Luke Littler

PDC World Darts Championship 2026: Day 16 predictions, betting tips, acca, order of play and TV time for Monday December 30

By Chris Hammer

Darts

Mon December 29, 2025 · 2h ago

The 2026 Paddy Power World Darts Championship continues at Alexandra Palace on Monday so check out Chris Hammer's match-by-match predictions, best bets and a suggested acca.

PDC World Championship: Monday Preview & Accas

SL Afternoon Acca: 1pt Hood (-1.5), Manby and Aspinall (-1.5) all to win at 5/1 with Paddy Power

SL Evening Acca: 1pt Rydz (+1.5), Hurrell (+1.5) & Littler (-2.5) all to win at 6/1 with Paddy Power

Scroll down for match-by-match previews, stats and scoreline predictions

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Format: Third round, best of seven sets

Justin Hood (1/3) v Ryan Meikle (9/4)

Three-dart average (2025): 91.71 - 90.07
180s per leg (2025): 0.22 - 0.22

SELECTION: 1pt Justin Hood to win and hit 7+ 180s at 5/4 (Paddy Power)

Justin Hood was an unfamiliar name to many darts fans before the World Championship but the debutant has quickly established himself as one of the stars of the tournament so far.

Happy Feet, who has very little experience of PDC majors having only won a Tour Card back in January, showed no signs of Ally Pally nerves when averaging an impressive 99.6 in a 3-0 victory against Nick Kenny but that was nothing compared to an absolute world class display against title contender Danny Noppert.

That was an absolutely ridiculous game of darts!!!!

An incredible win for Justin Hood but Danny Noppert was awesome too 👏👏pic.twitter.com/zB7SwrVIPO
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) December 23, 2025

https://promos.paddypower.com/promotion?promoCode=PPFTPDARTS2025

In what had gone down as one of the finest early round matches in World Championship history, Hood averaged 103 and fired in 11 180s over 29 thrilling legs and then brilliantly held his nerve in sudden-death to progress 3-2 and get closer to his dream of owning a Chinese restaurant.

Hood is now a firm favourite to see off Ryan Meikle, who has yet to average over 90 in his two games that have come against much weaker opponents in Jesus Salate and Jonny Tata.

If he can produce similar standards then it should be a routine triumph and at the rate he's hitting maximums at the Ally Pally (0.39 per leg), I'd expect him to get close to double figures again.

Scoreline Prediction: 4-1

Ricky Evans (8/11) v Charlie Manby (11/10)

Three-dart average (2025): 91.89 - 89.66
180s per leg (2025): 0.24 - 0.24

Ricky Evans is one win away from achieving a personal best run at the World Championship and if he does it then Tuesday's Ally Pally crowd are bound to be treated with some kind of special New Year themed walk-on.

Rapid Ricky was involved in one of the most dramatic second-round ties - albeit not the greatest in terms of quality - when ending James Wade's 22nd PDC World Championship and now he'll be out to bring and end to Charlie Manby's debut.

What a way for Ricky Evans to win a cracker! Great sportsmanship from James Wade too 👏 pic.twitter.com/bm48pTP7oG
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) December 22, 2025

The youngster's performance in a 3-2 victory over Cameron Menzies in round one was overshadowed by his opponent attacking the water table but he was able to put in another 90 average in a far less eventful 3-0 win against a weak Adam Sevada.

Manby has shown absolutely zero signs of nerves and is displaying the kind of ability that underlines why huge things are expected of him in the coming years.

This has all the makings of a fast and lively encounter to keep the crowd on their feet, and I'm going to side with Manby to produce a coming of age victory.

Scoreline Prediction: 2-4

Nathan Aspinall (3/10) v Kevin Doets (12/5)

Three-dart average (2025): 95.74 - 91.62
180s per leg (2025): 0.36 - 0.28

SELECTION: 2pts Nathan Aspinall to win and hit most 180s at evens (Sy Bet, Paddy Power)

Nathan Aspinall has been playing some of the best darts of his career this season but he hasn't yet been forced into anything spectacular at the Ally Pally so far having seen off both Lourence Ilagan and Leonard Gates for the loss of just one set.

A clash with the dangerous Kevin Doets is much sterner test than a potential fourth-round meeting with Luke Humphries and I fancy him to come through it with flying colours.

Doets did mercilessly wipe the floor with David Munyua in a way that Mike de Decker should have done but he can't gain too much praise for that given he only averaged 90 and will need to find a lot more than that to trouble the Asp over best of seven sets.

