World Grand Prix Darts Day 2 Picks 2026 (Tuesday 29th September)

The upset suffered by Luke Littler may just have given the rest of the field the confidence to believe that the big Ranking tournaments may not be dominated by the World Number 1 as so many have come to expect.

Luke Littler will go into most tournaments as the strong favourite even after losing to Luke Woodhouse in the First Round at this event, but breaking the aura is important for the players who take on the World Number 1.

It has certainly been an upset that has opened up this event and everyone remaining in the draw is going to be heading to the stage with that much more confidence. The top player is out, but Michael van Gerwen is another who has fallen at the first hurdle and that may put more pressure on those heading out on Day 2 knowing the kind of opportunity that may have come up.

One of those is the World Number 2 Luke Humphries, who finished Runner Up here last year, but the key for the players is to remain focused on the task at hand and that is simply moving through to the Second Round.

James Wade to win & over 1.5 180s v Joe Cullen: Losing at the World Grand Prix against Joe Cullen twelve months ago could play on the James Wade mind, but the higher Ranked player has been in the much stronger form of the two players.

The format is one that can see matches run away from any player if they are not hitting the Doubles, but James Wade should have the superior confidence on the oche.

Joe Cullen has not played since losing another opening match on the European Tour earlier this month, but Rockstar is dangerous when at his best.

He does tend to be inspired when facing the stronger players on the Tour, but Cullen's form coupled with that shown by James Wade suggests revenge is more likely than repeat when these two meet in the First Round in 2026.

Gian van Veen to win & over 3.5 match 180s v Dirk van Duijvenbode: These two compatriots had a very good match at the World Series of Darts Finals last weekend and both are in the kind of form to believe this could be another high quality contest.

The edge here has to be Gian van Veen with his Doubling ability, even if there has been a suggestion from players that Doubling In is much different to Doubling Out.

Gian van Veen has lost in the opening Round in each of the last two seasons at the World Grand Prix, but it has taken huge performances from Ross Smith and Luke Littler to get the better of him.

Another is likely to be needed and Dirk van Duijvenbode has the power scoring to be a threat against anyone.

However, it is the superior Doubling that Gian van Veen produces which may end up being the difference when all is said and done and the higher Ranked Dutchman can move through to the Second Round for the first time.

MY PICKS: James Wade to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 2.15 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gian van Veen to Win & Over 3.5 Match 180s @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

World Grand Prix Update: 3-0, + 2.92 Units (3 Units Staked, + 97.33% Yield)

World Series of Darts Finals Day 2 Picks 2026 (Friday 18th September)

A couple of the Day 1 selections ended on the wrong side after beginning too slowly or blowing a healthy lead through missed Doubles, but it could have been a worse day and that keeps things ticking forward.

The First Round is going to be completed in Amsterdam on Friday and there are perhaps not as many good looking matches in this half as there are in the half that was completed on Thursday.

It is reflected by having a couple fewer Picks from the Session to be completed through the evening in the Netherlands, although there is still plenty of quality darts for the fans to enjoy.

Nathan Aspinall to win & most 180s v Raymond Smith: There have been some suggestion that Raymond Smith is playing with a concern about his arm, but you would never have guessed that from the performances produced in the New Zealand and Australian World Series tournaments played in August.

He reached the Semi Final in New Zealand having beaten the likes of Stephen Bunting and Adam Leek, while Raymond Smith gave Gian van Veen a scare in Australia.

This should narrow the focus for Nathan Aspinall who has not been as active as he would have liked in what has been a busy personal year for the former Premier League participant.

When he has arrived at tournaments, Aspinall has shown his qualities and can find a way to complete the Match Double in what could be a good First Round match.

James Wade to win & over 1.5 180s v Damon Heta: James Wade has won nine matches in a row since losing in the New Zealand World Series tournament in the Semi Final.

It is a run that saw him pick up the title in Australia and Wade followed up by winning a European Tour title as well.

He was very disappointed to have missed out on playing in the Premier League this season, but James Wade is putting another strong year in the books and might be much harder to ignore in 2027. Rounding out the season with a Ranking title may make it impossible for him to miss out on a tournament he clearly wants to play in, but this is a tough opening match for James Wade.

Damon Heta has not had the kind of 2026 that he may have hoped, but he remains a very tough player to beat and he reached the Semi Final in the European Tour event played last weekend. That run was ended by James Wade, but it was a very good match and this could be another.

It is James Wade who has won the last three between the players and he may just have enough to edge this one as well- Wade has been hitting the treble 20 mark with some regularity in recent weeks and can add two in any winning effort on Friday.

Luke Littler to win & over 3.5 180s v Danny Noppert: Two weeks ago, Luke Littler won a European Tour title and beat Danny Noppert without dropping a Leg in that success.

Last week Danny Noppert was beaten by eventual Winner James Wade without winning a Leg and the home crowd will be hoping to lift the World Number 10 to a more competitive effort.

It is a big ask against the top player in the world and Luke Littler continues to put so much pressure on opponents thanks to his scoring power.

He can find at least four maximums in another win over Danny Noppert and Luke Littler is capable of reaching that mark even in a blowout win.

MY PICKS: Nathan Aspinall to Win & Most 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

James Wade to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Littler to Win & Over 3.5 180s @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

World Series Finals: 2-3, - 0.85 Units (5 Units Staked, - 17% Yield)

European Tour 13- Flanders Darts Trophy Day 2 Picks 2026 (Saturday 12th September)

The Second Round of the Flanders Darts Trophy sees some of the top names enter the tournament, although there will be a number of competitors who will believe they can pick up the thirteenth European Tour title of the season.

Most will be playing with spots in the European Championship Finals close to be secured, if not guaranteed, but there is still plenty to motivate those involved in this tournament, including the healthy prize money.

Rob Cross - 1.5 legs v Martin Schindler: The former World Champion has been putting a lot of quality results on the board over the last three months and his form looks too hot for Martin Schindler to handle.

While Rob Cross is improving, Martin Schindler is sliding down the Rankings and he is going to be in danger of losing his Seeding position at these European Tour events.

European 12 was a decent showing for The Wall, which will help his confidence, but Rob Cross looks full of belief and his consistency may be enough to secure passage into the Third Round.

Chris Dobey to win & both players over 1.5 180s v Niels Zonneveld: At the start of the season, Niels Zonneveld looked to be the next Dutchman who was going to be surging towards the top of the Darting world, but that momentum has slowed.

Instead it is Wessel Nijman and Kevin Doets earning the headlines and recent results have been iffy as far as Zonneveld is concerned.

In saying that, Chris Dobey has not exactly been having consistent deep runs into tournaments.

An early loss at the European Tour 12 event may have just refocused Chris Dobey as he looks to move back amongst the elite and he can win a match in which both players contribute at least two maximums.

