Premier League darts returns next week as the 17-week long darting spectacular kicks off for a new season.
Last year we saw some incredible moments in the Premier League as Luke Littler dominated en route to becoming the champion for the first time.
However, after winning the World Darts Championship, Littler has a target on his back, and the rest of the big hitters will be vying for revenge here.
Luke Humphries was gutted after losing the Premier League final last year, and he’ll be hoping to right those wrongs, while Michael van Gerwen will want to have a say after losing the World Championship final to The Nuke.
Rob Cross wasn’t impressed by Littler at times during last season’s campaign, so perhaps Voltage will want to turn up the wattage here.
Speaking to Modus, Glen Durrant has been previewing the Premier League season ahead of us, and he’s given his prediction on who will win the tournament.
Glen Durrant predicts Premier League winner
Durrant shared his verdict on who will win the Premier League
Of course, Duzza knows a thing or two about winning this tournament having lifted the trophy back in 2020.
Durrant believes that Luke Littler will be triumphant again this year, claiming that he will become a two-time Premier League champion with another stellar campaign.
“When I walked in on that night I saw Littler and when he wants to win it, he wins it.
“I think that if he gets to the playoffs, which I’m pretty certain he will. I think he wins, I think he becomes a two-time Premier League champion.
“Do you think he dominates darts this year?” Durrant was asked.
“No, no I don’t. I don’t think we will see anyone really dominate again. The players out there now, getting into the top 16 now, that top 16 are protected right now and there’s players there from 64 to 70 who are desperate to get in there.
“I think gone are the days of seeing a Phil Taylor or a Van Gerwen winning tournament after tournament. The TV majors will be spread, but for the big ones, the two Lukes will be up there.”
Premier League contenders analysed
This is a star-studded Premier League field this year, and every single player has a chance of winning this tournament.
Indeed, on their day, everyone in the Premier League is capable of beating anyone else in the competition.
There’s a litany of former world champions in the lineup this year alongside a number of former Premier League winners.
| World ranking | Best Premier League finish | World Championship wins | |
| Luke Humphries | 1 | Runner-up – 2024 | 1 |
| Luke Littler | 2 | Winner – 2024 | 1 |
| Michael van Gerwen | 3 | Winner – 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022 | 3 |
| Rob Cross | 4 | Runner-up – 2019 | 1 |
| Stephen Bunting | 5 | 8th-place – 2015 | 1* |
| Gerwyn Price | 9 | Runner-up – 2023 | 1 |
| Chris Dobey | 10 | 7th-place – 2023 | 0 |
| Nathan Aspinall | 11 | Runner-up – 2020 | 0 |
The formbook would suggest that Littler is the favourite here, but, as we saw at the World Matchplay, the Grand Prix and the European Championships, Littler is fallible.
Perhaps the dark horse for this tournament is Stephen Bunting. The Bullet is back in the Premier League after a 10-year absence, and he’s back with a point to prove in perhaps the best form of his career after winning the Bahrain Darts Masters and making a run to the Dutch Masters final too.