UK Open tips: Michael van Gerwen favourite, Luke Littler hype, Stephen Bunting dangerman

Michael van Gerwen will come on stage during the Ostsee Darts Gala in the Sparkassen-Arena.

The FA Cup of Darts takes centre stage this weekend as the world’s best players battle for the £110,000 prize.

The annual event features amateur players as well as PDC pros in a tournament which kicks off this Friday and culminates on Sunday night.

The last three editions of UK Open have been won by dark horses, though Michael van Gerwen heads into this year’s competition as main favourite.

UK Open outright odds

Michael van Gerwen – 6/1

Luke Litter – 13/2

Luke Humphries – 8/1

Gerwyn Price – 10/1

Gary Anderson – 12/1

Michael Smith – 18/1

Van Gerwen was denied a fourth UK Open crown last year when losing a thrilling final to Andrew Gilding.

The Dutchman is the joint-second most successful player in the event and his current form makes him a top contender for the crown in 2024.

Mighty Mike has won the last three Premier League events and also finished runner-up at the Masters last month.

Despite all his recent successes, Van Gerwen continues to say that there is more to come. If that truly is the case, you have to feel for the rest of the field.

At 6/1, the former world champion is favourite in the outright market. Considering his current form, it’s hard to go with anyone else as our main tip.

One man who will certainly have a lot of eyes on him is Luke Littler. By now, the teenager appears to have come to terms with his newly found fame and doesn’t seem at all impacted by the pressure that comes with top-level darts.

The world championship finalist is second-favourite to go all the way, though many forget he has already tasted UK Open action.

Littler qualified as an amateur for the event last year and reached the fourth-round, beating the likes of Rusty-Jake Rodriguez and Ritchie Edhouse along the way.

At 13/2, expect the darting sensation to have plenty of backers.

MVG and Littler may be the two top contenders, though the UK Open has produced surprise winners for the last three years.

James Wade, Danny Noppert and the aforementioned Gilding have gone on to win the most recent editions of this event.

With that in mind, it’s certainly worth keeping an eye on some of the dark horses in the betting market.

At 22/1, Stephen Bunting certainly catches the eye. The most popular man on the darting scene today has already claimed one major crown this season in the form of the Masters.

The Bullet beat Van Gerwen in that final but has since endured a slight dip in results in Players Championship events.

However, with the fans firmly behind him, Bunting is definitely one to keep a watchful eye on over the weekend.

Suggested bets

NAP – Michael van Gerwen to win

Dark horse – Stephen Bunting to win