Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals predictions and darts betting tips: 28-1 Price can't be ignored

Where to watch the Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals

ITV4 from 1pm Friday

Best bets

Gary Anderson
2pts 11-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

Gerwyn Price
1pt 28-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

Mike De Decker
1pt 33-1 general

Rob Cross to beat Luke Littler
1pt 9-4 Coral, Ladbrokes

Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals predictions

Luke Littler's first major title is in the bag and judging by the stupefying heights he reached in winning last week's Grand Slam, number two won't be far behind it.

Going by prices the expectation is that his second triumph will happen this weekend at the Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals in Minehead, and it's easier to come up with reasons why he will pocket the £120,000 winner's cheque rather than why he won't.

Where once the other Luke, world champion and world number one Humphries, would head the betting, now it's the on-fire Littler's turn to look down on the field and the 17-year-old has to be feeling pretty much unbeatable heading to Minehead.

He does, however, have a tricky round-one draw against Rob Cross, who beat him when they last met in a first-round match at last month's Grand Prix. That's a possible negative, plus sustaining last week's levels in a completely different environment would be a challenge for anyone.

And the 64-man Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals, the last hurrah before they all troop off to Alexandra Palace for next month's World Championship, is a tough school packed into three days with potential pitfalls every step of the way, especially in the first two rounds over a relatively brisk best-of-11.

The cream tends to rise to the top at this event - ten of the previous 15 runnings have been won by either Phil Taylor or Michael van Gerwen, and Humphries is the defending champion - but there are still some at big prices to be considered.

Not necessarily Peter Wright at 80-1 or Nathan Aspinall at 60-1 or even Martin Lukeman at 100-1 after reaching Sunday's Grand Slam final.

But Mike De Decker at 33-1 is one to consider on any shortlist following his success at the Grand Prix and the confidence that has given the young Belgian.

And how about the 28-1 posted alongside Gerwyn Price's name? He's not had a great year but still managed to win a couple of World Series events and if the Welshman can flick a switch there's no denying the talent is there.

From the bottom half of the draw, however, Gary Anderson is preferred at a more modest 11-1.

The Scot did qualify for this event as the top seed but he did top the averages in the qualifying heats and came closer than anyone to toppling Littler in Wolverhampton during a semi-final that went to the wire.

The 53-year-old, twice a winner on the Butlin's Minehead stage and local enough for this to be a home fixture, has never thrown better and still has a big one in him.

There are any number of potential round-one upsets over 11 legs with few prices as attractive as Cross at 9-4 to beat Littler. He did it in round one of the Grand Prix and can do it again in Minehead.

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