Dutch Darts Masters 2025 Predictions: Can the Bullet go back-to-back?

'The Bullet' Stephen Bunting was the new darting master in Bahrain, but just a week later, can he repeat that feat in Den Bosch? 

As always, we've asked our darts expert Sean Rafferty to preview this event and give us his Dutch Darts Masters Predictions...

History, Location and Format

The 2025 Dutch Darts Masters is the third running of this PDC event and forms the second tournament in the World Series of Darts.

The tournament is held at Maaspoort Den Bosch in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, with this year's event running from January 24th-25th and will be shown live on ITV4 in the UK.

The field of 16 is formed from eight selected top-ranking PDC players and eight more from the Benelux area.

The defending champion is Dutchman Michael van Gerwen, who defeated Luke Littler 8-6 in last year's final.

Prize Money

There is a increased prize fund in 2025 of £100,000 on offer to the 16 participants.

Draw

Dutch Darts Masters Odds

2 units Luke Humphries @ 11/4

I’m willing to give Cool Hand another shot this week - he lost to eventual champ Stephen Bunting in the semi finals last week, missing match darts to beat him in that one and losing the last three legs from 6-4 u. It probably should have been a Humphries vs Price final.

However, there were still enough positive signs in Luke’s game in Bahrain to suggest he’s got a good chance in the Netherlands this week. He averaged 103.66 in a 6-0 demolition of qualifier Abdulla Saeed, with perfection on the outer ring, going 6/6 on his doubles. This was followed up by a tough test against Nathan Aspinall, he came from behind to win that one with a 100.47 average. He didn’t quite find that level in his semi-final against Bunting but all in all it was an improvement on his performances at the World Championship last month.

The draw looks alright for Humphries - he faces a potentially tricky match against Jermaine Wattimena who did defeat him at the European Championship, however Humphries beat him in the most recent five meetings prior to that.

He’ll have a boisterous Dutch crowd to contend with too but he’s more than experienced enough to cope with that. His potential QF tie actually looks easier, against the winner of Cross or Veenstra, neither showing any real form of late. He looks the best player in this half of the draw and you’d have to make him favourite in the final against anyone other than Littler perhaps. At this price he’s worth another go.

1 units Stephen Bunting e/w (1/2 - 2 Places) @ 9/1

I aren’t usually a regular backer of Bunting as I tend to think his odds are usually too short. But it’s almost impossible to ignore him just now - his excellent form the past few months finally resulted in some silverware last week, winning the Bahrain Masters. It was another tournament with impressive averages for The Bullet - averaging 96, 111, 100, 100 in his route to the title. Stephen has averaged 92+ in all of his last 29 matches, showing the sheer consistency he’s producing a good level of play.

I’ve always had question marks over Bunting’s ability to get over the line, he did suffer several Pro Tour final defeats last year but he’s now picked up a couple of televised titles in the last twelve months.

He lies fifth in the averages since October, which shows he’s playing as well as almost anybody. He’s been working with someone on the mental side of the game and it seems to be paying off, he certainly comes across as being full of self belief in recent interviews.

He’s in arguably the trickier half of the draw, with Luke Littler and home favourite Van Gerwen for company. However you have to make Bunting odds on to reach the semis - he plays Gian Van Veen in the opening round which admittedly could be a toughie, but then would face Dobey or Van Barneveld which I’d make him considerable favourite for.

By then he’s into semis, likely against Littler or MVG but in this form he really could beat anyone - some of the bigger names can be rusty in January, so don’t be too surprised if he goes close again. I always prefer each way with Bunting, at 8/1 I can afford to do that and hopefully he makes at least the final.

Darts Odds

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