27 November 2023 , 17:01
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The draw for the PDC World Championship has been made, with the tournament getting underway on 15 December.
Darts legend Michael van Gerwen is hoping to win his fourth title, having lost last year's final to Michael Smith. 'Mighty Mike' has not won the World Championship since 2019 and was the second seed in the draw, with Smith the number one seed. Van Gerwen will take on Keane Barry or Reynaldo Rivera in the second round.
Number three seed Luke Humphries is the bookies' favourite, having won both the Grand Slam of Darts and the Players' Championship this year. He recently defeated Van Gerwen at the PDC Players Championship Finals title with an 11-9 win. Speaking after his most recent success, he said: "I would never have dreamed of winning one, let alone three. To beat Michael in the final means the most to me."
He will now take on either Lee Evans or Sandro Eric Sosing in the second round of the world championship. Former world champions Peter Wright and Gerwyn Price round off the top five seeds.
The latter faces a tie against Jim Williams or Norman Madhoo, while Price will tackle either Connor Scutt or Krzystof Kcuik as he aims to add to the title he lifted in 2021.
Wayne Mardle makes World Darts title prediction as last-eight gets underway
The PDC World Championship gets underway in just over two weeks' time and will take place at the Alexandra Palace - where it has been held since 2008 and will run until 3 January 2024.
Michael Smith celebrates winning the PDC World Championship (Getty Images)Who do you think will win the PDC World Darts Championship? Share your predictions in the comments below
Take a look at the full draw for the first and second round of the competition below: