2022 World Seniors Championship winner predictions, darts betting tips and odds

Darts tips, best bets and player analysis for the 2022 World Seniors Championship, which starts at the Circus Tavern on Thursday.

Where to watch

Tournament starts BT Sport 1 & BBC iPlayer, 7pm Thursday

Best bets

R Thornton
1pt each-way 13-2 Betfair

L Ashton
1pt each-way 20-1 bet365

Tournament preview

The hair might be greyer, the walk-ons slower and the averages a bit lower, but watching some of the game's doyens (and doyennes) toe the oche for World Seniors glory at the Circus Tavern this weekend will be a slice of TV gold.

The tournament which starts on Thursday evening, will take place over the next four nights culminating in Sunday's final.

Phil Taylor may or may not still have the power, but the 16-time world champion (the young man's version) still knows how to sit atop a coupon, going off an even-money chance in the 24-player field.

Taylor is one of eight players seeded into the round-of-16 but it's a player who isn't – Robert Thornton – who gets the vote.

The Thorn, the former Grand Prix champion, opens up against 74-year-old ex-Lakeside champ Bob Anderson in a best-of-five sets affair with Trina Gulliver awaiting the winner in the last 16.

Thornton is a competitive presence on the Challenge Tour nowadays after narrowly missing out for the main tour at Q School, where he averaged over 90 in attempting to qualify.

Thornton may well meet Taylor in the semis but that's presuming the tournament favourite is sharp and since he's only played a handful of exhibitions since retirement, that's not guaranteed. That said, and given how driven he is, you know full well he'd love to be the first name on this trophy.

From the bottom half of the draw have a look at multiple women's world champion Lisa Ashton who, like Thornton, plays at a properly competitive level these days and that's going to give her the requisite edge.

Other players to consider are Martin Adams, Kevin Painter and if Paul Lim can see off Dave Prins in round one (no easy thing) he'll take on John Lowe, a fixture in which the two men boast a combined age of 144.

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