Gerwyn Price PDC World Darts Odds: Iceman is 5/1 to claim his second crown

We are just three days away from the PDC World Darts Championship returning to Alexandra Palace for what is one of the sporting staples of the winter calendar.

Darts fans are going to be treated in the run-up to Christmas and will have an excellent way to see in the New Year, particularly if this year's final can live up to the billing of last year's thriller between champion Michael Smith and Michael van Gerwen.

As the tournament's opening day nears, we preview some of the high-profile players set to descend on London this week.

Welshman Gerwyn Price returns to Ally Pally in the hopes of securing his second world crown, but he has more hurdles to overcome than his peers.

It's the festive period which can only mean one thing, it is also pantomime season. And when it comes to darts, Price is widely considered as the pantomime villain by the Ally Pally faithful.

This was evidenced last year when the heckling from the crowd forced him to go and get a pair of ear defenders during his last-eight clash with Gabriel Clemens. It didn't quite have the effect he wanted as he bowed out at that stage of the tournament for the second year running.

Iceman has of course tasted glory on this stage before, the only thing is it was during the covid pandemic in 2021 and Ally Pally lacked its soul as there were no fans in attendance. It's one thing to become world champion without the pressure of a live audience, but does Price have what it takes to block out the noise and silence the haters to win the tournament for a second time?

The Welshman has caught the eye in 2023 with his performances despite not having any individual success on the majors stage. Everyone knows the quality he possesses and he is always a threat when he turns up in London for this glamorous event.

Rod Studd previewed the Iceman's chances for more world glory this winter. He tells Betfred: "Price has produced some outstanding performances this year on the PDC circuit, but no big tournament wins apart from the World Cup when he partnered Jonny Clayton for Wales in the summer.

"Runner-up in the Premier League and at the World Grand Prix, he's looking to win the big one for the second time. So can the Iceman become the Twiceman?"