0 Beau Greaves (R1)
Keegan Brown 2-3 Florian Hempel (R1)
Michael Smith 3-0 Nathan Rafferty (R2)
saturday december 17
Afternoon session (11:00 GMT)
3x first round, 1x second round
Martin Lukeman 3-0 Nobuhiro Yamamoto (R1)
Simon Whitlock 3-2 Christian Perez (R1)
Adam Gawlas 3-2 Richie Burnett (R1)
Daryl Gurney 0-3 Alan Soutar (R2)
Evening session (2000 GMT)
3x first round, 1x second round
Ryan Meikle 3-2 Lisa Ashton (R1)
Cameron Menzies 3-1 Diogo Portela (R1)
Josh Rock 3-1 Jose Justicia (R1)
Dimitri Van den Bergh 3-0 Lourence Ilagan (R2)
Sunday, December 18
Afternoon session (11:00 GMT)
3x first round, 1x second round
Madars Razma 3-1 Prakash Jiwa (R1)
Karel Sedlacek 3-0 Raymond Smith (R1)
Luke Woodhouse 3-0 Vladyslav Omelchenko (R1)
Damon Heta 3-0 Adrian Lewis (R2)
Evening session (2000 GMT)
3x first round, 1x second round
Mike De Decker 3-1 Jeff Smith (R1)
Scott Williams 3-1 Ryan Joyce (R1)
Matt Campbell 0-3 Danny Baggish (R1)
Nathan Aspinall 3-1 Boris Krcmar (R2)
Monday, December 19
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
3x first round, 1x second round
Andrew Gilding 3-2 Robert Owen (R1)
Danny Jansen 3-2 Paolo Nebrida (R1)
Niels Zonneveld 0-3 Lewy Williams (R1)
Jose de Sousa 3-2 Simon Whitlock (R2)
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
3x first round, 1x second round
Geert Nentjes 1-3 Leonard Gates (R1)
Ritchie Edhouse 2-3 David Cameron (R1)
Steve Beaton 0-3 Danny van Trijp (R1)
Gerwyn Price 3-1 Luke Woodhouse (R2)
Tuesday, December 20 (7:00 p.m. GMT)
3x first round, 1x second round
Jim Williams 3-2 Sebastian Bialecki (R1)
Jamie Hughes 1-3 Jimmy Hendriks (R1)
Ricky Evans 3-1 Fallon Sherrock (R1)
Raymond van Barneveld 3-1 Ryan Meikle (R2)
Wednesday, December 21
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
2x first round, 2x second round
John O’Shea 2-3 Darius Labanauskas (R1)
Martijn Kleermaker 3-0 Xicheng Han (R1)
Callan Rydz 0-3 Josh Rock (R2)
Dave Chisnall 3-1 Andrew Gilding (R2)
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
4x second round
Mervyn King 3-2 Danny Baggish
Gabriel Clemens 3-0 William O’Connor
Michael van Gerwen 3-0 Lewy Williams
Stephen Bunting 3-1 Leonard Gates
Thursday, December 22
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
4x second round
Krzysztof Ratajski 3-1 Danny Jansen
Ryan Searle 3-0 Adam Gawlas
Mensur Suljovic 3-0 Mike De Decker
Dirk van Duijvenbode 3-2 Karel Sedlacek
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
4x second round
Gary Anderson 3-1 Madars Razma
James Wade 2-3 Jim Williams
Luke Humphries vs. Florian Hempel
Vincent van der Voort vs. Cameron Menzies
Friday, December 23
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
4x second round
Brendan Dolan vs. Jimmy Hendriks
Chris Dobey vs. Martijn Kleermaker
Ross Smith vs. Darius Labanauskas
Rob Cross vs. Scott Williams
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
4x second round
Martin Schindler vs. Martin Lukeman
Danny Noppert vs. David Cameron
Jonny Clayton vs. Danny Van Trijp
Joe Cullen vs. Ricky Evans
tuesday 27 december
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
3x third round
Dimitri Van den Bergh vs. Krzysztof Ratajski
Nathan Aspinall vs. Josh Rock
Clayton/Beaton/Van Trijp v Dolan/Hughes/Hendriks
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
3x third round
Jim Williams vs. Gabriel Clemens
Gerwyn Price vs. Raymond Van Barneveld
Peter Wright vs. Kim Huybrechts
Wednesday, December 28
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
3x third round
Ryan Searle vs Jose De Sousa
Noppert/Edhouse/Cameron vs. Alan Soutar
Gary Anderson vs. Dobey/Kleermaker/Han
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
3x third round
Cullen/Evans vs. Damon Heta
Michael Van Gerwen vs Mensur Suljovic
Michael Smith vs. Schindler/Lukeman
Thursday, December 29
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
3x third round
Dirk Van Duijvenbode vs. Smith/O’Shea/Labanauskas
Cross/S Williams/Joyce vs. Mervyn King
Dave Chisnall vs. Stephen Bunting
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
1x third round, 2x fourth round
Humphries/K Brown/Hempel vs. Van der Voort/Menzies/Portela
Fourth round matches on December 29 and 30 to be confirmed
Game schedule subject to change. Any changes will be reported on pdc.tv and via official PDC social media channels.
Format
First round – Best of five sets
Second Round – Best of Five Sets
Third Round – Best of Seven Sets
Fourth Round – Best of Seven Sets
Quarter-finals – Best of nine sets
Semi-finals – Best of 11 sets
Final – Best of 13 sets
2022/23 World Darts Championship odds – as of 21 December
Michel van Gerwen 5/2
Michael Smith 11/2
Gerwyn Award 13/2
Pierre Wright10/1
Luke Humphries 14/1
Josh Rock 16/1
Jonny Clayton 18/1
Dmitri Van den Bergh 25/1
Nathan Aspinal 28/1
Dirk van Duijvenbode 33/1
Rob Cross 33/1
Danny Nopert 33/1
Dave Chisnal 33/1
Joe Cullen 40/1
Damon Heta 40/1
Gary Anderson 40/1
Raymond van Barneveld 50/1
Ross Smith 66/1
Ryan Searle 66/1
Chris Dobey 80/1
Jose De Sousa 80/1
Alan Soutar 100/1
Via betting fair