Ross Smith - 1.5 legs v Jeffrey de Graaf: Winning important titles will continue the development of any player and Ross Smith has taking a real liking to playing on the European Tour.

He can continue on his way with a battling win over a quality opponent in the Second Round.

Jeffrey de Graaf is more than capable of producing an upset, but Ross Smith is playing some really confident darts and bounced back from a poor showing in the World Series of Darts events Down Under. He won the European Tour tournament played at the end of August and produced another couple of wins last week and Smith has shown he is now backing up his scoring with composed finishing.

His opponent played well on the floor at the end of August, but consistency at this level can be difficult to find and Jeffrey de Graaf may come up short.

Josh Rock to win & most 180s v Ryan Joyce: These two met last week and it was Josh Rock who came through against Relentless and there is every reason to believe he can back up that form.

Ryan Joyce won on Friday, but made harder work of Stephen Burton than it should have been and will have to lift his level considerably.

Nothing much was wrong with the finishing, which makes Joyce dangerous, but Josh Rock should be able to get into a position to have more opportunities in Legs and that can see him frank the result from last week.

You have to respect Ryan Joyce's ability to get into the treble 20 bed, but it is Rocky who should edge the maximum count as well.

MY PICKS: Rob Cross - 1.5 Legs @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Chris Dobey to Win & Both Players Over 1.5 180s @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Ross Smith - 1.5 Legs @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Josh Rock to Win & Most 180s @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Flanders Darts Trophy: 0-2, - 2 Units (2 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

European Tour 12- Czech Darts Open Day 2 Picks 2026 (Saturday 5th September)

The Czech Darts Open continues with the Seeded players joining the tournament... It is a weekend where the personal life has to take over and that means only the Picks from the day.

MY PICKS: Ross Smith - 2.5 Legs @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)
Nathan Aspinall to Win & Most 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton - 1.5 Legs @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Czech Darts Open: 1-2, - 1.09 Units (3 Units Staked, - 36.33% Yield)

European Tour 11- Hungarian Darts Trophy Day 2 Picks 2026 (Saturday 29th August)

The Seeded players will move into the Hungarian Darts Trophy draw after the First Round was completed in Budapest on Friday and this is a European Tour event that has been able to bring together some of the best players on the Tour.

James Wade was the latest to withdraw, albeit after the draw was made, but that may harden Luke Humphries into favouritism for the title, although the European stages do throw up plenty of opportunities for any player that can find a way into Finals day.

Big names means big matches and those attending the Sessions on Day 2 of this tournament should be viewing some top darts being thrown.

Sixteen matches need to be completed with eight in each Session on Saturday and the positive returns on Day 1 give us something to build upon when those Second Round matches get underway.

Wessel Nijman - 2.5 games v Dave Chisnall: You can never dismiss Dave Chisnall when he is throwing his best darts, but we have not seen a lot of consistency from him all year.

Backing that up is the fact he threw four maximums in the First Round win, but also struggled with his doubling and ultimately that led to an average of below 90.

Dave Chisnall will not need to be told that he will need to be a lot better if he is going to upset the odds against Wessel Nijman, who has beaten Chizzy twice this season.

The most recent came at the World Matchplay and Wessel Nijman proved to be too consistent for Dave Chisnall in a 10-5 win.

Another strong run at Players Championship 27 backs up what has continued to be a strong year for the Dutchman and he can produce enough quality to cover this spread in a winning effort.

Chris Dobey-Tom Sykes over 5.5 180s: When these players met on the floor back in May, Chris Dobey and Tom Sykes needed to play all eleven Legs in what was a high quality affair.

On that day, Chris Dobey had eight maximums on his own, but Tom Sykes stayed competitive by producing four of his own and both players averaged over 100.

Tom Sykes has crushed Cameron Menzies in the First Round at this European Tour event and was able to produce three maximums in the seven Legs played.

The expectation for this Second Round match is seeing at least nine Legs played out and both Dobey and Sykes can pummel the treble 20 bed and help combine to rack up the maximum scoring in what could be a cracking end to the Afternoon Session.

Nathan Aspinall to win & most 180s v Ryan Joyce: The underdog may be getting better and better at putting the maximums on the board, but Nathan Aspinall will always feel he can outperform most players on the Tour when it comes to that market.

He has admitted that he has not been focusing on his darts as much as he perhaps should have been, but Nathan Aspinall is now married and that may mean refocusing.

Ryan Joyce will have to be a lot better than he was in the First Round if he is going to beat Nathan Aspinall- Joyce may have beaten Cristo Reyes, but can be thankful for a wasteful doubling day from the latter.

It should be said that Nathan Aspinall can sometimes may Legs tougher than they should be when he is slightly off the doubling and giving Ryan Joyce opportunities would be a mistake.

However, the scoring power should mean Aspinall gets to the double first and he can complete the match double.

MY PICKS: Wessel Nijman - 2.5 Legs @ 2.05 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Chris Dobey-Tom Sykes Over 5.5 180s @ 1.66 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Nathan Aspinall to Win & Most 180s @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Hungarian Darts Trophy: 3-0, + 3.21 Units (3 Units Staked, + 107% Yield)

Australian Darts Masters Day 2 Picks 2026 (Saturday 22nd August)

The Australian Darts Masters may have lacked some of the upsets that some may have expected, but that is not to say that the top PDC representatives had an easy day.

Ross Smith will certainly feel he drew the short straw after suffering another First Round exit at the two World Series events played in New Zealand and Australia.

Plenty of other top names were pushed all of the way, but the Quarter Final line up has been put together with seven of the eight players that are familiar to most.

Gerwyn Price & over 2.5 180s v Josh Rock: Recent form makes it difficult to believe anyone other than Gerwyn Price will win this Quarter Final, but it would be foolish to dismiss the chances of Josh Rock.

The last Premier League meeting between these players ended in a 6-3 win for Josh Rock, but Gerwyn Price reached the New Zealand Masters Final and he has a level that may be tough for the Northern Irishman to reach.

Josh Rock is a talent that needs to be respected, but the feeling here is that Gerwyn Price can produce the maximums that eventually puts him in a position to win this Quarter Final.

Over the last couple of weeks, Price has found a level that has been consistently stronger than the one that Josh Rock has reached and that may be the case again.

James Wade v Stephen Bunting: A relatively poor performance did not stop Stephen Bunting getting through the opening Round at the Australian Darts Masters, but he is going to have to be a lot better to win this match.

Some of the Legs played have been dominated by Stephen Bunting, but he has thrown in too many poor Legs and that has meant being in the midst of a poor run of form.

James Wade was in exceptional form in his First Round win, and it is almost certainly going to be tough for him to reach that level once again.

However, The Machine remains a steady force on the Tour and one who feels he should have been invited into the Premier League and he can get the better of one of those eight players involved in that tournament earlier this season.

