Premier League Darts – Week 1 preview and betting tips – Can Mighty Mike upset the Nuke?

Feb 4, 2026 - 14:45

The new Premier League Darts season gets underway in Newcastle on Thursday night with eight of the top darts players from around the world going to head to head across 17 weeks of knockout action.

Premier League Darts – Week 1 best bets

Luke Littler to win Week 1 at 6/4 with BetMGM
Michael van Gerwen to reach the final at 9/4 with BetMGM

Premier League Darts – Week 1 odds

Find the latest Premier League Darts – Week 1 betting odds here, odds courtesy of BetMGM and are subject to change.

Luke Littler – 6/4
Luke Humphries – 5/1
Gerwyn Price – 7/1
Gian van Veen – 7/1
Josh Rock – 8/1
Michael van Gerwen – 8/1
Stephen Bunting – 14/1
Jonny Clayton – 18/1

Premier League Darts – Week 1 prediction

A new season of Premier League Darts gets underway on Thursday night, with Luke Humphries looking to get the defence of his maiden title underway with victory following his win over world number one Luke Littler in last year’s final in London.

Littler heads into this year’s competition as the reigning back-to-back world champion following his 7-1 thrashing of Gian van Veen in the final at Alexandra Palace at the start of last month.

The 19-year-old won his first Masters tournament last weekend, meaning the teenager has now won eight of the last nine ranked PDC televised events, currently holding every single one apart from the European Championship.

Littler will be out for revenge in this year’s Premier League after falling at the final hurdle in his bid to defend his title he won on debut in 2024.

Former Premier League champion Jonny Clayton returns to the competition for the first time since 2023 after reaching two finals and three semi finals in last year’s televised events, while youngsters Josh Rock and Gian van Veen will be making their Premier League debuts.

23-year-old van Veen is the reigning world youth champion and won his first ranked televised event last year at the Euros, the only ranked title Littler doesn’t currently hold.

The Dutchman also reached the final the World Championship last month and the semi finals of the Masters last week, which has seen him climb up to number three in the order of merit.

Josh Rock won his first televised event last year in the World Cup representing his native Northern Ireland, and also reached the last four in the UK Open, the World Matchplay and the World Series of Darts Finals, which saw the 24-year-old, ranked number eight in the world get the call up to the Premier League for the first time.

Seven-time Premier League champion Michael van Gerwen is also back for another year, while former world champion Gerwyn Price and fan favourite Stephen Bunting also return to the main stage this year.

The action starts off in Newcastle this week, with Rock and Clayton, two of the new additions to this year’s tournament, going head to head in the opener, with the winner meeting one of Littler or van Veen as the two face off in a rematch of this year’s World Championship final.

The other side of the draw will see defending Premier League champion Humphries look to get the better of Price, with the winner taking on either Bunting or van Gerwen, who compete in the final quarter final of the night.

It’s difficult to look past it being yet another Littler v Humphries final on Tyneside this week, but with two out of Rock, van Gerwen, Bunting and Clayton set to reach the semi finals, they will back themselves at a shot at opening night glory.

Van Gerwen has a strong record against Bunting, winning three of their last four battles, and also getting the better of his likely semi final opponent in his last meeting with Humphries, it’s more than a possibility for the Dutchman to reach Thursday’s final.

Premier League Darts – Week 1 betting tips

Littler on top in Week 1

It’s difficult to look past Luke Littler for an opening night victory, fresh from being crowned World Masters champion for the first time and just a month after being crowned back-to-back world champion.

The 19-year-old also has a fantastic record against all those he’s expected to meet en route to this week’s final, will be out for revenge after losing last year’s final and currently holds seven of the eight PDC televised ranking titles.

Luke Littler to win Week 1 at 6/4 with BetMGM

Top two for mighty Mike

Michael van Gerwen hasn’t been at his scintillating best for a handful of years now and missed out the play offs all together at least year’s Premier League without a weekly win to his name, and will be determined to get this year’s tournament off to a strong start.

The Dutchman, seven times winner of this competition, starts off with a quarter final against Stephen Bunting, against whom he’s won three of his last four matches, and will be expected to meet Luke Humphries in the final, who MVG got the better of when the two last played.

Even against Littler in the final, the 36-year-old has won two of his last four matches against the teenage sensation so will fancy his chances at going all the way on the opening night.

Michael van Gerwen to reach the final at 9/4 with BetMGM

Premier League Darst – Week 1 quarter finals

Josh Rock v Jonny Clayton
Luke Littler v Gian van Veen
Luke Humphries v Gerwyn Price
Stephen Bunting v Michael van Gerwen

How to watch Premier League Darts – Week 1

Location: Utilita Arena, Newcastle
Date and time: Thursday 5th February 2026, 7pm
How to watch: Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Ultra HDR, Sky Sports+

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