Littler vs Bunting (Premier League Darts): odds and bets 09.04.2026

This is a classic Premier League spot where the format does most of the talking: first to six legs, no time to ease your way into it, and one sloppy leg can decide the whole match. I’m mainly judging this through two lenses: who holds throw most reliably in the first four legs, and who is more dependable on doubles once the pressure rises.

Stylistically it’s an interesting clash. Bunting wants a steady rhythm and a clean look at his finishing routes; Littler can break that rhythm simply by piling on scoring pressure and forcing you to hit a big out or get broken. They’ve already played twice in this Premier League season and Littler came through both times, which matters because it tells you he’s found a way to manage Bunting in this exact stage set-up.

Luke Littler

When I watch Littler in this race-to-six format, what stands out is how quickly he can turn a match. He doesn’t need five or six legs to “warm up”; he can go from average to ruthless inside two visits because his scoring gives him chances to break throw almost immediately. If he starts landing the treble 20 consistently, he creates pressure on every single Bunting visit — and that’s usually where opponents start forcing the pace and missing the doubles they’d normally take.

He’s also matured in how he closes. Early in his rise you’d occasionally see a wobble when he got in front, but now he tends to manage leads better: sensible set-up darts, leaving the right doubles, and not panicking if the first match dart goes begging. That’s important against someone like Bunting, who will hang around and make it awkward if you let him.

One thing I always factor in, though: Premier League nights can be volatile. Even the best players drop a leg they “shouldn’t” drop because of one loose visit or one missed double under noise and lights. That’s why I like pairing a match angle with a performance angle — it protects you from the randomness that sometimes decides a best-of-11.

Stephen Bunting

Bunting’s season has been a bit stop-start. At his best he’s a very clean, traditional player: he scores neatly, he’s comfortable on common finishes, and he doesn’t need to hit a stack of 180s to win legs. But in this field, being “tidy” isn’t always enough — if you’re not converting those key doubles, you’ll get punished quickly because everyone can score.

The match-up for him is clear: if he’s going to stay in it, he needs to make this a proper contest on doubles and hold his throw early. When Bunting starts well, you can see the confidence: he stops forcing the treble, his grouping tightens, and the finishes look calmer. The danger is falling behind early; against Littler that tends to trigger rushed visits, and once you’re chasing breaks in a short format, you often end up needing near-perfect legs just to keep pace.

Even so, I don’t write him off completely. He’s experienced on the big stage and he’s perfectly capable of producing a high-standard match if he finds his rhythm from leg one.