World Cup of Darts predictions and darts betting tips: German pair can star on home soil

Where to watch the World Cup of Darts

Sky Sports Action, 6pm Thursday

Best bets

Germany to win the World Cup
1pt each-way 22-1 BoyleSports

Latvia to win Group K
4pts 5-6 Betfair, Paddy Power 

Philippines to win Group I
1pt 11-4 BoyleSports, Coral & Ladbrokes

World Cup of Darts predictions

The World Cup of Darts returns to Frankfurt with Australian pair Damon Heta and Simon Whitlock back to defend the crown they won last year. 

There’s a new format this time around, with the competition expanded to 40 teams. The top-four ranked nations (England, Netherlands, Wales and Scotland) are automatically seeded into round two and the other 36 countries will battle it out in twelve sections of three, with one qualifying from each pool.

The event is purely a pairs competition, with a single match played and Wales head the betting at 13-8. That looks a little on the short side and at 22-1 Germany look the better play. 

Martin Schindler and Gabriel Clemens make up the German challenge and it’s a duo that took the European side to the quarter-finals of this competition last year. Since that last-eight effort, Clemens has gone on to make the semi-finals of the World Championship, Schindler has been a UK Open quarter-finalist and the pair appear in far better form ahead of this year’s event.

The Germany duo are both inside the top-30 on the Pro Tour averages this season, they can call on a home crowd who will be exuberant in their support and there shouldn't be any issues winning a section containing Japan and Hong Kong. 

Away from the outright, Latvia look a fantastic bet to win Group K. Madars Razma is averaging over 90 on the Pro Tour this term and Razmatazz is likely to be the star of the section. 

Partner Dmitrijs Zukovs is knocking in 80.27 across 52 matches on the Nordic & Baltic Pro Tour this term and that should be enough to keep Razma in touch. Bahrain are one of the weakest nations in the competition and Kiwi pair Ben Robb and Warren Parry look overrated by the prices. 

At 11-4, the Philippines are worth a punt to top Group I. The Filipino pair consist of Christian Perez and Lourence Ilagan and the duo look up to outperforming the Czech Republic and Singapore.

Perez made a seriously impressive Pro Tour debut when beating Rob Cross, Jamie Hughes, Luke Woodhouse and World Cup group-stage rival Karel Sedlacek on his way to the last-eight of the Player Championship 13 event earlier this week, and Ilagan was good enough to win his first-round match against Rowby-John Rodriguez at Alexandra Palace at the turn of the year. 

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