Ahhh, it’s been a while. Premier League is long gone, World Cup firmly in the rear view mirror, but don’t fear: DartsTips.com are here to hold your hand and guide you through the second half of 2026.
July is another action-packed month, with the highlight being the 2026 World Matchplay at Winter Gardens. Part of the Darts ‘Triple Crown’ and without doubt one of the most exciting events on the sporting calendar.
Check out the likes of 10Bet, CopyBet and Betway for great darts betting odds throughout the 2026 World Matchplay and all year round – where you can back these top tips!
World Matchplay 2026 – Round 1
Session 1 (Seeded players on the left)
Josh Rock vs Luke Woodhouse
Stephen Bunting vs Niels Zonneveld
Luke Littler vs Niko Springer
Nathan Aspinall vs Joe Cullen
Session 2
Chris Dobey vs Dirk van Duijvenbode
Gary Anderson vs Ryan Joyce
Michael van Gerwen vs Andrew Gilding
Jonny Clayton vs Damon Heta
Session 3
Ryan Searle vs William O’Connor
James Wade vs Jermaine Wattimena
Gian van Veen vs Krzysztof Ratajski
Wessel Nijman vs Dave Chisnall
Session 4
Ross Smith vs Kevin Doets
Gerwyn Price vs Martin Schindler
Luke Humphries vs Cameron Menzies
Danny Noppert vs Rob Cross
World Matchplay 2026 – Round 1 Tips
Lucky 15 – The Upsets
The World Matchplay pits 16 seeded players against the top 16 performers from the tour, and you’re sure to witness a handful of ‘upsets’ in the opening round of games. Our job is to pick ‘em, so here’s our Lucky 15 of Round 1 shocks!
Luke Woodhouse to beat Josh Rock 6/5
What a start this would be! Woodhouse had a memorable May, winning a Players Championship and the Baltic Sea Darts Open. This is a huge ask – but he’s in the mood.
Krzystof Ratajski to beat Gian van Veen 8/5
Another Premier League player out? Ratajski goes from strength to strength and warmed up for this with another win on the European Tour. He’s a big price!
Kevin Doets to beat Ross Smith 4/5
A coin flip here. Smith is the seeded player but Doets is a narrow favourite, and his finishing prowess could be enough to see off the powerful scoring of Smith. A potential classic.
Rob Cross to beat Danny Noppert 8/11
A shock in terms of seedings, perhaps – but the odds don’t reflect that. However, it’s still a juicy enough price to get behind the 2019 Champion.
Acca – the sure things
We know, we know. No such thing as a sure thing – especially with the momentum swings of darts. But this is our Round 1 ACCA that we’re confident of landing.
Stephen Bunting to beat Niels Zonneveld 11/20
Jonny Clayton to beat Damon Heta 1/2
Ryan Searle to beat William O’Connor 3/5
Wessel Nijman to beat Dave Chisnall 1/5
A £10 stake would return just over £44 with 10Bet, Betway and CopyBet!*
World Matchplay 2026 Outright Bets
Luke Littler to win the 2026 World Matchplay 2026 @ 1/1 (Betway)
Yes, boring we know. But the format suits Luke Littler down to the ground, and it’s hard to look past Littler becoming the first back-to-back winner since MVG a decade ago.
Luke Humphries to win Quarter 3 @ 5/4 (10Bet)
NAP of the tournament. We can’t turn down odds against on the World Number 2 proving too strong for this section.
Luke Humphries to reach the Final @ 11/5 (Betway)
You’ve probably got the hint already – we think the two Lukes will be battling it out for the top prize once again. Humphries looks good value to reach the Final.
Jonny Clayton to to win the 2026 World Matchplay EW @ 28/1 (10Bet)
We want to offer a little value here, and Clayton stands out at the odds. Perennial dark horse Wessel Nijman is third favourite here, shorter than the likes of Price and Van Gerwen – so we’re looking at the Ferret to show his Premier League form and impress at a big price.
*All prices correct at time of writing
