PDC World Darts Championship 2024: Day three predictions, betting tips, acca, order of play and TV time

Tournament favourite Luke Humphries begins his Ally Pally campaign this evening along with Fallon Sherrock, whereas the afternoon session's headline act is Joe Cullen.

Here's our match-by-match guide to all of the action...

Darts betting tips: World Championship day three

2pts Jim Williams to win the match, hit the most 180s and hit the highest checkout at 8/11 (Sky Bet)

2pts Niels Zonneveld to win and hit the most 180s at 8/11 (Sky Bet)

1pt Ricky Evans to win 3-0 at 11/10 (Betfred)

1pt Wattimena vs Sherrock to have over 15.5 legs, highest checkout be over 116.5 and over 4.5 180s at 6/4 (Sky Bet)

SL Acca: Zonneveld, Hempel, Ricky Evans (-1.5) and Humphries (-2.5) all to win at 7/2 with Sky Bet

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

• TV Coverage: Sky Sports
• Format: First round/second round, best of five sets

Ricky Evans (1/8) v Simon Adams (9/2)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 93.11 - 73.76
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.24
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 33.63% - N/A
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 11.43% - Unavailable
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 15.96% - Unavailable

This will be Evans' ninth appearance and he’s reached the last 32 on four previous occasions.

In the first six months of his 2022 campaign he was on fire reaching the last 16 of the UK Open, a quarter-final on the European Tour and a final on the Players Championship series. Since then, however, it’s been a battle for ‘Rapid’ who’s won exactly 50% of his matches in 2023.

There have been recent signs however that he’s finding his best form. In September he came through the World Series of Darts Qualifier before winning his opening match against Damon Heta. He also reached the quarter-final of Players Championship 28, his deepest run of the season.

There’s not a great deal of evidence to go on for Adams but he is capable. He won the African Qualifier final 8-0, averaging 93.94, hitting eight of his fifteen attempts at doubles and has warmed up for this in the Modus Series events.

Evans has come through his opening game in each of his last four appearance comfortably, either 3-1 or 3-0. He defeated Indian Qualifier, Nitin Kumar 3-0 in 2020 and I expect something similar here.

Score Prediction: 3-0

• CLICK HERE to back Ricky Evans to win 3-0 with Sky Bet

Jim Williams (1/250) v Norman Madhoo (25/1)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 95.28 - 73.76
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.24 - Unavailable
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 37.00 % - N/A
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 10.60% - Unavailable
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 19.35% - Unavailable

Norman Madhoo, the Guyana representative is making his fourth appearance in the event, his first since 2011 after topping the CDCL tour. He’s yet to taste victory in this event with a high average of 82.05 and it’s hard to envisage him troubling ‘The Quiff’.

Williams, making his third appearance has come through the opening round on both occasions previously. Last year he lost 4-3 in the last 32 to Gabriel Clemens, after missing a match dart to win 4-2; after eliminating James Wade in the previous round.

The 2020 BDO World Darts Championship runner-up is one of the biggest dangers from the Pro Tour Order of Merit with a terrific seasonal average of 95.28. He’s really been in form lately, reaching a Semi-Final and Final in the last six floor events where it took Gary Anderson and Dave Chisnall to stop him.

He’ll be disappointed with his early exit at the Players Championship Finals, losing 6-4 to Dimitri Van Den Bergh. There was nothing wrong with his scoring, he just missed too many doubles at vital times. The match treble beckons for Williams here.

Score Prediction: 3-0

• CLICK HERE to back Williams to win, hit most 180s and have the high checkout with Sky Bet

Matt Campbell (1/2) v Lourence Ilagan (6/4)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 90.58 - 86.28
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.11 - 0.18
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 39.16% - N/A
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 11.40% - 10.37%
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 7.00% - N/A

Four previous appearances for Campbell and four first round exits despite averaging in the mid 90’s on three occasions. Ilagan reached the second round for the first time last year after defeating Rowby-John Rodriguez in the first round.

This is a tough game to call and promises to go the distance. Campbell is the Tour Card holder and played 100 matches this season. He was in better form in the early months winning 64% of his first 50 matches of 2023, compared to just 40% in the latest 50.

Ilagan, a qualifier through the Asian Tour, seems to get labelled a dangerous opponent each year but so often falls short as last year's career best in this event demonstrates.

I think Campbell has earned his slice of luck in this opening round and take him to just about come on top here.

Score Prediction: 3-2

Joe Cullen (1/4) v Darren Penhall (11/4)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 94.44 - 87.29
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.32 - 0.23
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 37.58% - 50%
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 12.81% - 10.79%
• Match Treble %: 33.05% - 0%

DPA qualifier was impressive in defeating Jules Van Dongen 3-1 on Saturday afternoon, he held his throw in eight of the nine legs he played with the darts and nine of his ten winning legs were in 18 darts or fewer. This serial winner on the Australian circuit and form Tour Card holder is going to be a tough game for the ‘Rockstar’.

Cullen comes into this event a bit under the weather having won just two of his last ten matches but he has reached the semi-final of both the World Matchplay and Grand Prix this year, losing to the eventual champion on both occasions.

He doesn’t have the best of records in this event. In his previous 13 appearances the best he has to show for his efforts is two Last 16 runs in 2021 and last year. I think his class will get him over the line here but it won’t be easy for him.

Score Prediction: 3-2

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

• TV Coverage: Sky Sports
• Format: First round/second round, best of five sets

Dylan Slevin (11/8) v Florian Hempel (8/15)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 90.25 - 89.35
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.18 - 0.22
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 30.32% - 39.80%
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 9.51% - 10.25%
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 12.77% - 15.07%

Hempel was one of the surprise packages of the 2022 World Championship, defeating Dimitri Van Den Bergh to reach the last 32. He also pushed an under the weather Luke Humphries all the way last year, so he clearly likes the Ally Pall stage.