Jonny Clayton-Damon Heta over 4.5 180s: When these two players met at the World Matchplay, they shared out nine maximums in seventeen Legs played.

Both Jonny Clayton and Damon Heta are very strong maximum hitters and this is a total that can be reached as long as there are at least nine Legs played.

Damon Heta may deserve the edge in the match considering the improved form he continues to show and he will also have the home crowd behind him. That can give Heta a boost as he looks for a big day to conclude the World Series events played Down Under and The Heat has been comfortable here.

In saying all of that, Jonny Clayton is a stronger finisher and scores well enough to to give himself a chance to win any match he plays.

The Welshman is the favourite, but he may need to score well to secure the victory and that may lead to plenty of maximums hit.

Both players are capable of getting stuck into the treble twenty bed and there is every reason to believe these two players can combine for at least five maximums in this Quarter Final.

MY PICKS: Gerwyn Price & Over 2.5 180s @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

James Wade @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton-Damon Heta Over 4.5 180s @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Australian Darts Masters: 2-3, - 0.70 Units (5 Units Staked, - 14% Yield)

World Matchplay Darts Day 2 Picks 2026 (Sunday 19th July)

The opening day at the World Matchplay may only have featured a single session and four First Round matches, but the Leg Format of this tournament continues to throw up some drama.

We have already had the first last Leg decider of the week, while two players averaged in triple digits in winning matches- Luke Littler faces Nathan Aspinall in what looks to be a standout Second Round match.

Sunday is a packed day with two sessions spread over several hours, although some of the attention will shift from the late matches that clash with the 2026 World Cup Final. Unlike the contingency plan that involved moving the sessions around to avoid any darts being played if England had reached the Final, the Spain vs Argentina game will be played at the same time as the evening matches.

There will be plenty of fans tuning into the World Matchplay as well, but it does sound like a conscious decision to have the likes of Gary Anderson and Michael van Gerwen playing in the afternoon session rather than the evening.

Both of those former World Champions are on course to meet in the Quarter Final if they can win a couple of matches over the coming days, but they will be challenged as the quality of the field gets stronger and stronger each season.

Gary Anderson to win & over 4.5 180s v Ryan Joyce: There is always a huge amount of respect that has to be given to Ryan Joyce whenever he gets up on stage and he has given Stephen Bunting a scare here in Blackpool in each of the last two years.

Ryan Joyce was playing well in Leverkusen last week on the European Tour as well, but Gary Anderson should have the scoring power to get over the line in this one.

We have not seen much of The Flying Scotsman in recent weeks and he made little impact at the Players Championship events played earlier this month.

However, the best of twenty-one format gives Gary Anderson time to work his way into this First Round match and use his stronger scoring to put himself in a position to move through to the next Round.

Michael van Gerwen to win & most 180s v Andrew Gilding: This has the makings of becoming a high quality First Round match in the afternoon session on Day 2 of the tournament.

Michael van Gerwen has the bigger name and has achieved more in the sport, but Andrew Gilding has rarely allowed that to bother him.

Just last month he edged past the Dutchman in a very good match on the European Tour, while he has beaten van Gerwen in a big television spot at the UK Open.

Two years ago Michael van Gerwen did get the better of Andrew Gilding right here at the World Matchplay, and that was a match in which the heavier scoring came from the former. This will be needed again and van Gerwen will likely need to produce the maximums fairly regularly if he is going to keep Goldfinger at bay.

Jonny Clayton to win & over 3.5 180s v Damon Heta: Last week was another sign that Damon Heta is picking up his level again, but he will be disappointed that he was not able to get past Jermaine Wattimena in the Semi Final in Leverkusen.

Overall the performances will have given Heta a boost in confidence before heading to the World Matchplay.

First up is a tough draw against Jonny Clayton who reached the Semi Final here last year and should really have beaten James Wade, and the Welshman has maintained a strong level over the last twelve months. He is a strong scorer, but also a confident finisher and Jonny Clayton will not panic if things begin slowly.

There has not been a lot of meetings between the players in the last couple of years, but both should be familiar enough with the other to make sure they are super focused in their bid to reach the Second Round.

And with that said, Jonny Clayton should have enough at the back end of Legs to secure passage past Damon Heta on Sunday afternoon.

Jermaine Wattimena v James Wade: These two players may approach their darts in a different way, but both have been very successful and another close match is expected.

That is not a big surprise at the World Matchplay with so many quality players in the field, but matches between these players have tended to be very close.

They met at a similar distance at the Players Championship Finals at the back end of last year and that was won by Jermaine Wattimena, who had given himself enough chances with this scoring.

He is going to need to do the same here, and Wattimena will have headed to Blackpool with confidence after reaching the Final in Leverkusen last week. Losing that will have hurt, but the player is in decent form and he may just edge James Wade in what should be a close match right to the end.

Either way, Jermaine Wattimena looks a lively underdog and he can come through a tough match.

Gian van Veen to win & most 180s v Krzysztof Ratajski: These two met last week in Leverkusen and it was Krzysztof Ratjaski who came through a low quality contest.

Despite not being at his best, Ratajski used the momentum to carry himself through to winning the latest European Tour event and that will have given him a lot of confidence to take into this event.

Krzysztof Ratajski is a steady player and will not go away easily, but Gian van Veen will know he has the levels to go through to take this First Round match away from the Polish player.

Gian van Veen was in better form when beating Niko Springer in Leverkusen and you have to expect the longer format in the World Matchplay to give him the time to fight back in this First Round match. The Dutchman will have to make a stronger start to just make things a little more comfortable and he can do that at an event where he reached the Quarter Final twelve months ago.

Wessel Nijman - 2.5 legs, over 3.5 180s & 1+ 100 checkout v Dave Chisnall: A disappointing early exit in Leverkusen will not have dented the Wessel Nijman confidence, at least not significantly, and this is a player that could make big waves here in Blackpool over the next week.

A big season has been put on the board, but the next five months is all about doing it in front of the bigger television audiences that will be the feature of the World Ranking events to be played.

Wessel Nijman has not always played his best in front of the fans and the cameras, but he has been performing well on the European Tour and he looks to have all of the tools ready to complete the three parts of this selection.

Dave Chisnall was not involved in the last European Tour, but continues to have his difficulties in putting consistent results on the board.

He will be inspired to play someone like Wessel Nijman and Chizzy can still be very dangerous at his best, but the Dutchman is playing at a different level to so many right now and he can show off his improvement to a wider audience in this opening match in this tournament.

MY PICKS: Gary Anderson to Win & Over 4.5 180s @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Michael van Gerwen to Win & Most 180s @ 2.30 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton to Win & Over 3.5 180s @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jermaine Wattimena @ 2.40 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Gian van Veen to Win & Most 180s @ 2.75 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Wessel Nijman - 2.5 Legs, Over 3.5 180s & 1+ 100 Checkout @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

World Matchplay: 2-2, + 0.35 Units (4 Units Staked, + 8.75% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 2 Picks 2026 (Tuesday 30th June)

There are always going to be days of frustration when making picks from a Tour as long as the Tennis one, but the key is to flush those and look to bounce back.

