Will The Nuke Ruin His Opponent’s Birthday Party?

At just 19 years old, Luke Littler is already at the top of the darts world, but the 2026 Premier League remains a ruthless arena. Ahead of Night 10 at the Brighton Centre, “The Nuke” leads the standings with 21 points, but after his early exit in Manchester, he can feel the breath of his pursuers Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton on his neck.

Now the world champion faces a birthday boy. He certainly isn’t there to hand out gifts, which is why our tip for Luke Littler vs. Stephen Bunting—regardless of the fact that “The Bullet” turns 41 on Thursday—is that the 19-year-old superstar will advance.

The two athletes have already crossed paths twice in the 2026 PDC Premier League, and in both cases, Luke Littler prevailed 6-3. Therefore, we once again consider the -2.5-leg handicap on “The Nuke” to be the most logical choice. Littler has earned this standing through unprecedented statistical dominance. With a season average of 102.65, he sets the gold standard for the league. His scoring power is particularly impressive: with a rate of 0.46 maximums per leg, he leads the field far ahead of the competition.

Stephen “The Bullet” Bunting is set for a very special evening on Thursday: The crowd favorite celebrates his 41st birthday on match day, but the sporting situation is anything but festive. With nine points, he currently sits in seventh place in the standings and is already four points behind the playoff spots. Bunting’s season has been marked by a painful paradox: He regularly posts world-class averages of over 105 points, but often ends up empty-handed—as was the case in Berlin and Manchester, where, despite his own brilliant performances, he fell short against the eventual finalists in both instances.

Luke Littler – Stephen Bunting Head-to-Head Record

Head to Head: 10:4

The two players have faced each other 14 times so far, and with ten wins, Luke Littler leads the head-to-head record by a wide margin. “The Nuke” has also won the last four duels and has already beaten Stephen Bunting twice very convincingly 6-3 in the current 2026 PDC Premier League—most recently two weeks ago in Berlin with an average of 105.72, even though “The Bullet” himself managed an average of 107.47 but repeatedly struggled with the checkout.

Luke Littler – Stephen Bunting Prediction

While “The Bullet” is hoping for an emotional adrenaline rush and the support of the fans in Brighton on his birthday, the 19-year-old two-time world champion specializes in neutralizing such atmospheres through sheer scoring power.
Consequently, there is little to suggest that the birthday boy will prevail in the match between Luke Littler and Stephen Bunting, especially since “The Bullet,” despite a high average, lags significantly behind “The Nuke” in terms of frequency with 0.29 maximums per leg.

Given that both players have recently been consistently producing averages above the 100-mark, a high-quality match is expected, though it is likely to tip in the favorite’s favor once again. The two previous meetings in the 2026 PDC Premier League each resulted in a 6-3 victory for “The Nuke,” which we also consider the most likely outcome now, so we’re placing a -2.5 handicap bet on the world champion. For this, bookmakers offering odds of 1.70 on Luke Littler vs. Stephen Bunting, which we’re betting five out of ten units on.