The Premier League Darts 2025 is slowly but surely approaching its denouement, and after eleven rounds of play, the tension in the standings is starting to mount. In an atmospheric and sold-out Rotterdam Ahoy this week, it was Chris Dobey who stole the show. The Englishman had his strongest night so far and surprisingly took the evening victory. Suddenly he is back in the battle for the coveted play-off places.
Dobey successively defeated Luke Humphries, Nathan Aspinall and Stephen Bunting. With an average of over 100 in all his matches, 'Hollywood' proved that he is not yet out of contention for a spot in the last four. His victory earns him five points, pushing Rob Cross into seventh place in the standings.
Luke Littler extended his lead at the top of the rankings. Littler himself lost to Stephen Bunting in the semifinals, but saw his biggest rival Luke Humphries go down in his very first match. Littler now stands on 30 points, compared to 23 for Humphries. The playoffs, meanwhile, seem like a mere formality for Littler.
However, the battle for the remaining two playoff spots is wide open. Nathan Aspinall has moved up to the third spot with 17 points, while Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen are both on 15 points and will have to work hard to collect points in the coming weeks. Van Gerwen, however, has a tough game against Littler next week, while Price, on paper, has an easier match ahead of him against Dobey.
With five rounds of play remaining, it is clear that the battle for the playoffs is far from decided. Littler seems certain of participating in the O2 Arena in London, but especially behind Humphries it is unprecedentedly exciting. Next week the players travel to Liverpool, where the cards will be shuffled again.
Name | Weekly titles | Matches won | Legs balance | Points |
Luke Littler | 4 | 18 | +38 | 30 |
Luke Humphries | 2 | 14 | +11 | 23 |
Nathan Aspinall | 1 | 10 | -4 | 17 |
Gerwyn Price | 2 | 8 | +4 | 15 |
Michael van Gerwen | 0 | 8 | -10 | 15 |
Chris Dobey | 1 | 7 | -6 | 12 |
Rob Cross | 0 | 6 | -12 | 12 |
Stephen Bunting | 1 | 5 | -26 | 8 |
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The Las Vegas Raiders signed former Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to a four-year, $110 million deal last offseason. Unfortunately, he only played in five games during the 2024 NFL season due to an injury. Wilkins had not yet returned to the offseason program for the Raiders this year, as he suffered a setback in his recovery process. A bitter, ongoing debate between him and the franchise about how best to rehabilitate his injury led to his release on Thursday. After this sudden move, Las Vegas needed to act quickly to add another defensive tackle to the roster. On Friday, NFL Insider Aaron Wilson reported that the team had been awarded Keondre Coburn off waivers. "#Raiders awarded DT Keondre Coburn off waivers, per a league source," Wilson wrote. Coburn played his college football with the Texas Longhorns and was drafted in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. There, he only played in one game during his rookie season, but won the Super Bowl with the Chiefs. He spent the last one and a half seasons with the Tennessee Titans, where he saw his role marginally increase. Coburn played in 15 contests last season for the Titans, starting one game and recording 14 tackles. The new regime in Las Vegas, spearheaded by head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek, will give Coburn another chance in the NFL. He is just 25 years old and lands with the Raiders after being waived by Tennessee the day prior.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been looking to improve their roster this offseason after falling to get out of the first round of the playoffs. They were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in just five games. Los Angeles was trying to sign Bradley Beal once he was waived by the Phoenix Suns, but he spurned them for the crosstown rivals. He ended up signing with the Clippers instead. The two LA teams weren't the only teams who were pursuing Beal, but those two may have been the frontrunners. One NBA insider revealed why he chose the Clippers instead of the Lakers. More news: Former Lakers Star Shaquille O’Neal on NBA All-Star: ‘I F---ing Hate’ Him According to Brett Sigel of ClutchPoints, Beal didn't have much interest in the Lakers once they revealed that they wanted him to be their sixth man and come off the bench. The primary reason why Beal signed with the Clippers is because of the fact that he has a chance to start for them. Beal clearly believes that he is still a starting-caliber player. This past season, the Suns demoted Beal to the bench after a stretch of poor play and a lot of missed games due to injuries. He's looking to have a better year with the Clippers. Los Angeles wasn't going to demote Austin Reaves to the bench after he set career-highs in almost every statistical category. He has certainly earned his starting spot. Luka Doncic is the other starting guard, and he's certainly not going to be coming off the bench. Beal thinks he's got a better shot to start with the Clippers, so that's why he's there. More news: 3 Players Lakers Should Have Signed to BAE Instead of Marcus Smart Los Angeles decided to pivot and sign Marcus Smart instead. He should help them with the perimeter defense off the bench, which is what they need the most at the moment. Smart is a much better defender than Beal is, if he can stay healthy. Both Smart and Beal have had issues staying healthy and staying on the court. The Lakers are betting that Smart's health will be better. This past season with the Suns, Beal averaged 17 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. More news: Lakers Receive Massive Jarred Vanderbilt Update Ahead of Upcoming Season For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.
The San Diego Padres desperately need another strong bat before the July 31 deadline. If the Padres want to fill that need, they will need to part ways with some of their top prospects. The Athletic named right-handed starting pitcher Miguel Mendez as a top trade option for San Diego. The Padres signed Mendez as an 18-year-old out of the Dominican Republic in February 2021. Mendez played one game in High-A in 2022 but was not able to earn a regular spot in the division until this season. He pitched all of 2023 and 2024 in Single-A then made three starts in the division this season before earning his second promotion to High-A in May. Mendez has put together the strongest season of his career in 2025, logging a 1.89 ERA in 14 starts. He has accrued a 1.46 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 11 starts in High-A. The Athletic highlighted how Mendez’s pitches have reached 100 mph, and he has demonstrated more control with his pitches this season. His recent improvements have reportedly caught the attention of several MLB scouts, which will benefit the Padres if they choose to trade him at the deadline. San Diego needs a left fielder and could use an upgrade at catcher. But most importantly, the Padres need someone who can also produce offensively. Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran has been a big name surrounding the Padres ahead of the deadline. He is a strong batter and would fill the hole in left field for San Diego. The Padres reportedly made an offer to the Boston Red Sox for Duran, which included starting pitcher Dylan Cease, their No. 2 prospect Ethan Salas and one unnamed prospect, per MassLive's Sean McAdam. McAdam confirmed the other prospect is not No. 1 Padres prospect and No. 3 MLB prospect Leo De Vries. Given the attention Mendez has received in recent weeks, the 23-year-old could be the other prospect the Padres included in their offer to the Red Sox. Although the Red Sox have expressed interest in Cease, Boston ultimately rejected this offer. "Similarly, the Red Sox have signaled interest in Dylan Cease, who would be a rental," McAdam wrote. "The Padres, in their never-ending quest to acquire Duran, proposed a package involving Cease, catching prospect Ethan Salas and another prospect (not shortstop Leo de Vries) for Duran, which was quickly rejected." The Padres will likely continue their pursuit for Duran, which could still include Mendez as part of the package. For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.
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