In a recent interview, Ladbrokes ambassador Russ Bray shared his insights on the upcoming World Darts Championship, highlighting key players and their potential to shine.
Bray predicted Luke Humphries would repeat as winner of darts' biggest prize.
I reckon Luke Humphries goes back-to-back, I've been with him in the last couple of weeks, and the kid is hitting form. He's just won the Ladbrokes Players Championship again - to me, he's the boy to beat.
To be honest, with Luke Littler having all of the hype around him, I actually think that's taken all of the pressure off of Humphries; the pressure is all going to be on Littler... there's no two ways about it.
He's got a different kind of pressure this year. Because of everything he did last year at Ally Pally, and everything he's done in 2024, the expectation is a lot higher now - there's a lot more demand on him.
He's got a target on his back, and they'll all be gunning for him. And look, he is beatable; he got beat in the first round of three majors this year, so that tells you everything.
Bray also noted the pressure surrounding Luke Littler, who has garnered significant attention.
When discussing potential dark horses, Bray expressed his admiration for Jonny Clayton.
If I could hand pick a winner, I'd love to see someone like Jonny Clayton do it. He's such a lovely man, he's got a lovely throw - there's no shenanigans with the guy.
He's just an all-round lovely guy; I'd love him to win the Worlds.
Bray also shared his thoughts on the growing talent from the Asian tour, emphasising the potential of Filipino players.
Watch out for the Filipino boys; that would be my statement, going into the Worlds.
They pretty much topped the rankings in the Asian tour - I cover that tour, and they're the boys we need to be watching now.
I'm not saying one of them is going to go and win the World Championship, but they can do a lot of damage.
If they can get through that first round, they could be really exciting.
It all kicks off in two days.