There are encouraging signs based on his form too as since September he’s reached the last 16 twice on the floor and once on the Euro Tour and came through a four match qualifier to reach the Worlds on this occasion.

Had this match been played in the first few months of the season then I’d have fancied Slevin. He reached the semi-final of the very first Players Championship event notched up a two further winning streaks of five and six successive win in March and April.

Since the return to darting action in August, he’s only won 10 of 34 matches he’s played and this coupled with Hempel having the superior experience means I have to favour the German here.

Score Prediction: 1-3

Niels Zonneveld (1/3) v Darren Webster (9/4)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 91.58 - 86.98
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.28 - 0.16
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 47.06% - N/A
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 8.70% - 11.45%
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 18.95% - 9.23%

The veteran Darren Webster is a former two-time World Championship quarter-finalist but those glory days seem a thing of the past for a player who’s struggled this year, winning just 32% of his matches and averaging 86.98.

He’ll take heart from securing his place here by winning four matches to come through the qualifier where all of his performances were 90 plus averages and he’ll probably need to sustain that against today's opponent to have a chance of victory.

Zonneveld is in decent form. He reached the last 16 of the Players Championship Finals, where he defeated both Daryl Gurney and Jonny Clayton. This is after recently reaching a quarter-final on the floor in October.

He boasts the superior win percentage at 50.5%, the higher average at 91.58 and is a terrific maximum hitter at 0.28 per leg.

Score Prediction: 3-1

• CLICK HERE to back Zonneveld to win and hit most 180s with Sky Bet

Jermaine Wattimena (4/11) v Fallon Sherrock (2/1)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 92.27 - 83.69
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.15 - 0.20
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 40% - 47.06%
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 11.49% - 8.69%
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 5.49% - N/A

Jermaine Wattimena played 11 matches during November, winning seven. It was a healthy return for a player who can be hit and miss.

In particular his run to the last 16 of the Players Championship Finals will please him most, especially his performance against Richard Veenstra in the last 32 where at one point he was winning 5-1 and averaging 113.61. He finished with a 103.39 average in the end but nonetheless it was still a good display.

He faces Fallon Sherrock who smashed the glass ceiling in the 2020 event to earn her Queen of the Palace title. For me there’s no doubt that Sherrock is a player who excels on the big stage and her display in the quarter-finals of the Grand Slam of Darts in 2021, where she lost 16-13 to Peter Wright with an average of 98.90 shows the levels she has.

Wattimena needs to handle the occasion against a player who’s a better maximum hitter and will have the crowd on her side. I think this could be a match that goes all the way to the fifth set and become a battle of will.

Score Prediction: 3-2

• CLICK HERE to back the match having over 15.5 legs, a checkout over 116.5 and over 4.5 180s with Sky Bet

Luke Humphries (1/20) v Lee Evans (8/1)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 98.59 - 91.13
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.33 - 0.24
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 41.52% - 32.99%
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 10.60% - 10.81%
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 27.88% - 20.45%

Lee Evans was steady in facile 3-0 victory against Sandro Eric Sosing on Saturday afternoon, averaging 85.02, but I suspect he’s better than that as he wasn’t really pushed in that game. His seasonal average of 91.02 suggests he is, but you’d imagine that wouldn’t be anywhere near good enough against the tournament favourites.

Luke Humphries, the winner of the Grand Prix, Grand Slam and Players Championship Finals in recent months, needs no introduction. His form has just been amazing.

He comes into this on the back of thirteen straight wins and has registered a 100+ averages in 10 of these matches. Since the start of October the only four players to defeat him are Peter Wright, Gerwyn Price, Raymond Van Barneveld and James Wade.

Interestingly three of the last four matches where Humphries failed to register a 100+ average were against Wade. Evans plays at a similar pace to ‘The Machine’ so perhaps that is a positive for him. That said, I can’t see him troubling ‘Cool Hand’ here.

Score Prediction: 3-0

Darts: Related content

• 2023 PDC Darts Calendar
• 2024 World Darts draw, schedule & results
• 2024 World Darts Championship guide
• 2024 World Darts Championship betting tips
• 2024 World Darts Championship player profiles
• Ally Pally pundit predictions
• Watch our World Darts preview show and predictions
• Watch how to become a darts professional
• 2024 PDC Darts Calendar
• 2024 Premier League Season
• How legends would fare today
• Troubles and triumphs
• Tournament ideas for darts
• 'What If' moments in darts
• Agony of missed match darts
• Good, Bad, Ugly: Nicholson on darts shirts
• Referees in darts
• Calling the shots in darts
• Weird actions in darts
• Hidden talents in darts
• Superstitions in darts
• Routes to glory
• Paul Nicholson's five darts drills
• Paul Nicholson's five mental tips
• Paul Nicholson's five practice games
• Worst losers in darts
• World number ones in darts
• Best players never to be number one
• Five characters in darts
• Do averages lie?
• Greatest Tournaments Ever
• Paul Nicholson's Ally Pally tales
• Watch all the Ally Pally nine-darters
• Players everyone hates to face
• Players everyone loves to face
• How to make it as a pro?
• How much money do players earn?
• Greatest darts rivalries
• Rivalries to cherish
• Be canny with counting
• Phil Taylor's greatest display
• Greatest World Championship displays
• World Cup of Great Darts performances
• Sky Bet's darts odds