LUKE ‘The Nuke’ Littler now knows his first hurdle in the 2024 BoyleSports World Grand Prix which starts in Leicester on Monday.

The unique double-start event - which will be played at Leicester's Mattioli Arena from October 7-13 – will see a star-studded line-up battling it out across seven days of action.

Teenage Warrington sensation Littler is one of five debutants in the 32-player field, and the Premier League champion will open his title challenge with a showdown against fourth seed Rob Cross.

They are scheduled to be on stage at 9.15pm on Monday, with the winner going on to face Brendan Dolan or Martin Schindler in the last 16 next Wednesday.

'The Nuke' is also favourite with the title sponsors to win the event.

Luke Humphries will begin his defence of the title against Stephen Bunting.

Humphries claimed his maiden televised ranking title at this event 12 months ago.

World number two Michael Smith will play 2016 finalist Gary Anderson in another blockbuster tussle, as six-time winner Michael van Gerwen faces 2017 champion Daryl Gurney.

Peter Wright – a runner-up in 2018 – kicks off his campaign against two-time champion James Wade, while 2020 winner Gerwyn Price locks horns with Dutch number two Danny Noppert.

2021 champion Jonny Clayton will meet debutant Ritchie Edhouse for a place in round two, as two-time finalist Dave Chisnall goes up against another newcomer Cameron Menzies.

Fifth seed Nathan Aspinall – a runner-up in 2022 – makes his big stage return against Ryan Searle, with Chris Dobey and Joe Cullen set to collide in a repeat of their quarter-final tie 12 months ago.

Former finalists Raymond van Barneveld and Brendan Dolan will take on German duo Ricardo Pietreczko and Martin Schindler, as emerging Dutchman Gian van Veen plays world number ten Ross Smith.

UK Open champion Dimitri Van den Bergh meets Luke Woodhouse, with Van den Bergh’s compatriot Mike De Decker handed an opening round assignment against Australian number one Damon Heta.

Northern Ireland’s Josh Rock has been pitted against the returning Ryan Joyce, with the winner advancing to a second round clash against Aspinall or Searle.

The BoyleSports World Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.

The schedule of play will be confirmed in due course, with the first round being played across the first two days of action on October 7-8.

2024 BoyleSports World Grand Prix Schedule of Play:
 

First round, Monday October 7, 6pm start:
Josh Rock v Ryan Joyce
Brendan Dolan v Martin Schindler
Jonny Clayton v Ritchie Edhouse
Nathan Aspinall v Ryan Searle
Raymond van Barneveld v Ricardo Pietreczko
Luke Humphries v Stephen Bunting
Rob Cross v Luke Littler
Gian van Veen v Ross Smith

First round, Tuesday October 8, 6pm start:
Dave Chisnall v Cameron Menzies
Luke Woodhouse v Dimitri Van den Bergh
Mike De Decker v Damon Heta
Peter Wright v James Wade
Gerwyn Price v Danny Noppert
Michael Smith v Gary Anderson
Michael van Gerwen v Daryl Gurney
Chris Dobey v Joe Cullen

Second round, Wednesday October 9, 7pm start (game order to be confirmed):
Humphries/Bunting v Van Barneveld/Pietreczko
Clayton/Edhouse v Van Veen/R Smith
Cross/Littler v Dolan/Schindler
Aspinall/Searle v Rock/Joyce

Second round, Thursday October 10, 7pm start (game order to be confirmed):
M Smith/Anderson v De Decker/Heta
Price/Noppert v Wright/Wade
Van Gerwen/Gurney v Dobey/Cullen
Chisnall/Menzies v Woodhouse/Van den Bergh

Friday October 11, 7pm start:
Quarter-Finals

Saturday October 12, 8.30pm start:
Semi-Finals

Sunday October 13, 8pm start:
Final
 

Outright winner odds:
11/4 - Luke Littler
3/1 - Luke Humphries
9/2 - Michael Van Gerwen
8/1 - Gerwyn Price
10/1 - Michael Smith
16/1 - Rob Cross, Peter Wright, Gary Anderson
25/1 - Nathan Aspinall
28/1 - Dave Chisnall, Ross Smith, Ryan Searle
33/1 - Damon Heta, Chris Dobey
40/1 - Jonny Clayton, Dimitri van de Bergh, Stephen Bunting, James Wade
50/1 - Danny Noppert, Josh Rock, Martin Schindler, Joe Cullen
66/1 - Daryl Gurney, Gian van Veen
100/1 - Cameron Menzies, Brendan Dolan, Mike De Decker
125/1 - Raymond van Barneveld
150/1 - Ricardo Pietreczko, Ryan Joyce, Luke Woodhouse
200/1 - Ritchie Edhouse

First round match odds:
2/5 Luke Humphries v Stephen Bunting 15/8
2/5 Raymond van Barneveld v Ricardo Pietreczko 15/8
1/2 Jonny Clayton v Ritchie Edhouse 13/8
EVS Gian van Veen v Ross Smith 4/5
15/8 Rob Cross v Luke Littler 2/5
5/4 Brendan Dolan v Martin Schindler 8/13
6/5 Nathan Aspinall v Ryan Searle 4/6
4/9 Josh Rock v Ryan Joyce 17/10
EVS Michael Smith v Gary Anderson 4/5
5/4 Mike De Decker v Damon Heta 8/13
4/9 Gerwyn Price v Danny Noppert 13/8
8/11 Peter Wright v James Wade 11/10
1/3 Michael van Gerwen v Daryl Gurney 9/4
8/13 Chris Dobey v Joe Cullen 5/4
8/13 Dave Chisnall v Cameron Menzies 5/4
17/10 Luke Woodhouse v Dimitri Van den Bergh 4/9

Odds correct at time of writing and courtesy BoyleSports

Meanwhile, Littler was beaten by Humphries in the third round of the Swiss Darts Trophy in Basel on Sunday.

‘The Nuke’ proved too strong for home hope Bruno Stockli in the second round on Saturday, powering to a 6-3 win with a 145 checkout along the way.

Humphries, who beat Littler in January’s World Championship final but had lost to him six times since, progressed with a 6-2 defeat of Richard Veenstra.

In the latest showdown with Littler though, Humphries came out on top 6-3 before going on to lose 6-1 to Josh Rock in the quarter-finals of an event eventually won 8-7 by Martin Schindler against Ryan Searle.

Then on Tuesday, Littler reached the semi-finals of Players Championship 24 at Robin Park Tennis Centre in Wigan where he was defeated 7-6 by Stephen Bunting.