Luke Littler has backed Gary Anderson to cause a huge upset and win the World Darts Championship.
The 17-year-old is the favourite to lift the title after losing to Luke Humphries in last year’s epic final.
But it appears the teen is ready to downplay his tag as the bookies tip in favour of the veteran two-time world champion Anderson.
Littler admits Anderson’s previous success in the competition could work in his favour at Alexandra Palace.
“Obviously you look at the World Champs, Luke Humphries, but you’ve always got to keep an eye on Gary Anderson, he’s always there,” Littler told Sky Sports.
“But that’s it, just them two obviously, and I know Michael van Gerwen, he’s always there as well. I’ll be looking at them as well, and I’ll be looking at my little section of the draw.”
Anderson is currently placed 14th in the PDC rankings and has enjoyed a solid run over the past 18 months, narrowly missing out on the recent Grand Slam of Darts final at the hands of Littler.
And the Scot tried his hand at predicting the outcome of this year’s showpiece event, saying: “I like seeing the underdogs or newcomers that have not been seen.
“I’ve seen a lot of that last year. We knew Luke Littler was a good player.
“He just had a fantastic run, and you can see what he’s done for his career, putting through the rafters.
“Anyone can win this tournament now. Anyone can win.”
Meanwhile, Michael Smith has pinpointed another player that everybody should play close attention to when the tournament kicks off on Sunday.
“There’s something with Chris Dobey this year. He’s been playing amazing,” Smith said.
“I know he didn’t qualify for the Grand Slam, but he should have. He’d won three Pro Tours. He was number one. He finished number one in the Pro Tour ranking.
“He’d be one I’d be keeping an eye on.”
After scooping the 2023 Masters, Dobey went on to reach the quarter-finals last time out at the World Championships.
The festivities get underway at Ally Pally on Sunday with the highest-ranking 32 players having already qualified for the second round.
The winner of the final, scheduled for January 3, will take home a whopping £500,000 in prize money and the Sid Waddell trophy.
Last year’s final saw Littler defeated 7-4 by Humphries in an unforgettable best-of-13 leg final.
