Darts started life as a pub game and is a very popular sport particularly in the United Kingdom where fans gather en masse to drink beer and cheer on these debatable sportsmen.
The top darts players can now earn big money as thanks to Sky Sports and PDC chairman Barry Hearn and co there is plenty of tournaments with decent purses. For example, 2021 William Hill World Darts Championship held in London has a total prize fund of £2,500,000 with the winner taking home £500,000.
Betting on Darts
As the sport has grown in popularity so has the darts betting options available. One darts match can now have around 20 individual betting markets as well as outright odds on the winner, quarter winners, odds to reach the final, and odds on a 9-dart finish.
Types of Darts Bets
When it comes to betting on an individual darts match here are the most common types of darts bets you can expect to find on the top tournaments…
- Overall Winner (plus Draw in the case of the Premier League Darts)
- Handicap Betting – one player gets a virtual head start
- Most 180’s – Which player will hit the most maximums
- Player to Score Highest Checkout – Which player will score the highest checkout / finish
- Highest Checkout Score – Over / under betting line on the highest checkout of the match
Outright Darts Betting
In addition to individual darts matches you can also bet on the longer term markets such as the overall winner of a tournament, name the finalists and more. Here’s the types of outright (of Futures) darts bets available on specific tournaments…
- Outright Winner
- To Reach The Final
- Name the Finalists
- Quarter Winners
- 9-Dart Finish?
- Winning Half
- Winning Quarter
Major Darts Tournaments
The top darts tournaments, including the iconic World Darts Championship, Premier League, and World Matchplay, represent the zenith of competitive darts, drawing the world’s best players to vie for supremacy and the sport’s highest honours.
- PDC World Championship – December / January at Alexandra Palace in London
- World Matchplay – Every July in Blackpool
- Premier League Darts – Runs Feb – May at various UK and European venues
- World Grand Prix – Normally in Dublin in October, requires a double to start
- UK Open – Every March, venue varies
- Grand Slam of Darts – Every November in Wolverhampton
- Players Championship Finals – Every November at Butlin’s Resort, Minehead
5 Top Darts Betting Strategies
1. Bet on the Underdog in Early Rounds
In darts tournaments, particularly major ones like the PDC World Darts Championship, upsets often happen early in the competition. Top players sometimes have slow starts due to the pressure or unfamiliar conditions. If you’re analyzing the odds, betting on the underdog in early rounds can be profitable, especially when the gap between players’ skill levels isn’t as large as the odds suggest.
2. Focus on the Outright Winner for Longer Tournaments
For longer tournaments, like the World Matchplay or Premier League Darts, outright winner bets can often offer value. If you’ve been tracking the form of players over several months, this strategy involves betting on the player who has the best consistency rather than just one-off victories. Even if they aren’t favorites, value can often be found in players with great recent form but slightly longer odds.
3. Set Your Bets on Specific Leg Markets
Leg betting, which focuses on the number of legs a player will win in a match, is a popular market. If you’re betting on a high-level match between two players who are closely matched, betting on “Over/Under Total Legs” or “Which player will win the most legs” can yield more favorable odds than just betting on a winner. Players’ performance can fluctuate during a match, so this market adds more nuance to your bets.
4. Bet on 180s or Highest Checkout
In darts, specific player stats like 180s (maximum throws) or highest checkout can offer profitable betting opportunities. If you’re familiar with the playing styles and tendencies of the participants, you can target markets like “Player to hit most 180s” or “Highest checkout” for certain matches. These markets tend to offer good value if you know which players are the most consistent or have been hitting high averages.
5. Live Betting on Set Winners
Darts live betting is a great way to capitalize on momentum shifts during matches. Betting on the set winner as the match progresses is a strategic approach. Pay close attention to momentum changes (a sudden run of high scoring or a missed checkout), and you can make smart in-play bets that capitalize on the odds as they adjust during the match.
Premier League Darts 2026
The 2026 Premier League Darts, known as the BetMGM Premier League Darts for sponsorship reasons, is the 21st edition of this prestigious darts tournament organized by the Professional Darts Corporation.
The event starts in February and is set to conclude in May with the play-offs and finals at the O2 Arena in London.
The tournament features eight of the world’s top players competing across various venues in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Germany, showcasing a knockout format every night with a total prize fund of £1 million. For more detailed information, you can visit the official tournament’s page on the PDC site.
Premier League Darts Fixtures 2026
- Night 1: February 5, 2026 – Utilita Arena, Newcastle, UK
- Night 2: February 12, 2026 – AFAS Dome, Antwerp, Belgium
- Night 3: February 19, 2026 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow, UK
- Night 4: February 26, 2026 – SSE Arena, Belfast, UK
- Night 5: March 5, 2026 – Utilita Arena, Cardiff, UK
- Night 6: March 12, 2026 – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham, UK
- Night 7: March 19, 2026 – 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland
- Night 8: March 26, 2026 – Uber Arena, Berlin, Germany
- Night 9: April 2, 2026 – AO Arena, Manchester, UK
- Night 10: April 9, 2026 – Brighton Centre, Brighton, UK
- Night 11: April 16, 2026 – Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Night 12: April 23, 2026 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool, UK
- Night 13: April 30, 2026 – P&J Live, Aberdeen, UK
- Night 14: May 7, 2026 – First Direct Arena, Leeds, UK
- Night 15: May 14, 2026 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham, UK
- Night 16: May 21, 2026 – Utilita Arena, Sheffield, UK
- Finals Night: May 28, 2026 – The O2 Arena, London, UK