Jan-Lennard Struff blew a 2-0 lead to eventually come through 3-2 against Sebastian Baez, but that was followed by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina failing to cover the handicap, despite leading 6/4, 6/4, 3/0 and with a double break of serve in that third set.

Blowing that lead is one thing, but he later led that set with another break at 6/5, but ultimately settled for a tie-breaker success and missing the cover by a single game- if both had landed the other way, Day 1 of the 2026 Wimbledon would have been a decent one.

There were one or two players that just fell short of the criteria and seeing both win comfortably only doubled down the irritation of Day 1, but the First Round has yet to be completed and there is an opportunity to get things turned around.

Day 2 looks like another busy one for the selections, but it is a day where backing a number of players to get through matches without the stress of a deciding set is catching the eye.

Some of the prices are not going to be rushing people out with excitement, but it remains the time of the tournament where trying to lay a positive foundation is the key for what is to come.

Alex De Minaur - 8.5 games v Roman Andres Burruchaga: The connection with Katie Boulter will mean Alex De Minaur should be receiving plenty of support from the London crowd much like Boulter gets when the opening Grand Slam of the Tennis Tour is played in Melbourne. The World Number 6 is pretty comfortable on the grass courts too and Alex De Minaur has been set as a strong favourite to get through this First Round match at SW19.

Two warm up events have been played in Hertogenbosch and Queen's Club and Alex De Minaur reached the Final of the former and the Quarter Final in the latter.

Alex De Minaur should be pretty happy with the numbers produced as he has held 83% of service games played and broken in 32% of return games across those two warm up tournaments, while the opening match here at Wimbledon pits him against someone who is perhaps not so comfortable on the grass.

Roman Andres Burruchaga is the World Number 66 and reached his best career World Ranking just last month when pushing up to World Number 56, but the 24 year old is someone who will almost exclusively play in clay court events. Over the last twelve months, Burruchaga has a 45-20 record in clay court matches, but is 4-6 on hard courts and he is making his debut in the main draw at Wimbledon on Tuesday.

In 2024, Roman Andres Burruchaga won a couple of Qualifying matches before missing out on the main draw in a Third Qualifying Round defeat, while last year he was beaten in the Second Qualifying Round. In one warm up event ahead of Wimbledon 2026, Roman Andres Burruchaga was beaten in three sets by Arthur Fery at Eastbourne and the Argentine has struggled with his return on the lower bouncing grass courts compared with the clay courts.

After winning just 60% of service points played against Arthur Fery, Roman Andres Burruchaga has a lot of room for improvement if he is going to find a way to challenge Alex De Minaur.

It also should be noted that since the start of Wimbledon 2022, Alex De Minaur has a 16-1 record against players Ranked outside of the top 50 in grass court matches and had won fifteen in a row before losing to Kamil Majchrzak in the Hertogenbosch Final earlier this month. He got back on track in that situation when beating Gabriel Diallo at Queen's Club and the 27 year old has held 87% of service games and broken in 32% of return games in that seventeen match run.

This is a very big number and opening matches at Wimbledon can take a bit of time for the top players to really find their rhythm, but Alex De Minaur should have far too much knowledge of playing on this surface for Roman Andres Burruchaga. That should eventually show up on the scoreboard as Alex De Minaur moves through the gears and he should be able to find the breaks that will be needed to cover this mark.

Otto Virtanen-Ben Shelton over 10.5 games first set: Any Qualifier that had to play through the London heatwave last week will have left something on the court, but those players may also have plenty of confidence of at least rattling opponents now we move into main draw action.

One of those making it through the Qualifiers is Otto Virtanen and the 25 year old is someone who has shown a confidence in playing on the grass courts. Three Qualifying wins has pushed the grass court record to 10-3 this year, while Otto Virtanen won all six grass court matches last year before picking up an injury that meant he missed competing at Wimbledon.

The World Number 140 could make a significant move in the World Rankings if he can find an upset or two at this tournament, but Otto Virtanen has been paired with Ben Shelton in the opening Round and it may be a big ask to remain in the draw at the end of Tuesday.

Ben Shelton has a very big game and it should be well suited to the grass courts- he reached the Quarter Final at Wimbledon last year and that means the American has done that at three of the four Grand Slams played with the exception being at the French Open, which is really not a big surprise.

He is the World Number 5 and Ben Shelton is one of the leading contenders at this Grand Slam, especially being placed in the other half of the draw compared with the likes of Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner. Ben Shelton warmed up for Wimbledon by winning the title in Stuttgart and followed up with a run to the Quarter Final in Halle and this is a big time server who has held in 93% of service games played on the grass in 2025 and 2026.

Breaking Ben Shelton is going to be a big ask for Otto Virtanen, but he will take confidence in his own service numbers against an opponent who has broken in just 11% of return games played on the surface this year.

The career number is at 12% for breaks of serve on the grass and it is expected to take Ben Shelton a bit of time to perhaps earn a read on the Otto Virtanen serve.

An opening set tie-breaker would surprise no one, but the layers are offering up odds against for the first set to get to 5-5 and that looks the play.

A consideration was given to backing this match to finish above the line set for total games, but that will need both players to win a set and it would not surprise me if Ben Shelton gets stronger as this match goes on, while Otto Virtanen may weaken. However, that could come after a very competitive first set and backing that one to move past this total number of games is the selection.

Alexander Zverev - 6.5 games v Alexander Blockx: After finally getting over the line and winning a Grand Slam title when picking up the trophy in Paris at the French Open, Alexander Zverev will be hoping for a late surge in Major title victories.

He now knows he can win the biggest titles on the Tour having come so close previously, but Alexander Zverev has yet to have that kind of impact at Wimbledon.

The World Number 3 is the Number 2 Seed at this Grand Slam tournament due to the absence of Carlos Alcaraz, but it is a surprise that Alexander Zverev has reached at least the Semi Final at the other three Grand Slam events, but failed to make the Quarter Final at Wimbledon. The best runs have been reaching the Fourth Round on three occasions, but this is a player who has reached the Final in Halle a couple of times and also reached the Final in Stuttgart to suggest he is more than capable of having a big run at Wimbledon too.

Winning the French Open may inspire better from Alexander Zverev who will be facing Alexander Blockx for the third time in two months when they meet in the First Round here.

A match that was originally scheduled for Court One has been moved onto Centre Court after Jack Draper's withdrawal from the tournament and Alexander Zverev will be happy enough with his run to the Semi Final in Halle in his sole competitive preparation for this Grand Slam.

It is more than can be said for Alexander Blockx who has never played in the main draw at Wimbledon and who did not take in any warm up events ahead of this tournament in 2026.

