I break betting odds news as it happens, so you’re never left behind when the market moves or a top offer lands.
- Luke Littler suffered a shock World Grand Prix exit to Luke Woodhouse, while Michael van Gerwen was beaten by Ryan Joyce in a troubling third early loss in a row.
- Luke Humphries now leads the outright betting with bet365 at 11/4, with Gerwyn Price (5/1) and Gian van Veen (17/2) the nearest challengers.
- The PDC has announced sweeping 2027 calendar changes, including a new European Open in Austria and an expanded, £1 million European Championship.
Littler's Shock Exit Not The Surprise Social Media Suggests
World number one Luke Littler's shock exit from the World Grand Prix has sent traffic soaring across bookmakers this week, even if the pundits closest to the sport aren't half as surprised as social media suggests.
Speaking on OLBG's YouTube channel, hosts Matt Edgar and Phil Barr were both quick to argue this wasn't the shock it's been made out to be.
Littler lost 3-2 to Luke Woodhouse, a player they say is riding the biggest wave of confidence of his career after winning both a Pro Tour and a Euro Tour title this year, and the tournament's double in, double out format has a long history of catching elite players cold.
Edgar pointed to Phil Taylor's infamous defeat to Andy Callaby and Michael van Gerwen's own loss to John Henderson as evidence this is simply part of the event's DNA.
What concerned both pundits more was Littler's focus once the tournament's clean sweep of majors slipped out of reach, along with the toll of the attention that follows him everywhere he goes.
Barr noted Littler's throw looked different to his sharpest form before Amsterdam, while Edgar argued the teenager is still only three years into a professional career being lived largely in public, unlocking a level of mainstream exposure no darts player has faced before.
Van Gerwen's Alarm Bells And A Wide-Open Outright Market
Michael van Gerwen's form was the other major talking point, after Ryan Joyce beat the three-time World Grand Prix champion despite being priced as a two-to-one outsider, odds Edgar called an absolute joke given Joyce's standing as arguably the tour's best doubler over the past year.
It's now three big early exits in a row for Van Gerwen, following the World Matchplay and the World Series Finals, and crucially he wasn't defending anything in Leicester, making this a missed opportunity to bank ranking money at a time when his place in the world's top sixteen is no longer guaranteed.
Both pundits still expect he'll keep his Premier League spot regardless of where he lands, calling it a year's grace he's earned after twelve years near the top of the sport, but neither is brushing off the wider concern heading into the season's remaining majors.
With both Littler and Van Gerwen out inside round one, the outright market has been reshaped. Here's how bet365 now prices the field to win outright.
| Darts World Grand Prix 2026 Winner | Odds | Probability |
|---|---|---|
Luke Humphries | 11/4 | 26.7% |
Gerwyn Price | 5/1 | 16.7% |
Gian van Veen | 17/2 | 10.5% |
Nathan Aspinall | 9/1 | 10.0% |
Gary Anderson | 11/1 | 8.3% |
James Wade | 11/1 | 8.3% |
Ross Smith | 11/1 | 8.3% |
Wessel Nijman | 11/1 | 8.3% |
Jonny Clayton | 14/1 | 6.7% |
Stephen Bunting | 22/1 | 4.3% |
Danny Noppert | 28/1 | 3.4% |
Jermaine Wattimena | 28/1 | 3.4% |
Luke Woodhouse | 28/1 | 3.4% |
Ryan Searle | 33/1 | 2.9% |
Niels Zonneveld | 50/1 | 2.0% |
Ryan Joyce | 50/1 | 2.0% |
2027 Calendar Overhaul Brings Three Major Changes
The other big story from the podcast was the PDC's confirmation of sweeping changes to the 2027 calendar.
A new European Open will be introduced in Austria, open to all 128 tour card holders, while the European Championship is being expanded to 48 players for a week-long event carrying a £1 million prize pot, firmly establishing it as one of the sport's major tournaments.
The Players Championship Finals will also open up to 128 players, still determined by the one-year Pro Tour Order of Merit.
Edgar and Barr agreed it's a huge opportunity for players chasing TV exposure and prize money, but both flagged the same worry: does a second UK Open style event water down the original?
The UK Open's appeal has always rested partly on its uniqueness, a multi-board, anything-can-happen format fans build their year around, and the concern is that a near-identical event in Austria just months later makes it feel less special.
Both pundits stressed the PDC has earned the benefit of the doubt on scheduling calls, but it's a tension worth watching as more details emerge.
