World Darts Betting Tips Day 14: Ratajski to reach round four

• Luke Littler available at 8/111.73 to win the World Championship

• Ratajski looking a real threat

• The Bullet could be in a spot of bother

• Read all about Betfair's Christmas weekend free bet offer here

As we head into the third round of the most prestigious tournament on the calendar, pre-tournament favourite Luke Littler is now 8/111.73 to retain his title, 2024 World Champion Luke Humphries is available at 9/25.50 with Dutchman Gian van Veen still third favourite to lift the trophy for the first time at 9/110.00 even though he hadn't won a match on the Ally Pally stage prior to this campaign getting underway. 

Ratajski is the real deal

Krzysztof Ratajski so often goes under the radar in big TV tournaments, he very rarely gets talked about as a title contender or receives credit for how difficult he is to break down but given the level he's produced in his opening two games of this year's World Championship, more and more people are thinking that he could at least equal his career best run in this tournament.

If The Polish Eagle were to advance to the quarter-finals for the second time in his career, it is likely he'd face Luke Littler there which certainly wouldn't be a straightforward tie for the defending champion.

However, standing in Ratajski's way in round three is the player who took care of Gerwyn Price last time out in Wesley Plaisier.

When the Dutchman gained his tour card, many of us had high hopes for what he could go on to achieve but we haven't really seen the best of him on the circuit too often and he most definitely did not look at home on the Ally Pally stage on debut 12 months ago.

Against The Iceman though, he consistently produced the level that we knew was in there. Despite Price not playing too badly, he was given no breathing space at all by the winner of one PDC ranking title.

Despite the Welshman producing two 11 dart legs in the final set, Plaisier proved to be too good on his own throw, and was able to seal a straight sets win.

Whilst he is certainly capable of replicating that level, I think Ratajski has looked that bit better so far and if he can continue to produce that standard, believe he will prevail.

Whilst the Polish number one isn't the most prolific 180 hitter on the tour, I do think this match has six sets in it, so am backing Krzysztof Ratajski to win and hit 5+ 180s at 5/23.50. 

Hurrell could cause an upset

James Hurrell has already produced one upset this tournament, knocking out the world number 29, Dirk van Duijvenbode. Whilst he hasn't come from nowhere and everyone is well aware of his talent, his numbers on the floor in 2025 have been a little sporadic so it was difficult to predict which version of Hillbilly would arrive in London.

The winner of a Challenge Tour event, he has picked up a few good wins over the likes of Cameron Menzies, Martin Schindler and Gian van Veen in Players Championship action this year, reaching one semi-final along the way.

With this run to the Last 32, he has eased any minor concerns he might have had about retaining his tour card privileges and at 7/24.50, I think there's merit in backing him to dump out the number four seed on Saturday. 

Whilst Stephen Bunting has been quick out of the blocks in both of his matches so far and treated us to some blinding set averages, the drop off midway through the two matches has been alarming and against someone of Hillbilly's ilk, if the same thing happens again in this one, he is more likely to be punished, especially if Hurrell can find the scoring power that served him so well against Dirk van Duijvenbode.

Hurrell hit a whopping 10 maximums in round two and again, expecting this one to go long, at 9/43.25 I'm also backing both players to hit 8+ 180s in the match. 

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