The 2025 BetMGM Premier League season continues in Dublin on Thursday, as Luke Littler sets his sights on back-to-back nightly wins as the tournament returns to the Emerald Isle.
Reigning champion Littler opened his 2025 account with Night Two glory in Glasgow last week, defeating Rob Cross, Michael van Gerwen and Luke Humphries to register a five-point haul on Scottish soil.
Littler recovered from 5-1 down to stun Cross in the evening’s opener, and after dispatching Van Gerwen in the last four, he edged out Humphries in another last-leg shoot-out to maintain his 100% Premier League record against the world number one.
The teenage superstar trails league leader Humphries by three points heading into Night Three, where he will take on 2023 runner-up Gerwyn Price in a fascinating quarter-final tie.
Price has won the pair’s last four meetings - including wins at last month’s Bahrain Darts Masters and a clash on the PDC ProTour earlier in February - although Littler heads to Dublin in confident mood.
“I know that I can pick up many more nightly titles,” insisted the World Champion, who averaged a staggering 113.91 in his defeat against Michael van Gerwen on Night One.
“Coming into last week I just wanted to win that first game and get some points on the board, and my confidence went through the roof after the comeback against Rob!
“It was important to build on the comeback and performance that I put in against Rob, and it was nice to not lose with a 110 average!”
Littler or Price will take on the winner of Thursday’s opening quarter-final tie in Dublin, which sees Humphries go head-to-head with former Masters champion Stephen Bunting.
Humphries produced averages of 106, 104 and 105 to triumph at the 3Arena last year, and the world number one has made a terrific start to this year’s roadshow, claiming eight points from a possible ten.
Bunting, meanwhile, is still searching for his first points on his return to the Premier League fold, following back-to-back quarter-final defeats against Cross and Van Gerwen respectively.
Seven-time champion Van Gerwen has reached the semi-finals on the opening two nights of action, and he will face Night One runner-up Chris Dobey in the evening’s fourth quarter-final.
Van Gerwen won the pair’s showdown in January’s World Championship semi-finals, but Dobey is one of the sport’s form men, having celebrated Players Championship 3 success in Rosmalen on Monday.
“If I can take my ProTour form on to the big stage, then who knows? I could be winning these major titles,” insisted the Bedlington star, who has lost out to Humphries in both league nights so far.
“I’m working hard, I’m putting in the hours and it’s started to pay off on the floor, so it’s only a matter of time before it happens on the stage again.
“You have to take your opportunities and make it count. I just love playing darts, and I want to keep winning titles now.”
Cross and Nathan Aspinall will also lock horns on Night Three, with the latter bidding to secure his first victory of the campaign.
Cross surrendered a 5-1 lead against Littler in his Glasgow opener, while Aspinall was narrowly beaten by Price at the same stage, despite landing two ton-plus finishes.
The Stockport star also lost his opening three games in last year’s roadshow before finding his form, and is confident of maintaining his impressive record in the sport’s elite event.
"I love playing in the Premier League," declared 2020 runner-up Aspinall, who has never finished lower than fifth in his four previous Premier League appearances.
"Every time I walk on to the stage I get that buzz, and I think playing week in week out will help me produce my A-game.
"I need to grasp on to all of the positive memories over the last few years, learn from my mistakes last year and not make them again!"
The 2025 Premier League sees eight of the sport’s biggest names contesting 16 mini-events during the season, with each league night comprising quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final over the best of 11 legs.
Ranking points will be awarded per night - with five to the winner, three to the runner-up and two to the semi-finalists - to form the league table from which the top four players will progress to the Play-Offs at The O2 in London on Thursday May 29.
The 2025 BetMGM Premier League will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK & Ireland, through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV for Rest of the World Subscribers (outside of the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria & Switzerland).
2025 BetMGM Premier League
Night Three - Thursday February 20
3Arena, Dublin
Quarter-Finals
Luke Humphries v Stephen Bunting
Gerwyn Price v Luke Littler
Rob Cross v Nathan Aspinall
Michael van Gerwen v Chris Dobey
Semi-Finals
Humphries/Bunting v Price/Littler
Cross/Aspinall v Van Gerwen/Dobey
Final
v
All matches best of 11 legs