Players Championship Finals prediction: 40/1 De Decker to lay down Minehead challenge

Luke Littler’s name is once again on everybody’s lips as we head into the Players Championship Finals, the penultimate stop on the darts calendar before thoughts turn to Christmas and Alexandra Palace (12.45pm Friday, ITV4).

The Nuke obliterated the competition in last week’s Grand Slam of Darts triumph and is in scary form heading into next month’s World Darts Championship, where he lost in this year’s final.

Littler is now a best-price of 2/1 on betting sites to win the worlds with bookmakers moving him ahead of Luke Humphries, the man he will be vying to stop going back-to-back in Minehead when proceedings get underway on Friday.

The 64-strong field is determined by ranking on the Players Championship Order of Merit, a twist of fate that has placed Littler in a tough opener against Rob Cross.

Humphries, who is 9/2 to retain his Minehead title on some betting apps, opens his defence against Gabriel Clemens in a competition that could spring a surprise or two as the big guns look for some momentum to take into the World Championship.

The attention surrounding Littler means the rest of the field is flying under the radar heading into the Players Championship Finals, including Mike De Decker. The 28-year-old has stepped up his game in recent weeks and you can get 40/1 on him winning in Minehead on certain darts betting sites.

De Decker stunned Humphries to win the World Grand Prix in October, his first televised title and a watershed moment in his career. He remained calm under the pressure of a Humphries comeback having previously seen off the likes of Gary Anderson and James Wade en route to the trophy.

The Belgian looked like the only person who could halt Little’s charge at the Grand Slam of Darts. He led 8-4 at one point, before fluffing his doubles and watching on helplessly as Littler entered that level of concentration that has made him unplayable at times throughout his short career. De Decker may have succumbed but he still put up a 104.49 average in a classic that suggests there’s potential for greater things.

De Decker seems to have the same ability to just stomp top-level opponents, as evidenced by his 5-0 destruction of a helpless Michael Smith. He doesn’t have Littler’s consistency, though, and will need to dispatch the tricky Richard Veenstra in his first round before facing Michael van Gerwen or Ian White.

MvG is a serial winner at Butlin’s and was only felled by an impressive Humphries in last year’s final.

Should De Decker make it through those two matches, he’s in with a real shout of being Littler’s biggest competition, especially after he showed how close he can run him last week.

At 40/1, De Decker offers each-way value too. Should punters back him each way, they’ll secure a payout if he reaches the final, with most gambling sites paying out at half the starting price should he finish as the runner-up.

Players Championship Finals prediction: Mike De Decker to win the tournament - 40/1 E/W 10bet

10bet have the top price on De Decker winning the Players Championship Finals and punters who use the online bookmaker can also secure £5 in free bets by wagering on darts.

Opt in to the darts betting club and wager £40 or more on the sport in the month of November. In return, 10bet will give punters a £5 free bet.

Bettors can also claim a £50 free bet when signing up with 10bet. Register an account with the 10bet promo code SPORT to receive a 100 per cent deposit match on your first deposit, up to a maximum value of £50.

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