Last year he was beaten in the Third Qualifying Round and Alexander Blockx finished with a 4-4 record on the surface, but seven of those matches were against players Ranked outside the top 100 and this match up has already proven to be a tough one for the young Belgian.

There is a concern with an ankle issue that has meant Alexander Blockx had to withdraw from the French Open before the Second Round match against Alex De Minaur and which has forced him to miss the warm up events for Wimbledon. He has already struggled to be competitive against Alexander Zverev in two clay court matches, which is where Blockx may have felt most comfortable, and it is going to be very tough to stop the French Open Champion in this opening match at Wimbledon with little competitive tennis under the belt.

In those previous two matches, Alexander Zverev has dominated behind serve, but also done enough to put together pressure for breaks in 33% of return games played.

Returning on the grass courts has proven to be much more challenging for Alexander Zverev, but he should be able to work his way into this First Round match and the comfort with what is expected from the other side of the net is also a factor in this one. As the match wears on, Alexander Zverev should be able to take more and more control and it should mean he eventually is able to push through to the Second Round behind a pretty routine win.

MY PICKS: Alex De Minaur - 8.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Otto Virtanen-Ben Shelton Over 10.5 First Set Games @ 2.00 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 6.5 Games @ 2.20 William Hill (2 Units)

Karen Khachanov - 1.5 Sets @ 1.70 William Hill (2 Units)

Jakub Mensik - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 William Hill (2 Units)
Frances Tiafoe - 1.5 Sets @ 1.57 William Hill (2 Units)

Grigor Dimitrov - 1.5 Sets @ 1.53 William Hill (2 Units)

Jiri Lehecka - 1.5 Sets @ 1.57 William Hill (2 Units)

Kamil Majchrzak - 1.5 Sets @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)
Francisco Cerundolo - 1.5 Sets @ 1.60 William Hill (2 Units)

Flavio Cobolli - 1.5 Sets @ 1.57 William Hill (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek - 5.5 Games @ 2.05 William Hill (2 Units)

Serena Williams @ 2.20 Bet365 (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 3-4, - 3.68 Units (14 Units Staked, - 26.29% Yield)

European Tour 9- Slovak Darts Open Day 2 Picks (Saturday 20th June)

The Seeds might be joining the party on Saturday at the Slovak Darts Open, but plenty of names that have fought through the opening Round will feel they are playing well enough to reach the final day at this latest European Tour event.

It is another busy day and the fans get to enjoy two different Sessions with the biggest names beginning their run for this title in the Evening Session.

However, there are some quality looking matches in the Day Session as well as the Second Round is completed over several hours and there should be plenty of good Darts to enjoy.

Kevin Doets to win & over 3.5 match 180s v Damon Heta: There was little to write home about for the Australia World Cup team, at least where the Darts are concerned, but Damon Heta showed decent form on the floor last week.

He is a Seeded player, but it would be an upset if he was to get the better of Kevin Doets, according to the layers if not the player himself.

Damon Heta is going to need to score well to keep up with Kevin Doets who continues to produce a high level and consistently, which makes him tough to beat.

Earlier this season, Heta was able to turn up the heat on Kevin Doets and beat him at a European Tour event played in March, but it is the Dutchman who has elevated his level over the last couple of months. Kevin Doets continues to play well on the floor, but he has gained confidence in these European Tour events in front of big crowds and the expectation is that he will edge to the win.

However, Damon Heta can play his part in the maximum hitting department and both players are capable of combining for at least four in a match that is ultimately won by Kevin Doets.

Chris Dobey to win & most 180s v Tyler Thorpe: Anyone who saw Tyler Thorpe rack up the power scoring and big finishing in his First Round win will have found a new respect for the young player, but he is still finding his feet on the Tour.

While the experience will help in the development, Thorpe is going to have to do something special to match the kind of level he produced in Friday.

He will also be put under pressure by Chris Dobey, who is a big maximum hitter in his own right, and that could see Tyler Thorpe struggle to maintain his confidence in this Second Round match.

It took a couple of very big efforts to beat Chris Dobey on the floor in the two Players Championship events played earlier this week and that kind of form would be enough to see him past this opponent and likely with a win in the maximum hitting department too.

Ryan Searle-Kim Huybrechts over 5.5 180s: When these two players met at European Tour 7 in the International Darts Open, it ended in a routine win for Ryan Searle.

However, it was a match filled with some serious quality as Searle and Kim Huybrechts shared out eight maximums and there was a lot to like about the Huybrechts performance on Friday.

This is a player desperate to put together a couple of big runs that will earn him a spot at the World Matchplay and Kim Huybrechts will feel he could have turned things around against Ryan Searle at the end of May with stronger finishing.

Ryan Searle would suggest otherwise having put a 99 average on the board despite missing ten attempts at doubles and he had three maximums to Kim Huybrecht's five to give as good as he got in that previous meeting.

You have to expect more resistance from Kim Huybrechts in this one and that should allow for enough Legs to be played to reach at least six maximums between two players capable of peppering the treble 20 bed.

Only seven Legs were needed to provide eight maximums at the end of May, but this should be closer and the power scoring should be clearly on display.

Luke Woodhouse - 1.5 games v Andrew Gilding: It doesn't feel that long ago that Luke Woodhouse would have been playing on the opening day of any European Tour event, but he is Seeded here in Slovakia and the recent form has been of a very high level.

Andrew Gilding knows all about that having lost a Players Championship Final against Luke Woodhouse in May and then later in the same month being beaten by the same player in another European Tour event.

A solid win over Mervyn King has pushed Andrew Gilding into the Second Round, but he will be aware that he needs to improve his scoring if he is going to beat the World Number 17.

Luke Woodhouse played well at Players Championship 21 on Tuesday and he will be feeling really confident in his current game.

He actually went on to win the European Tour 8 event at the end of May to add to his recent collection of titles and Luke Woodhouse has the perfect scoring and finishing balance to believe he will have too much for Goldfinger in this Second Round meeting.

Michael van Gerwen to win & most 180s v Krzysztof Ratajski: You just know that the Polish Eagle is never going to be an easy out in any match on the Tour and Krzysztof Ratajski has a win under his belt on this stage.

That is going to give him confidence as he prepares to try and earn an upset over Michael van Gerwen and Ratajski does have a win over the former World Champion on the floor this year.

However, it was Michael van Gerwen who averaged over 100 when they met on the European Tour, although credit has to be given to Krzysztof Ratajski for making that a competitive match thanks to his 99 average.

Ultimately Michael van Gerwen won and he played well in the World Cup of Darts, while also winning the Nordic Dart Masters when last out in Singles action. The former power of being the dominant force on the Tour may be behind van Gerwen, but there have been enough signs in 2026 to suggest he can win a major title sooner than later.

