International - US Darts Masters
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by Devesh Jaganath | in Darts Predictions
Arguably, the pick of the first round matches at the US Darts Open 2025 will see world number one Luke Humphries take on Stowe Buntz on Friday. The winner of this match between Cool Hand and the Neon Nightmare will move on to face either Rob Cross or Danny Lauby in the quarter-final. Let’s get into the match prediction.
Luke Humphries will be aiming to put his World Cup disappointment behind him this week by notching up his first World Series of Darts title for the year.
Cool Hand was beaten in the second round by Gerwyn Price at the Nordic Darts Masters earlier this month, though that was just the second defeat he suffered in his last 10 matches.
During that period, Humphries also beat Luke Littler to the Premier League title, while he also clinched the World Masters title earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Stowe Buntz had an exceptional first nine months in 2024, winning the Gibraltar Open and two CDC Pro Tours, while also reaching the top 96 at the World Championship.
However, this will be the Neon Nightmare’s first televised event in 2025, and he enters it following three consecutive defeats, with the most recent being a 3-0 loss to Wales’ Nick Kenny.
Over the last 12 months, Buntz is averaging 87.21 with a checkout rate of 36.81&% and a highest checkout of 167.
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Luke Humphries - Stowe Buntz Key Points
- Luke Humphries is the number-one-ranked player in the world.
- Luke Humphries has two televised event titles this year.
- Luke Humphries has won eight of his last 10 matches across all competitions.
- Stowe Buntz is on a three-match losing streak.
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Our Luke Humphries vs Stowe Buntz Prediction
While Luke Humphries was unable to follow up his Premier League form at the World Cup of Darts or the Nordic Darts Masters, on paper, this should be a fairly straightforward win for him.
Given the draw, the world number one will also avoid Luke Littler until the final (provided they both get that far). Buntz had a tough end to 2024 and has not played much this year. We feel he will struggle to keep up with Cool Hand in this one. Our Luke Humphries vs Stowe Buntz prediction is Luke Humphries -3.5.
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All tips are fully researched and given in good faith, but profits cannot be guaranteed.
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