Aspinall is a much more prolific 180 hitter than Doets and while he's only managed 0.29 leg during this tournament compared to his seasonal 0.36, it's still higher than the 0.23 that the Dutchman is achieving.

Scoreline Prediction: 4-2

Evening Session (1915 GMT)

TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Format: Third round & Fourth Round, best of seven sets

Josh Rock (3/10) v Callan Rydz (12/5) R3

Three-dart average (2025): 98.15 - 93.90
180s per leg (2025): 0.40 - 0.31

SELECTION: 1pt Callan Rydz to win at 5/2 (General)

Josh Rock admitted he made a big mistake in taking Gemma Hayter lightly in round one so made sure he was on top of his game when flooring Joe Comito 3-0 with an average of 101.

He will need to bring his A-game to the oche once again for his toughest test so far against Callan Rydz, who makes a habit of reminding everyone what he's capable of at the Ally Pally.

The Riot had a quiet 2024 before embarking on a stunning quarter-final run here and he could well do the same this year after another difficult season in which he's only featured in three majors.

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Sadly Rydz's grandad passed away just hours after his emotional victory over Daryl Gurney just before Christmas and has vowed to make him and his grandma - who died just before last year's event - proud of him.

"My grandad likes a laugh about that and that makes me happy. I play for my family. My grandma, granddad, my mum, they got us into darts. Everything I do is for them.

"Listen once he goes, I will probably consider packing it in. Probably. But I don't know. I have a decision if I want to keep doing it."

Rydz has so much more to offer this sport and if he can keep his emotions in check, we could see a very special performance.

Scoreline Prediction: 3-4

James Hurrell (15/8) v Ryan Searle (2/5) R4

Three-dart average (2025): 91.97 - 95.58
180s per leg (2025): 0.27 - 0.28

Ryan Searle got social media talking after his brutal 4-0 destruction of Martin Schindler yesterday when claiming only Ryan Joyce and Gary Anderson care less than him about darts!

Heavy Metal has always admitted to struggling with focus and practice, but it's amazing anyone can get so good at something and not seem remotely bothered about it.

Searle won the last nine legs of his match with Schindler and ended up with an average of 102 that was helped by five 180s in just 14 legs and two 100+ checkouts.

Searle's much calmer, laid back demeanour might not suit James Hurrell, who admitted he fed off Stephen Bunting's "over celebrating" during his thrilling deciding set victory on Sunday, while he'd previously overcome the fired up Dirk van Duijvenbode in a deciding set.

It was also interesting to hear the debutant saying how the raucous atmosphere of the Ally Pally is far easier to handle than the quiet surroundings of the Lakeside, where he claimed everyone is actually watching the darts!

Hurrell averaged 98 in a tremendous performance against Bunting to run out a 3-2 winner and if he can produce that kind of performance then we could see yet another nailbiter.

Scoreline Prediction: 4-3

Luke Littler (1/20) v Rob Cross (8/1) R4

Three-dart average (2025): 100.94 - 95.77
180s per leg (2025): 0.44 - 0.23

SELECTION: 1pt Luke Littler to win and throw 11+ 180s at 6/4 (General)

Luke Littler doesn't just want to win darts matches, he wants to get them over with as quickly and ruthlessly as possible.

Obviously you could say the same for anyone, but Littler rarely seems to get dragged down to a lower standard battle like many other top players can do in the early rounds. No matter who he plays, he just wants to go up there and blow them away.

Littler even tried his best not to smile when Mensur Suljovic finally got a dart at a double the other night, even though the victory was pretty much already in the bag!

Mensur Suljovic celebrating getting his first darts at a double in the eighth leg against Luke Littler 😂😂😂

So glad he then hit it! pic.twitter.com/k73H5b2la9
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) December 27, 2025

You would think Suljovic's slow play would have hindered Littler slightly but he didn't care as he averaged 107 and fired in nine 180s in just 15 legs and pinned 71% of his doubles.

I also think Littler has the extra motivation of trying to win the tournament without dropping a set - as ridiculous as that sounds - and he's currently on course for that after three whitewash victories.

Rob Cross is in grave danger of suffering the same fate based on his recent form although he will have gained confidence from a respectable 94 average in a 4-0 victory over Damon Heta in the last round.

However, that was in no small part down to Heta's wasteful finishing and Littler won't give him any charity like that.

Scoreline Prediction: 4-0

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