How to bet on darts: Darts betting guide

How do darts matches work?

Darts markets

Analyzing darts odds and finding value

What darts tournaments and competitions are there?

 

 

Darts betting has become increasingly popular over the last decade and is now established as an exciting sport to bet on with tournaments running throughout the year. So how do darts matches work, what darts markets and competitions are available to bet on and how can you identify value in darts odds? We’ve covered it all in our guide to how to bet on darts.

 

How do darts matches work?

In most professional darts matches, two players take it in turns to throw three darts at a dartboard in order to score points.

The dartboard is divided into 20 radial sections which represent points from one to 20, and two ‘rings’ which double or triple the points scored if the dart lands in there. In the middle of the dartboard is the bullseye, comprised of the inner bullseye worth 50 points and outer bullseye worth 25.

Darts tournaments predominantly follow one of two common formats: legs-based and sets-based.

The vast majority of professional darts tournaments use the 501 scoring system. Players compete against each other to lower their score from 501 to zero, often being required to finish on a double. The first player to do so wins the ‘leg’ being contested.

Darts tournaments predominantly follow one of two formats: legs-based and sets-based. In legs-based competitions, matches are to the best of a specified number of legs (for instance, if a match is over the best of five legs, the first player to win three is victorious).

In sets-based competitions, players are required to win a certain number of legs (often three) to take a set, and then win the best of the specified number of sets to win the match.

Certain tournaments have further stipulations for the requirements to win a match, such as needing to win by two clear legs or sets, or having to win the deciding set by two clear legs should the match reach it.

 

Darts betting markets

There are several markets in darts available to bettors:

Money Line: This is a straightforward bet on which player you think will win the match.

Outright: This is a bet on which player you think will win a certain darts tournament or competition.

Leg/Set Handicap: In Leg or Set Handicap betting, one player has a stipulated number of legs or sets added or subtracted from their final score to determine the outcome of the bet.

For instance, if you bet on Michael van Gerwen to win a match with a -2.5 Leg Handicap, he would need to win the match by at least three legs for a successful bet. Therefore, a 10-7 victory for van Gerwen would win the bet, but a 9-8 victory for him would lose the bet.

Leg/Set Over/Under: This involves betting on whether a player will win over or under a certain number of legs or sets in a match. For example, if you bet on Peter Wright to win Over 4.5 legs in a match, if he wins five legs or more the bet is successful, whereas if he wins four legs or fewer the best is lost.

With darts Handicap and Over/Under betting the player you bet on is not required to win the match for the bet to be successful, they simply need to achieve the parameters set by the bet.

Live betting and more: Increasingly, it is possible to bet on a darts match as it is happening, such as on who will win the leg or set currently being played.

Other components of the match are occasionally available to bet on, such as the number of 180s (a turn of three darts that all attain the maximum triple 20 score), whether either player will achieve a nine-dart finish (a 501 score with their opening nine darts) and how many legs or sets the match will actually last for.