James Wade makes Premier League Darts winner prediction as Luke Littler goes for glory
James Wade has warned Luke Littler - you are not the one to beat in the Premier League Darts finals.
The 11-time major winner gave his verdict on finals' night in his Daily Star column ahead of the Thursday night showpiece at the O2 Arena.
Littler takes on Michael Smith in his semi-final, while Michael van Gerwen faces Luke Humphries. And Wade believes that the winner of the MVG and Humphries match will go on to secure victory.
"It has been the year of the Lukes - but Michael van Gerwen is still the man to beat at the Premier League finals," Wade wrote in association with his sponsor, Elite Competitions.
"You can make a case for all three of Luke Littler, Luke Humphries and Michael Smith but MVG is my pick.
"I do not say this on current form or on his head-to-head records with the other three. I say it simply because of the fact he manages to get it won time and time and time again.
"It used to seem unthinkable that Phil Taylor's six Premier League titles would ever be beaten, but Michael has done that and he is still going strong.
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Michael van Gerwen and Luke Littler will compete on Premier League finals night
"He has won the Premier League in six out of the last eight years - a truly staggering run - and the motivation of getting his seventh will give him the edge over his opponents.
"If Michael is to fall short, it will be because of his semi-final opponent in Luke Humphries. I think the winner will come from this game.
"Luke knows how to win big titles. He currently holds the World Championship, the Players Championship, the Grand Slam of Darts and the Grand Prix. I know that because he beat me on the way to winning most of them!
"The winner of the Littler vs Smith semi-final knows that they will have a real fight on their hands."