Darts Betting Tips

For many people, when you mention darts the first thing that enters the head is dusty old pubs in England. But, while it’s true that darts remains a popular pub pastime, in reality, the sport has moved away from the bar and now is becoming one of, if not the, fastest growing sports globally.

Current televised stats for Sky Sports show it to be second only to football in terms of viewing figures. As with any sport that picks up popularity, a betting boom is sure to follow. Sure enough, Bookies too are finding that darts betting is hot on the heels of football in terms of slippage. It helps that Darts lends itself to the betting formula, especially given the pre-match and in-play bets that can be placed on mobile and tablet devices.

When asked why they enjoy darts so much, many fans point to the jovial atmosphere at tournaments and regular match-ups between the top seeds and players ranked highest in the world which help to make this game one of the most thrilling and competitive. Another factor in the game’s popularity is the speed at which matches are played between the top professionals. All of these factors help make darts betting so interesting and its markets some of the most riveting.

With great events that include not one the two PDC World Championships, the World Matchplay and a four month long Premier League, darts betting has rocketed in popularity in conjunction with an increased TV viewership. In fact, its intoxicating brand of quirky crowd costumes, pumped-up walk-on songs, passionate fan base and nail-biting action has safely ensured that darts betting is one of the most popular sportsbooks at an online bookmaker.

Outright darts bets

Outright betting, on a tournament or match, is the most popular type of darts bet a bookmaker typically receives. This means that in the match you have placed your bet on, your wager is laid against the competitor you think will win. For example, if you picked Peter “Snakebite” Wright to win the World Championship as he did in 2022, you’d be looking at a very likely winner but at very short odds. When you come to placing said darts bet, you’ll find a player’s outright betting odds next to their name in the sportsbook and, once placed, you can sit back and watch the game on the TV and wait for your pick to come up trumps.

Darts bettors can also place a wager on individual sets, where money is placed on players to win on a set by set basis or even correctly predict the score (not easy) with enhanced and unique bets available, including most maximums in a game. Top bookmakers will also offer bets on highest checkout (exact points required to finish), most 180’s in a week (highest three dart score), first dart (where on the board the first dart thrown lands) and that’s just scratching the surface, take a look for yourself at (bet365) to see what’s on offer.

Darts explained

To understand these bets, some of you may need to understand more about the game and how the dartboard works.

There are four main areas on a dartboard. These are single area, the double ring, the triple ring which all run around the ring and the centre which is where the inner and the outer bullseyes are to be found. The dartboard is divided into 20 numbered divisions which stop at the bullseye. The outermost ring is worth double the number of the division, while the middle – and smaller – ring is for triple points. Hit that in the 20 line and you have yourself a 60, hit triple twenty with each of your three darts and score a 180, the highest three dart score possible. At the centre of the board is the red inner Bullseye, worth 50 points, which is flanked by a green outer bull, worth 25.

The game that you watch on TV will be 501. Here, players start each game on 501 points which must be reduced as quickly as possible in goes of three darts, looking to score as highly as possible with each throw. When players arrive at the point where they are within a reachable score to check out, they must do so by finishing on a double  or bull (inner) , otherwise they will not get to finish on that visit. When a player fails to checkout on a visit, they must hope that their opponent also fails to checkout on their visit in order to get another try. Of course, if they shoot higher than the amount required, they will go bust.

Major darts events

There is the PDC World Darts Championships, which was first contested in 1994. The PDC (Professional Darts Corporation) was established two years earlier, thanks to a split in the 90s, which resulted in the establishment of two darts federations. The British Darts Organisation (BDO) and the Professional Darts Corporation date back to a 1992 dispute as to how best to develop and further monetise the game leading to the PDC splintering away, taking 16 of the top professional players with them. The formed what was initially known as the World Darts Council (WDC), and later became what we know today as the PDC. As it turned out, what was good for the sport also worked out well for the darts betting community. After spending years in the shadow of the hugely popular PDC, the BDO finally went into liquidation in September 2020.

There are a ton of mega darts events that run throughout the year and while these are mainly in the UK and Europe, global reach is growing all the time. The major events include the PDC World Championship (where the better players and shorter odds are). This takes place in London at the Alexandra Palace, lovingly referred to as the Ally Pally, over Christmas and New Year annually. In February, the Darts Premier League gets underway, where eight players play in a mini tournament each Thursday in a different venue across the UK and Europe for four months with any successes added to a DPL table.Then, in March, there is the UK Open Darts and in Dublin every October there is the PDC World Grand Prix.

The PDC also host the World Series of Darts, which gives players the opportunity to play in luxury locations over the world and including New York, Dubai, Tokyo and Sydney. Keep an eye out too for The PDC World Match Play, which is the second most prestigious event in the game and is held each July in Blackpool.

General darts betting tips

So, if you feel like you’re ready to give darts betting a go, here are a few more important things you should consider. The length of the match. There is a reason you do not see many outrageous upsets in tennis. In the men’s game, five set matches and alternate service games, mean that there is far less chance of seeing the underdog win. Darts is very similar in this way, but in darts there is a case to be made for the underdog.

Taking it in turns to throw, darts players step up to the oche and throw their three darts each. Just like tennis, everything hinges on breaking the opponent’s game, in this case winning the match of 501 on the opponent’s throw. Because of this, the longer the game’s run time, the lesser the likelihood there is of an upset. The player with the higher ability or skill level should ultimately emerge victorious. That’s why, if you fancy looking for a player with longer odds, pick a shorter match. These can normally be found in a tournament’s earlier stages. To be successful, pay attention to those aforementioned special bets discussed earlier. It doesn’t stand true that short odds winner of the tourney will also be the guy that hits the most 180s or achieves the highest checkout.

Another way to enjoy darts betting success is to not only follow the major events. Have a look too at the smaller matches and tournaments. If these are not televised where you live, you’ll likely find a stream online. Once you’ve found it, watch it. Who knows, maybe you could find the next big thing in darts and put your money on him while the odds are still long. If you’re right, those odds won’t stay long.

It’s worth remembering that, in darts, the underdog can always have their say. One leg can swing the result of an entire match even when victory looked certain for one player. This is why in play bets and the ability to cash-out will play a part in any success you enjoy. You won’t want to miss a second and, with all the matches televised or even, as with Bet365, live streamed, you won’t need to either.

Don’t worry if you are new to betting or darts or even both. We understand that all this information can be more than a little overwhelming, which is why we are here in the first place. Our experts have been recruited from a team of darts bettors, darts players and darts experts which means you can trust our darts tips and we can beat the bookies together.