2023 Players Championship Finals tips: Luke Humphries eyes treble, Michael Van Gerwen in trouble
Cool Hand Luke stormed to the World Grand Prix title in October before seeing off the competition at the Grand Slam of Darts last week.
Across his last five major events, Humphries has gone all the way twice and made two semi-finals.
The 28-year-old appears to be peaking at the right time, considering the World Championships are just around the corner.
Question is, can Humphries win another major before heading off to Ally Pally?
The 2023 Players Championship Finals will take place in Minehead from November 24 to 26.
Players Championship Finals outright odds
(Planet Sport Bet odds)
Humphries has been drawn against Martin Lukeman in the first round and could take on the likes of Ryan Searle, James Wade and Gary Anderson in his bracket – the exact three players he beat en route to the Grand Slam final last week.
Gerwyn Price is the second favourite with the bookmakers and arrives with the number one rank in the Players Championship Order of Merit.
The Welshman has won four Players Championship events this year but hasn’t been blessed with an easy draw.
Should he prevail against Ricky Evans in the first round, Price will take on the winner of Kim Huybrechts and Martin Schindler. He could then clash with Stephen Bunting and Michael van Gerwen en route to the semi-finals.
Speaking of the Dutchman, the Green Machine has not been firing on all cylinders for some time. The same goes for world champion Michael Smith.
With that in mind, our main tip for the tournament has to be the high-flying Humphries. However, if you’re looking for someone at a bigger price, Rob Cross is your man.
The former world champion has been priced at 16/1 despite enjoying a tremendous run to the final at the Grand Slam.
The 33-year-old has been drawn in a relatively open side of the draw, with Dave Chisnall his possible opponent in round three and Jonny Clayton potentially in the quarter-finals.
Suggested bets
Nap – Luke Humphries to win (9/2)
Dark horse – Rob Cross to win (16/1)
Winning nationality – English (11/8)
