Unsurprisingly the favourites are England with the two Lukes joining together for a second year and looking to vastly improve on the opening exit twelve months ago.
Teams like Netherlands and Northern Ireland will have plenty to say about the odds with the latter of those teams the defending Champions and the former putting two Premier League participants together.
The pairs event are very different for players with one throw each meaning a significant time between stepping up to the oche compared with the usual Tour. That does make upsets more common and teams will have to be aware as to how they gel together in order to have the best run possible and that is where Northern Ireland could find a way to defend the title won last year.
With the Group Stage concluded, the Second Round is played across two Sessions and in a best of fifteen Legs format.
While some will feel that will give the better teams a chance to really impose themselves, the reality is that England's demise in the Second Round last year will just keep players and teams that much more focused as they bid to avoid doing the same.
Ireland most 180s & over 2.5 180s v Poland: Both of these teams impressed in the Group Stage and Ireland certainly look like they could be a lively underdog in the outright market.
They will have to score well to put the pressure on Poland and the Irish team have already thrown six maximums in the two Group matches played, while hitting three in each victory.
Those came in the best of nine Leg format and Ireland should have plenty of time to hit at least three maximums again.
Poland are capable of getting things going when it comes to attacking the treble 20 bed and they have to be respected, but this is a team that have been throwing big scores with consistency without needing maximums.
They are favourites to win, but Ireland are rightly favoured to have more maximums in the contest and them doing so in a match where they put at least three on the board looks the best approach to take.
Scotland - 4.5 legs v Norway: Twelve months ago, Scotland drew the short straw when being paired to face Netherlands in the Second Round, but the 8-0 defeat will have stung.
Gary Anderson is back, but this time he is being partnered by Cameron Menzies rather than Peter Wright and it will be interesting how they play together.
Both can be very good scorers and Anderson's finishing can carry the team, while Scotland also benefit from facing a much more comfortable looking opponent compared with the 2025 tournament.
Norway did not exactly light up the scoreboard in beating Finland and Hungary to top the Group Stage, and they barely got over the line in the end.
Cor Dekker is a solid competitor, but the pressure could be on partner Kent Joran Sivertsen and the expectation is that Scotland make amends for their 2025 embarrassing exit by earning a big win in the Second Round in 2026.
Wales - 2.5 legs v United States: There was some controversy surrounding Gerwyn Price's absence for the World Cup of Darts, but the tournament continues and Jonny Clayton will try and help Nick Kenny through the occasion.
Wales had two very different performances in the Group Stage, but the second was perhaps more lacklustre with Qualification effectively secured before the match against Thailand begun.
It could have led to a loss of focus, but Clayton and Kenny have more to give and the upper level may be too much for a steady United States to compete.
Coming through a Group containing Australia and Canada will give the USA a huge amount of confidence, but they may need another gear if the Welsh are now a little more focused moving into the Knock Out Rounds.
The draw looks tough with the winner set to face either England or Spain in the Quarter Final, but Wales could move into that Round behind a confident win as long as Jonny Clayton and Nick Kenny rediscover the scoring from Thursday.
Germany - 1.5 legs v Czechia: This looks like a potentially quality Second Round match on paper, but the home crowd are surely going to help push Germany over the line.
Both of the teams impressed in the Group Stage, but it was Germany who produced the higher level during the two wins they produced compared with Czechia, who were steady in the first game and more impressive in the second.
Last year Germany reached the Semi Final of the World Cup of Darts and the team will be confident that they can help one another through difficult moments.
Czechia also reached the Knock Out Rounds last year and they look a stronger team with Adam Gawlas joining 'Evil Charlie', but Germany may have the upper hand in the scoring stakes and that can see them edge through without a deciding Leg.
England over 4.5 180s v Spain: Luke Humphries and Luke Littler too chunks out of one another in the Premier League Final at the end of May, but they will be pairing up for a second time at the World Cup of Darts with redemption on the mind.
They were huge favourites to win this tournament last year, but England were upset by Germany in the Second Round.
Both Littler and Humphries seem to get on well enough, but they are also rivals at the very top of the sport and it would not surprise if privately they would prefer to play with someone else rather than one another.
However, they should be better than they were twelve months ago and both players will have something to prove.
Spain came through an awkward looking Group and eliminated the Seeded team of Croatia, but this is a big step upwards and the team will have to be better.
Cristo Reyes has shown he can produce a high level this year, but England's power scoring is likely going to give them the edge- last year they had five maximums in a defeat and England can reach that number in what is likely to be a winning effort in the Second Round this time around.
MY PICKS: Ireland Most 180s & Over 2.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Scotland - 4.5 Legs @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)
Wales - 2.5 Legs @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)
Germany - 1.5 Legs @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)
England Over 4.5 180s @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Darts 2026: 78-106, - 14.76 Units (181 Units Staked, - 8.15% Yield)
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