2024 World Cup Of Darts Group Betting

James Punt has already posted his outright preview and tips. You can read that here. Now, it is time for his 2024 World Cup of Darts Group betting preview. Check it out below.

2024 World Cup of Darts Group Previews

The problem with expanding the World Cup to 40 countries, is that there are too many mismatches. The group stages are very uncompetitive and only the very short format gives the outsiders a chance, and that is not a good betting format.

It is very hard to predict which favourites might be vulnerable to an off game in a best of seven legs match, and there are only three groups were the draw has given us a competitive situation.

Last season, the first with the new format, did see half of the seeded teams in the groups go out. Norther Ireland was the biggest surprise. Losing 1-4 to France in the first round pretty much sealed their fate.

Irish Eyes Not Smiling

The Republic of Ireland went out as well, losing to Croatia in the final match. That wasn’t quite as big a shock, Croatia had Boris Krčmar and Lennon and O’Connor are not quite a Gurney and Dolan. Austria were trying to dine out on Mensur Suljovic’s past glories, but they lost out on leg difference in a group where all three teams (USA, Denmark the other two) all scored two points.

The Czech Republic are not giants of the game and they lost to the Philippines, who had a handy team. Spain were hardly worthy of being seeded and it was not a great surprise to see them fall to South Africa. We could well see a few seed going out in the group stage, but the ‘proper’ seeds should be fine.

Group A 

Belgium are the 1.12 favourites to beat the Philippines and Singapore. If Huybrechts is not fit, then Van den Bergh has to carry the team, and what is the state of their relationship?

The Philippines do not have Lourence Ilagan to partner Perez this year, which is a blow. Singapore feature Paul Lim, but surely his time is up? Belgium make no appeal, but neither do the others. I suppose laying the Belgians on the exchange is a low risk option, but I’ll skip on this one.

2024 World Cup of Darts Group Tip: No Bet

Group B 

Northern Ireland have a new line up and they should have no bother beating Switzerland and South Africa. It is a very weak South African team, now without even Devon Petersen to bat for them. Switzerland are a one man team, and that man isn’t good enough to carry them.

2024 World Cup of Darts Group Tip: No Bet

Group C 

Germany, the home favourites, face New Zealand and Finland. Schindler is in fine form and Clemens will be better than their opponents. New Zealand have one tour card holder in their team and a fairly experienced number two. Finland would seem to be making up the numbers. Germany are 1.22 favourites, a touch generous perhaps? No bet for me.

2024 World Cup of Darts Group Tip: No Bet

Group D 

Australia are the 1.25 favourites to top the group. Japan deserve respect. The Asian darts scene is on the up and both their players are ranked 3rd and 12th on the Asian Tour O.O.M.

If Heta plays like he does in semi-finals, and Whitlock to his seasonal average of 90.31, then yes, the Aussies could be in bother. However, these two won the tournament in 2022, and in four years as teammates, have always at least reached the quarter finals.

Hong Kong have the explosive Man Lok Leung in the team, so it is not the easiest group, but that is reflected in the odds.

2024 World Cup of Darts Group Tip: No Bet

Group E

Ireland will be hoping to avoid a repeat of last year’s group stage exit. Steve Lennon is no longer in the team and Willy O’Connor is joined by Keane Barry, the number 1 player on the Development Tour.

Ireland made the final in 2019, perhaps the highlight of O’Connor’s career. Changing partners after five years will be strange, but O’Connor has played in every World Cup, and has had four different partners to date.

2019 apart, Ireland have never got beyond the second round stage. The Lennon/O’Connor partnership was generally poor, going out in the first stage in three of their five appearances together.

Nice Draw

Ireland have been lucky with the draw here. Their only threat is Lucky D, Darius Labanauskas, who is the Lithuanian number 1. Labanauskas is a former World Championship quarter finalist, but his form has declined in recent years. He now plays on the Challenge tour, Nordic Baltic tour and Modus Super Series.

With a seasonal average of 89, he could still pose problems for Ireland, but his teammate, Mindaugas Barauskas, is the weaker player. These two have played in five World Cups and made the second round twice. Barauskas plays Modus and Nordic-Baltic tour darts but has a seasonal average of just 76.2.

Chinese Taipei are making their debut and I suspect it will be a brief one.

Ireland are 1.14 to win and it would be a surprise if they failed to beat Lithuania, and that is what this group is, a match bet.

2024 World Cup of Darts Group Tip: No Bet

Group F

Austria, like Ireland, have had a good draw. Mensur Suljovic still plays on the pro tour and averages just over 91. Rowby-John Rodriguez is really struggling for form, with six of his last ten matches seeing sub 80 averages.

However, they will be too good for China and Guyana. For a nation of some 1.4 billion people, China have so far failed to find a person who can play darts at a high level. For country the size of Guyana, it is amazing that they have even qualified. They did take a leg of Gibraltar last year, and maybe they can get one off China? Even a weak team like Austria will win this group at 1.10.

2024 World Cup of Darts Group Tip: No Bet

Group G 

Poland are 1.11 to overcome Hungary and Norway. Ratajski is a multiple title winner and should be able to carry Poland through. He is supported by the more than able Szaganski, so they have a decent line up, good enough to see off Hungary and Norway.