There are some huge events coming up and the recent form of Michael van Gerwen suggests he is capable of completing the Match Double on the way to the Third Round in Slovakia.

Jonny Clayton to win & most 180s v Ryan Joyce: At the end of May, Relentless Ryan Joyce reached the European Tour 8 Final before coming up short against Luke Woodhouse, but the form since then has been much more inconsistent.

A First Round win will have just given Ryan Joyce a boost, but he will also be aware that he is facing a player who will be playing in Slovakia with a real belief that he can win the title.

Jonny Clayton's levels have been very high all year and he has been producing consistent results after consistent results.

These two players did split two meetings on the Tour in 2025, but Jonny Clayton is the bigger scorer and he showed his confidence in the World Cup of Darts when almost leading Wales to an upset of England. Doing that without Gerwyn Price highlights the kind of standards Clayton is setting this season and he may just have enough to produce a couple of maximums to help get the Match Double over the line in this Second Round match.

Ross Smith to win & over 2.5 180s v Joe Cullen: You never know what you are going to get from Joe Cullen and that makes him dangerous.

At his best he is capable of matching the power scoring of any player on the Tour, but there are too many days when Joe Cullen is not at his best.

He has come through a First Round match in Slovakia, but taking on a confident Ross Smith is a different kind of challenge and especially after the higher Ranked player won a European Tour title (finally) and a Players Championship event over the last month.

Those victories will make Ross Smith feel his hard work has been rewarded and he continues to be a big maximum hitter, but now backing it up with solid finishing and holding himself together mentally when the big moments have come up will certainly add to the belief. Winning titles will change the mindset and Ross Smith could become even more dangerous than he is already over the coming months as the Majors are played.

Joe Cullen will certainly push Smudger, but Ross Smith can showcase his scoring ability on his way through to the final day at the Slovak Darts Open.

MY PICKS: Kevin Doets to Win & Over 3.5 Match 180s @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Chris Dobey to Win & Most 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Ryan Searle-Kim Huybrechts Over 5.5 180s @ 2.10 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Luke Woodhouse - 1.5 Legs @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Michael van Gerwen to Win & Most 180s @ 2.75 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton to Win & Most 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Ross Smith to Win & Over 2.5 180s @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Slovak Darts Open: 2-2, - 0.29 Units (4 Units Staked, - 7.25% Yield)

European Tour 8- Baltic Sea Darts Open Day 2 Picks 2026 (Saturday 30th May)

There are some really good looking matches to be played at the European Tour event in Kiel as the Seeded players join the Baltic Sea Darts Open.

However, it feels like the margins are pretty tight and only two selections will be made from the two Sessions to be played.

Both Picks are from the Day Session, but there will hopefully be stronger options to get behind on Day 3 when the tournament is completed.

Luke Woodhouse to win & over 1.5 180s v Andrew Gilding: In the space of three Players Championship tournaments played earlier this month, both Andrew Gilding and Luke Woodhouse won titles for the first time on the floor.

The latter of those saw Luke Woodhouse beat Andrew Gilding 8-4 in the Final, but both disappointed days later at the European Tour event last weekend.

Luke Woodhouse is one of the Seeded players here and so joins the Baltic Sea Darts Open in the Second Round, but Andrew Gilding does have a win under his belt from the Day Session on Friday. That will at least make himself feel better after the very early loss at the International Darts Open against a struggling opponent, whereas Luke Woodhouse came up short against Kevin Doets having rallied to force a decider.

Both players are capable of heavy scoring, but Luke Woodhouse has perhaps found that treble 20 bed with a bit more regularity and that should see him edge past Goldfinger.

He will have to score well and Luke Woodhouse can add a couple of maximums on his way through to the Third Round.

Joe Cullen to win & over 1.5 180s v Dave Chisnall: Three years ago, Dave Chisnall won the title here, but it has been a tough season for the World Number 26.

Dave Chisnall has lost five of the last six matches played and looked completely out of sorts when being beaten 6-0 by James Wade last week.

His head to head with Joe Cullen will give Dave Chisnall some confidence, but the former has won a match in the tournament and was very unfortunate to loss to Ross Smith last week at European Tour 7. The fact that Ross Smith went on to win the title last time out will at least mean Joe Cullen can believe he is playing well having come up short against the eventual Champion.

As stated before, Joe Cullen can be very difficult to trust with his inconsistencies, but he has produced more positive recent form compared with Dave Chisnall and that could show up in this Second Round match.

MY PICKS: Luke Woodhouse to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Joe Cullen to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Baltic Sea Darts Open: 3-1, + 2.29 Units (4 Units Staked, + 57.25% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 2 Picks 2026 (Monday 25th May)

The French Open continues through the opening Round in Paris and those competing will have to battle through some very difficult conditions.

In fact the forecast for the next several days in the French capital look like they are going to be extremely testing for everyone from those competing on the courts to those watching in the stands.

Getting into the second week with as little time spent on court is the key for those looking to win the Grand Slam and that is the challenge set out before we get into the second week where the temperatures are looking like they are going to be much more manageable.

We already saw some of the top names making sure they were able to win matches on Sunday without exerting too much effort and those going out on Monday will be looking to follow suit.

Alex De Minaur - 7.5 games v Toby Samuel: Untimely injuries can have a big impact on any athlete in any sport and that has certainly held back Toby Samuel.

The 23 year old British player has returned to the Tour in 2025, but he has mainly been operating at a lower level before taking part and winning three Qualifiers to earn a spot in the French Open main draw. This is the first time Toby Samuel has been able to do this and he has a win over David Goffin in the Qualifiers, which has to be hugely respected, but all of this is going to feel like a new experience and the World Number 159 is operating at a career high mark.

The wins in the Qualifiers will have done Toby Samuel the world of good, but he had lost his previous three clay court matches prior to the run here in Paris.

Now he has to take on a top ten Seeded player in Alex De Minaur, although one that has not played nearly as well on the clay courts in 2026 compared with the last couple of years on the surface.

Alex De Minaur can take some belief from the fact he reached the Semi Final in Hamburg last week, but his numbers have been down across both serve and return in 2026 compared with the lsat couple of years. The manner of the Second Round defeat at the French Open twelve months ago may have dented the confidence, but the Australian is right to be set as a strong favourite and you have to believe the best of five set format gives him a chance to warm into the task at hand.

The added edge comes from the experience the World Number 9 has put together in his time on the Tour compared with Toby Samuel who has never played a top 100 Ranked opponent before on any surface.

Having nothing to lose could make Toby Samuel dangerous, but this is a long format and eventually you have to believe Alex De Minaur will show his superior experience to break down and overwhelm the young Qualifier who will be hoping to build on this run in Paris.

Andrey Rublev - 1.5 sets v Ignacio Buse: Winning the title in Hamburg is the career highlight for Ignacio Buse and it will push the 22 year old into a career best World Number 31 when the Rankings are released during the French Open.

