Australian Darts Masters: Heta and Whitlock carrying Aussie hopes in Wollongong against Littler, Price & Co.
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Luke Littler installed as short-priced favourite Down Under
The PDC has arrived Down Under for its sixth event of the year and the final two World Series of Darts qualifiers, starting this weekend in Wollongong, New South Wales, with the 2025 Australian Darts Masters.
A total prize fund of £100,000 is up for grabs, including £30,000 for the winner and £16,000 for the runner-up. This is the second staging of this event, with Gerwyn Price returning to defend his crown after crushing Luke Littler 8-1 in the final last year.
As has been the case for almost every event this year, newly crowned World Matchplay champion Luke Littler enters the tournament as the out-and-out favourite and will undoubtedly be seeking revenge for that heavy loss to the Iceman 12 months ago.
However, it is worth noting that The Nuke has not reached any of this season’s World Series Finals!
Indeed, the teenage sensation is seeded number four heading into the Australian Darts Masters. He has a tricky opening match, and you can check out our Luke Littler vs. Haupai Puha prediction right away for all the key info in this clash.
Stephen Bunting is the top seed and has featured in four of the five World Series finals in 2025, while third in the latest betting odds at 6/1 is Price, who comes into the tournament off the back of his first World Series title of the year, beating Bullet 8-7 in a thrilling finale at the Poland Masters at the start of last month.
If the Iceman wins his first-round clash against qualifier Joe Comito, he will likely face hometown hero Damon Heta in the quarter-final. Don’t forget to take a look at our Gerwyn Price vs. Joe Comito prediction for our experts’ insights.
All said - while Littler is still the one to beat according to bookmakers, for us, the Australian Darts Masters is one of the most wide-open on the World Series calendar this year, and it would not be a huge shock if we saw a big outsider clinch the title.
Rock and Bunting represent value this weekend
Despite the odds being heavily in favour of this week’s market leaders, the Australian Darts Masters could end up being a profitable one for those who are searching for a little bit of value.
As we mentioned earlier, Stephen Bunting has been on fire in the World Series. The Bullet has only missed out on one final so far this year and already has two titles under his belt, which makes his 10/1 price all the more attractive.
Check out our Stephen Bunting vs. Brody Klinge prediction!
Then there’s Josh Rock, who is making his World Series debut but has been on an absolute tear in 2025. Rocky partnered Daryl Gurney to World Cup glory against Wales and reached the last four of the World Matchplay, where he went down to Littler in a stunning match.
Our Josh Rock vs. Simon Whitlock prediction is online, and this is without doubt the pick of the first round matches at the Australian Darts Masters. Whitlock is widely considered one of the greatest Aussie darts players ever and partnered with Heta at the 2025 Darts World Cup.
2025 Australian Darts Masters Draw:
- Stephen Bunting vs. Brody Klinge
- Josh Rock vs. Simon Whitlock
- Luke Littler vs. Haupai Puha
- Damon Heta vs. James Bailey
- Gerwyn Price vs. Joe Comito
- Chris Dobey vs. Tim Pusey
- Luke Humphries vs. Jonny Tata
- Mike De Decker vs. Brandon Weening
