Jonny Clayton

PDC World Darts Championship 2026: Day five predictions, betting tips, acca, order of play and TV time for Sunday December 14

By James Cooper

Darts

Mon December 15, 2025 · 3h ago

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

PDC World Championship: Monday's Preview & Acca

SL Acca: 1pt Dolan (-1.5 sets) to win, Lukeman (+1.5 sets) to win and Clayton to win 3-0 at 6/1 with Paddy Power

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

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

WATCH OUR WORLD DARTS CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW

Chris Hammer, Paul Nicholson and Abigail Davies join host Dom Newton to unpick the draw and predict the outcome of the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace

PREDICTING THE PDC WORLD DARTS CHAMPIONSHIP 2026!

Afternoon Session (1900 GMT)

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

Brendan Dolan (3/10) v Tavis Dudeney (10/3)

Three-dart average (2025) 90.96-82.66
180s per leg (2025) 0.16-0.18
Checkout % (2025) 40.95-34.51

SELECTION: 1pt Brendan Dolan to win 3-0 at 21/10 (Ladbrokes/Coral, 11/5 Boylesports)

Twice a quarter-finalist, most recently in 2024, Brendan Dolan has plenty of previous in the World Championship and he really should make that experience tell against debutant Tavis Dudeney.

In recent months, Dolan’s average has dipped fairly alarmingly, with several low 80s averages but his 2025 numbers still stand well above Dudenay, perhaps even more so than the market suggests

An 83.20 average was enough to record a routine 6-2 victory over this afternoon’s opponent for Dolan in a Players Championship event in October and while Dudeney is at the embryonic stage his career, it’s hard to see him living with Dolan on the biggest stage of them all and I make anything north of 15/8 a good bet on Dolan to win 3-0

Verdict 3-0

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Cameron Menzies (8/13) v Charlie Manby (13/8)

Three-dart average (2025) 92.77-89.65
180s per leg (2025) 0.32-0.25
Checkout % (2025) 38.36-37.62

This has the potential to be the clash of the day, with the enigmatic Menzies taking on up-and-coming Charlie Manby, who gets a spot on the back of an excellent season on the Development Tour coupled with a Modus Super Series win.

It was a really tough watch seeing Menzies in tears a year ago but he’s reported to be in a much better frame of mind this time having changed in lifestyle in 2025.

The Scot has added a second Players Championship to his CV in 2025 and remains capable of three-figure averages when in the groove.

Manby, though, brings to the table a higher average than most non-seeds and he’s used to winning with a 72% success-rate on his tour.

With the prospect of five-sets a distinct possibility, the over 180s line was under consideration but it’s set at 9.5, which looks about right.

Verdict 3-2

Mensur Suljovic (1/2) v David Cameron (15/8)

Three-dart average (2025) 91.75-86.90
180s per leg (2025) 0.21-0.12
Checkout % (2025) 35.31-39.08

I expect this game to be played at a more sedate tempo, with two payers aged 50+ taking each other on.

Given his standing on the tour, a trio of quarter-final appearances is probably just a fair return for Mensur Suljovic, who has long been regarded as a very awkward player to take on.

The Austrian has been involved in a few Ally Pally classics though, his match against MVG a couple of years ago the pick of them.

Canadian David Cameron, better known as a BDO player, gained his most notable win over Phil Taylor to become the inaugural winner of the World Seniors Darts Masters in 2022.

He’s one from three in matches in this event and Suljovic would have been a lot shorter than 1-2 to win this match on his earlier 2025 form, but recent performances have not been particularly good.

A low-quality four or five set Suljovic win therefore looks likely.

Verdict 3-2

Peter Wright (1/9) v Noa-Lynn van Leuven (7/1)

Three-dart average (2025) 92.19-81.36
180s per leg (2025) 0.25-0.21
Checkout % (2025) 37.97-32.90

SELECTION: 1.5pts under 5.5 match 180s at 21/20 (Ladbrokes/Coral)

An omission from this year’s Premier League for the first time since 2013 illustrates Peter Wright’s current position in the game.

A sub-50% win record in his past two seasons firmly backs the feeling that Snakebite’s best days, good enough for two World Championships, are now behind him.

Van Leuven finds herself in fourth place in the Women’s Series Order of Merit and at times in short-format matches has surpassed the 100 average.