Unfortunately that means missing out on a Seeding for this Grand Slam, but it also makes Ignacio Buse a very tough First Round match for a Seeded player.

Andrey Rublev is the player who has to go against Buse, but the World Number 13 is a solid clay courter and he will certainly believe he has the experience to give the youngster all he can handle.

This has been a decent, if unspectacular, clay court season for Andrey Rublev, but the numbers have remained steady and certainly strong enough to win a match like this one. His run in Rome was ended by Jannik Sinner, but Rublev is still playing steadily behind serve and on the return and he will believe there is still some room for improvement when arriving in the French capital for the second Grand Slam of the season.

His experience is going to be important, while Ignacio Buse will have had a long week in the build up to the French Open, which can work against some players.

Ignacio Buse has had some successes against top 100 Ranked opponents, but his numbers have been very similar to those produced by Andrey Rublev in 2026 and that is where the experience edge can become a real factor in the outcome of the match.

The opening set could set the tone, but Frances Tiafoe dropped that before rolling past Ignacio Buse in Rome and Andrey Rublev is capable of winning this one in four, especially if the youngster is just feeling the tennis he needed to play to win the title in Hamburg.

MY PICKS: Alex De Minaur - 7.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 1.5 Sets @ 1.80 William Hill (2 Units)

French Open Update: 1-0, + 1.44 Units (2 Units Staked, + 72% Yield)

European Tour 7- International Darts Open Day 2 Picks 2026 (Saturday 23rd May)

The tournament in Riese is a popular one for the players and the Seeded players will be ready to join the party on Saturday when the Second Round is played across two Sessions.

There are some really good looking matches on deck and some are pretty tough to read, but the selections from the day's play can be read below.

Kevin Doets & Rob Cross double: These two players are up against quality opponents in Luke Woodhouse and Mike De Dekker, but both Kevin Doets and Rob Cross may have enough to edge past the Seeded opponents.

Kevin Doets has continued to play at a really high level and it feels a matter of time before the Dutchman is being asked to begin his European Tour events on Saturday rather than Friday.

However, that is not the case in this event and Doets should be comfortable going up on the stage.

He is facing a Luke Woodhouse who won the Players Championship event to pick up a maiden title and that will have given an improving player a huge boost in confidence.

Luke Woodhouse will be dangerous with that win behind him, but Kevin Doets can score with more consistency and that may give him the chances needed to find a way past the English player.

Doubling him up with Rob Cross to beat Mike De Dekker offers up a decent price out of a tough Afternoon Session.

The former World Champion has not been at his consistent best of late, but the way he battled through the First Round here will have done him the world of good.

And despite the poor overall recent form, Rob Cross is certainly playing with more authority than Mike De Dekker, while a similar scoring day as Friday should be enough to give Voltage the opportunities needed.

Josh Rock to win & most 180s v Cameron Menzies: There is no doubt that Cameron Menzies is fortunate to be playing in the Second Round, but he can be a very dangerous player at his best and that has to be respected.

He should challenge Josh Rock, but the Northern Irishman won the last European Tour event and there have been enough signs in the latter stages of the Premier League to believe he is approaching his best form again.

Josh Rock can be a very strong maximum hitter and he may do just enough to edge past Cameron Menzies on that front.

The expectation is that Menzies will be better than Friday, but Josh Rock may still have enough to secure a narrow win and a place in the Third Round.

Ryan Searle & Gian van Veen double: Both of these players are Seeded and favoured to win, although neither Charlie Manby nor Connor Scutt are expected to be rolled over.

However, Ryan Searle has the kind of scoring to keep Manby under pressure and a few wins at Players Championship 17 earlier this week will have given him a boost.

You cannot ignore Gian van Veen's recent form since his health issue, but the Dutchman is facing an opponent who can be a little up and down.

Connor Scutt was comfortable in the First Round, but this is a considerable step upwards and he has lost a number of deciders against Gian van Veen, which may give the top Seed the confidence to fight through.

Stephen Bunting to win & over 3.5 match 180s v Kryzsztof Ratajski: The defending Champion could not have arrived at the tournament in better mood having won the last Night of the Premier League on Thursday.

Stephen Bunting was in fine form in Sheffield and he can carry that into an event he won last year and so should feel very happy in the setting.

He may have hoped for an easier Second Round match than facing Krzysztof Ratajski, but Bunting beat the Pole earlier this month on the floor and has won four in a row against this opponent.

Both players are capable of getting into the maximum hitting and they combined for six in that floor match, while it should be Stephen Bunting finding a way through to the Third Round.

MY PICKS: Kevin Doets & Rob Cross @ 2.54 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Josh Rock to Win & Most 180s @ 2.75 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Ryan Searle & Gian van Veen @ 2.27 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Stephen Bunting to Win & Over 3.5 Match 180s @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

International Darts Open: 1-4, - 2.70 Units (5 Units Staked, - 54% Yield)

European Tour 6- Austrian Darts Open Day 2 Picks 2026 (Saturday 9th May)

It is a game of inches on the board and that has been the feeling around some of the narrow slips in the first four months of the Darts Picks.

More of the same was on display on the opening Day of the Austrian Darts Open and there is a sense that I am overcomplicating matters.

There is still a long season ahead and the next couple of months are incredibly busy on the Tour before the Ranking events get underway again. Some momentum is needed to just settle things down and that has to begin on Day 2 of the European Tour 6 event being played this weekend as the Seeds get into the mix.

The Second Round is played across two Sessions on Saturday before the tournament is concluded on Sunday.

Mike De Decker to win & most 180s v Ryan Joyce: There is no ignoring of the fact that Relentless Ryan Joyce is a dangerous opponent with his finishing of the highest quality.

That does build pressure on opponents to make sure they are doubling out as they would expect, but you do have a sense that the heavier scoring of Mike De Decker can put him in a position to win this match double.

Ever since he was ignored for the Premier League last year, De Decker has struggled for consistency on the Tour.

We have seen more of that in 2026, but he remains a solid player and the maximum hitting shoud land his favour in this Second Round match.

Everything will come to the doubling and the anticipation is that Mike De Decker has enough chances to find his way through to the final day.

Ryan Searle-Kevin Doets over 5.5 180s: Two players who are very capable at hitting the big scores should be able to combine for at least six in this Second Round match.

Of course there is always a concern that one could run away from the other, but Ryan Searle looked to be rounding into some decent form earlier this week.

On the other side, Kevin Doets continues his very strong form that could see him Seeded for these European Tour events sooner than later and this looks a match that should go at least nine Legs, which will give the players enough time to surpass this total set.

Ross Smith-Niels Zonneveld both over 2.5 180s: Another big maximum potential Second Round match follows on from the Searle-Doets contest.

There is no denying the capabilities of Niels Zonneveld and Ross Smith when it comes to pounding in the big scores and it is another contest that is expected to go at least nine Legs.

