Some of the top Premier League contenders are preparing to join the party in the Second Round, but the top two Ranked players in the world are both missing. Once again this will feel like it opens the door for others, although there are plenty in the kind of form to believe they would be able to knock off Luke Humphries while he continues to find a way to lose matches he should win.
The First Round at this European Tour event is going to be played across two Sessions on Friday before the entire Second Round is concluded on Saturday.
In all likelihood, the winner of this tournament is expected to be starting on Saturday, but don't tell that to players like Wessel Nijman, Niels Zonneveld and Kevin Doets who have been putting together strong form in the lead up to European Tour 5.
Kevin Doets - 2.5 legs v Jurgen van der Velde: The aforementioned Kevin Doets should have too much for Jurgen van der Velde in the First Round in Germany and back up the Players Championship win over this opponent.
He had two solid outings at those Players Championship events held earlier this week and Kevin Doets also reached the Semi Final of European Tour 4 having produced some quality darts.
All of the momentum is with him and that makes Doets dangerous going into this weekend, but he has to make sure he is switched on against his fellow Dutchman.
Jurgen van der Velde is outside of the top 100 in the World Rankings and has struggled for consistency over the last couple of months.
Some of his averages have been really sub-standard and Kevin Doets should be able to overpower him.
Andrew Gilding - 1.5 legs v Paul Krohne: You don't always know what you're going to get out of Andrew Gilding, but he reached the Third Round at the last European Tour event played and has also had a run into the Players Championship Semi Final earlier this week.
That should mean Goldfinger is pretty confident with the darts being thrown, although overlooking Paul Krohne would be a mistake.
Strong doubling helped Krohne upset Cameron Menzies in the last European Tour event and he gave Josh Rock a scare, but he is not as experienced as Gilding and that could be important.
Recent improvements in the form certainly makes Andrew Gilding the right favourite and he may have just enough to push through to the Second Round without needing a deciding Leg.
Dirk van Duijvenbode & Kim Huybrechts both over 2.5 180s: This is one of the last matches heading out in the Evening Session and it could be a cracker.
Germany may be hosting, but there should be plenty of noise being made for a Dutchman and a Belgian in this First Round shoot out.
Kim Huybrechts has certainly been showing signs of getting back into the form that pushed him into the upper echelons of the World Rankings and he had four wins in Players Championship settings earlier this week. He reached the Third Round at the last European Tour event and may have felt he could have won that match against Jonny Clayton, but the confidence will have improved and Huybrechts has been peppering the treble.
That is always the case for Dirk van Duijvenbode who is looking to bounce back having lost three matches in a row.
Maximum hitting is rarely the issue, but the World Number 27 could be a vulnerable favourite in this one.
When they met earlier in the year at the Players Championship, nine Legs were played and Dirk van Duijvenbode came through with the victory. Notably both crashed in a lot of maximums in that match and Kim Huybrechts perhaps deserves the nod as the underdog if he can compete in the scoring department as he has been in recent outngs.
Daryl Gurney to win & over 1.5 180s v Oskar Lukasiak: He is still up at World Number 23, but Daryl Gurney has been struggling for consistency and that always makes him a tough player to read.
This First Round match is very winnable, especially against an opponent who has lost every Players Championship match played this year and both at the World Masters.
Only at the UK Open did Oskar Lukasiak find a winning feeling, but there is no doubt he is struggling and that should see the Northern Irishman bull his way through to the Second Round.
In the Players Championship 10 tournament on Tuesday, Daryl Gurney had nine maximums in two matches played and he can produce at least two on his way past his Swedish opponent in the penultimate match of the Evening Session.
MY PICKS: Kevin Doets - 2.5 Legs @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)
Andrew Gilding - 1.5 Legs @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)
Dirk van Duijvenbode-Kim Huybrechts Over 2.5 180s Each @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Daryl Gurney to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Darts 2026: 48-71, - 14.08 Units (116 Units Staked, - 12.14% Yield)
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