Norway return after an eight year absence. Cor Dekker was in that team and they made the second round, beating Gibraltar in the first round. Dekker took Gary Anderson to a deciding leg in the second round, but the Scotsman checked out 160 to steal the match. Dekker is joined by Håkon Bjørge Helling and this is not a great team.

Hungary have a new line up. Gábor Jagicza and Nándor Major. Jagicza averages just over 82, Major 79.4. Neither has played in a major tournament such as this.

2024 World Cup of Darts Group Tip: No Bet

Group H 

The Czech Republic cam justify odds of just 1.09 to beat Bahrain and Iceland. Bahrain host a World Series event and the local players we have seen there are not up to much.

Iceland does have an active darts scene and they made their first appearance last year, when they took two legs off South Africa and Spain. It is a different team this year and they can beat Bahrain, but the Czechs have two full time, card holding pros.

2024 World Cup of Darts Group Tip: No Bet

Group I 

Finally, we get to a group where the winner is harder to predict. Croatia are the marginal 1.91 favourites, with Canada 2.00. Malaysia are the 21.00 rank outsiders.

A few weeks ago neither team would have been easy to back, but in recent weeks, Matt Campbell, Canada’s number 1, won the North American Championship and was runner up in PC12. That turned around what had been a season of struggle.

For Croatia, Boris Krčmar recently reached the quarter final of PC12, hit a nine darter, qualified for a Euro Tour event and beat Aspinall in a World Series match. Those two players are very closely matched and in decent form. It may come down to the number 2s.

Experienced Cameron

Dave Cameron is an experienced player, or old at 54, whatever you prefer. He has played mostly on the BDO, and WDF tours and the CDC tour in North America. He has played in World Championships and won the WDF Senior World Masters in 2002.

For Croatia, their number 2 is Romeo Grbavac. He averages 84.64 in 2024, plays mostly on the Challenge Tour, but also some Euro Tour events and Players Championships. He lost all three Euro Tour first round matches, has reached one Challenge Tour quarter final and is a steady mid 80s average sort of player.

I have to give Canada the nod, but odds of 2.00 to win the group offer only very marginal value. No bet.

2024 World Cup of Darts Group Tip: No Bet

Group J 

We are getting to the dregs of the seeded team barrel now. France are the 2.40 favourites, Latvia 2.50 and Denmark 4.00.

France look very weak favourites. Both players are in poor form. Tricole is averaging 89 in 2024 and has lost seven of his last ten matches. His A game is good, but his B game not so good. Labre is in worse form, losing nine of his last ten, including twice to his teammate. His 2024 average is 81.7.

Latvia have the talented Madars Razma leading the team. He has been playing some good stuff recently, beating the likes of MVG, Gerwyn Price and Josh Rock. He isn’t a big hitter on the whole but is very effective and very experienced. He is better than the two Frenchmen.

Weak Link

Latvia’s number two is the weak link. He plays on the Nordic-Baltic tour and averages 83.7. He made a final last year but lost to Denmark’s Benjamin Drue Reus.

Denmark are not without a chance. Benjamin Drue Reus averages 86.9 in 2024. He won a tour card in January but has only won three Players Championship matches. However, one was against Gary Anderson. He has only won two of his last ten matches, not great for the lead player. His number 2 is Bendix Nielsen, who only averages 76.9 in 2024. He has no experience at this sort of level.

I have to take a chance that Razma can carry his team to the knockout phase.

2024 World Cup of Darts Group Tip: 1 point Latvia to win Group J @ 2.50 with BoyleSports, BET365

Group K 

Sweden are the pick to overcome Spain and Gibraltar. The in-form Jeffrey de Graaf has been playing some good stuff on the Euro Tour and he is the outstanding player in the group. He is joined by a handy number 2, Oskar Lukasiak. He lost a Nordic-Baltic tour final earlier this month to…Jeffrey de Graaf. He has won a Challenge tour title in 2024 and beaten Chizzy and Cullen on the pro tour. Lukasiak was a top junior play and is a solid number 2.

Spain used to be a team to respect in the World Cup. They knocked out the English pair of Taylor and Lewis in 2010 and went all the way to the semi-finals. They made the quarter finals in 2013 and won seven of their twelve first round matches.

Last year, they were seeded but failed to get out of the group stage, losing out to South Africa. They have a weaker ranked line up this year.

Gibraltar have played in every World Cup. Making the second round just once.

2024 World Cup of Darts Group Tip: 2 points Sweden to win Group J @ 1.67 generally available (Ladbrokes were going 1.83 yesterday, but they are not displaying any odds for groups today)

Group L 

USA are the 1.91 favourites, despite both players being in poor form. Van Dongen has lost nine of his last ten, Lauby eight. Will that sort of form be enough to see off Portugal and Italy? It might be.

Portugal have Jose De Sousa as the number 1, but his confidence is in bits. He is struggling to win matches, throwing away big leads, but occasionally he shows us what he used to do. If he fires, he blows the other teams away by himself, but he very rarely fires these days. I have no info on his teammate, David Gomes.

Italy are an improving darting nation, but they have never made it beyond the first stage in eleven attempts.

Two out of form USA players vs. a De Sousa in decline? I’ll leave this alone.

2024 World Cup of Darts Group Tip: No Bet

That is that for now. I may have a look at the betting after the group stage is over, but it is not a great betting format, so I’m not expecting much.

-JamesPunt