Her normal level is 20 ticks below that, though, and in the hope Peter Wright navigates this in three or at most four sets, the UNDER 5.5 180s line at odds against looks a shade too big.

Verdict 3-1

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

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

Max Hopp (8/13) v Martin Lukeman (6/4)

Three-dart average (2025) 88.90-90.07
180s per leg (2025) 0.25-0.18
Checkout % (2025) 34.62-40.28

SELECTION: 1pt Martin Lukeman to beat Max Hopp at 11/8 (General)

Martin Lukeman has the higher 2025 average, a far superior checkout percentage, is 50-odd places higher in the rankings and has a 2-0 head-to-head record yet finds himself as the marginal outsider with the layers against German Max Hopp.

Why is this? Well Lukeman has never looked totally at home on the TV stage and arrives here on the back of a sextet of defeats.

He’s also failed to progress beyond round two from three attempts here whereas Hopp has reached round three on a couple of occasions.

Hopp’s recent form isn’t much better though, so I’m siding with LUKEMAN to hit the all-important doubles in this one with odds of 11/8+ attractive.

Verdict 2-3

Dirk van Duijvenbode (4/9) v Andy Baetens (9/4)

Three-dart average (2025) 96.63-91.20
180s per leg (2025) 0.39-0.18
Checkout % (2025) 41.27-36.04

SELECTION: 1pt Dirk van Duijvenbode match treble at 7/5 (Paddy Power)

Supremely talented but not a player to fully trust to be on his game would be my synopsis of Dirk van Duijvenbode who was last seen losing his composure over an illegal throw in Minehead.

Aubergenuis starts his campaign against Andy Baetens, who qualified via the PDCE Netherlands & Belgium Qualifier.

Baetens has enjoyed a fair amount of success on mainland Europe and while that’s a notch or two below this level, a 90+ seasonal average is not to be sniffed at.

A run to the final of a European Tour event, averaging a career-high 117.74 shows what van Duijvenbode can do on the floor and with that in mind, the MATCH TREBLE (win, most 180s and highest checkout) makes quite a bit of appeal.

It’s not a market I’m a huge fan of, particularly in the relatively short best-of-five stage but as illustrated above, the Dutchman is superior in every department when on this A-game and with a bit of related contingency thrown into the mix, the 7/5 with Paddy Power looks worth taking.

Verdict 3-0

Jonny Clayton (1/5) v Adam Lipscombe (4/1)

Three-dart average (2025) 96.57-88.41
180s per leg (2025) 0.31-0.11
Checkout % (2025) 42.71-38.36

Having elevated his game to pretty much the top of the tree between 2021-23, 2024 was quieter for the popular Welshman but Jonny Clayton is certainly back on the right track in 2025.

Wins in the Players/European Championships along with a semi-final spot in the UK Open has helped contribute to another impressive 67% win record for the calendar year.

Lipscombe showed he belongs in this company with a breakthrough Players Championship win during the autumn and he’s also won his fair share on the European Tour.

He’ll have needed a fair amount of time to get over a gut-wrenching defeat against Daryl Gurney in Minehead, missing a plethora of match darts and that lack of crucial experience on the main stages may be ruthlessly exposed tonight.

Verdict 3-0

Connor Scutt (3/10) v Simon Whitlock (14/5)

Three-dart average (2025) 93.12-86.34
180s per leg (2025) 0.30-0.23
Checkout % (2025) 39.25-36.40

SELECTION: 1pt over 4.5 sets in the match at 2/1 (Ladbrokes/Coral).

The evening concludes with what will hopefully be a cracker, with the well-touted Connor Scutt taking on popular veteran Simon Whitlock.

Scutt has looked firmly at home on the biggest stage after making his debut in 2024, and while a brace of second-round defeats doesn’t look anything to get excited by, he lost little in defeat against Gerwyn Price and Damon Heta respectively.

A finalist back in 2010, Whitlock now plies his trade in his native Australia but he confirmed that he retains enough ability by qualifying for this and unlike many players at the sort of price he is to win a match, you know Whitlock will be right at home in this rowdy late slot.

An upset is by no means ruled out with more pressure on Scutt than Whitlock but I’ll plump for OVER 4.5 sets in the match instead.

Verdict 2-3