Time is the biggest factor when it comes to these totals and you do need both players to be producing enough quality to make sure those Legs are played.

Chris Dobey-Kim Huybrechts both over 2.5 180s: These two players met on the European Tour in March and both players combined for seven maximums, which ended 4-3 in favour of Kim Huybrechts.

Ultimately it was Chris Dobey who progressed and this final match of the Afternoon Session has the makings of another quality contest.

Both players are looking to push up the World Rankings over the course of the year and there have been some really positive signs for both.

The edge is rightly with Chris Dobey, but Kim Huybrechts should be able to push him all the way and this could be another maximum-filled contest.

James Wade & Wessel Nijman to win: The Evening Session has a number of quality matches and there looks to be room for a couple of upsets.

However, these two players should be able to get the better of Mensur Suljovic and Niko Springer respectively, even if the crowd is firmly going to be siding with the underdog.

James Wade will respect some of the floor performances produced by Suljovic over the last week, but he has found a way to get past the Austrian in recent head to head. Experience of the style should be a huge help and James Wade has played at a consistent level that may be too much for the home favourite.

Doubling him up with Wessel Nijman who has moved into a Seeded spot and who has obliterated the competition on the floor in Players Championship events all season is the play for the Evening Session.

Wessel Nijman will have a real respect for Niko Springer and the quality the latter can throw, but the Dutchman has been in imperious form and reached the Semi Final of the last European Tour event he played. Earlier this week he added yet another Players Championship to his collection and he should have enough to find a way through to the Third Round.

MY PICKS: Mike De Decker to Win & Most 180s @ 2.50 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Ryan Searle-Kevin Doets Over 5.5 180s @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Ross Smith-Niels Zonneveld Both Over 2.5 180s @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Chris Dobey-Kim Huybrechts Both Over 2.5 180s @ 2.37 Bet365 (1 Unit)

James Wade & Wessel Nijman @ 2.04 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Austrian Darts Open: 0-4, - 4 Units (4 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

European Tour 5- European Darts Grand Prix Day 2 Picks (Saturday 18th April)

The top Seeds are all due out on Saturday when the Second Round of this European Tour 5 event is played across two Sessions.

There are some good looking matches set to head out and the fans are in for a fun day with plenty of home players also in action.

Kevin Doets to win & most 180s v Jermaine Wattimena: This is a clash between two friends, but Kevin Doets has been getting the better of Jermaine Wattimena in recent meetings.

Kevin Doets is clearly in the stronger form over the last month, and he can build on that with the superior scoring likely to be a factor.

The maximums have been coming thick and fast for Doets and that could be a key to getting past Wattimena again.

Wessel Nijman - 1.5 legs v Ryan Searle: You can never dismiss the chances of a World Championship Semi Finalist, but Ryan Searle would be the first to admit that Wessel Nijman is playing the best darts on the floor this year.

He has taken a couple of heavy losses to the young Dutchman over the last twelve months and Ryan Searle may struggle to make his Seeding count in this one.

The consistency of Wessel Nijman can see him find a way to come through without the need to be dragged into a final Leg decider.

Josh Rock to win & most 180s v Keane Barry: Any player who has a win under their belt ahead of the Second Round at any European Tour event is to be respected.

Keane Barry has played some solid darts in 2026, but there are real signs that Josh Rock is warming up with his Premier League form improving.

Outside of that tournament, the Northern Irishman has produced much stronger results consistently and Josh Rock could have too much scoring for Keane Barry in the last match of the Afternoon Session.

Gerwyn Price to win & over 2.5 180s v Dave Chisnall: He did not look at his best in Rotterdam on Thursday, but another couple of days should have seen Gerwyn Price move through the illness that kept him out of both Players Championship tournaments earlier this week.

He was scoring well enough on Thursday, but Luke Littler had a bit too much.

This is unlikely to be the case from an inconsistent Dave Chisnall and Price should have too much for the opponent in this Second Round.

The only risk with adding at least 180s to be scored by Gerwyn Price is that Chisnall has been playing poorly enough to fall away without pushing the Welshman too deep.

Nathan Aspinall to win & most 180s v Jeffrey de Zwaan: After winning European Tour 4, a well rested Nathan Aspinall can make a solid start to the next big event he has entered.

His maximum hitting has not been an issue over the last several months, but Aspinall can be wasteful on the doubling, which has prevented him from having deep runs at the Majors.

Jeffrey de Zwaan should be respected, but he has been in mixed form over the last couple of months and the higher Ranked player can complete the Match Double in this Second Round match.

Joe Cullen v Gian van Veen: The latter is playing in the Premier League, but Gian van Veen has not been playing at his best over the last month.

He is still a quality operator and is rightly favoured, but Joe Cullen has a habit of lifting his game against the better players and looks a big price for the upset.

Recent form has not exactly been inspiring, but Joe Cullen is a streaky player and looked in decent shape in the First Round.

Of course he is going to have to be better if he is to upset one of the top players on the Tour, but Cullen has beaten Gian van Veen in each of the last four meetings- two of those were played last year and the World Number 32 could find a way in this best of eleven Leg format.

MY PICKS: Kevin Doets to Win & Most 180s @ 2.40 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Wessel Nijman - 1.5 Legs @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Josh Rock to Win & Most 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gerwyn Price to Win & Over 2.5 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Nathan Aspinall to Win & Most 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Joe Cullen @ 3.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

European Darts Grand Prix: 1-3, - 2 Units (4 Units Staked, - 33.33% Yield)

European Tour 4- German Darts Grand Prix Day 2 Picks 2026 (Sunday 5th April)

The middle day of the European Tour events sees the big Seeds enter the tournament and that means a lot of Second Round action to be completed across two Sessions.

At the German Grand Prix, that middle day is a Sunday rather than a Saturday and the tournament looks a wide open one without the current top two in the World Rankings and Gerwyn Price.

We have already had a number of upsets through the First Round and so the big names that have travelled to Germany have to be careful- once again there have been plenty of complaints about issues getting into Europe for this event, which may see more players pull out of events going forward, but those problems crossing the border will feel much more troubling if players do not make use of the open tournament and at least make it through to the final day.

Jermaine Wattimena-Niels Zonneveld over 5.5 180s: These two compatriots have played one close match on the European Tour this season that lasted ten Legs and a similar distance should see plenty of maximums being hit.

The layers are finding it hard to separate Jermaine Wattimena and Niels Zonneveld in the outright market and you can make a case for both.

The former has not had the most consistent season, but had a solid Players Championship outing last Monday and Jermaine Wattimena remains dangerous. He will certainly feel he can get the better of Niels Zonneveld if the World Number 39 is not able to produce a stronger performance than the one he had on Saturday, although Zonneveld continued to pile in the maximums.

Niels Zonneveld can go a long way to covering this total maximum mark on his own, but Jermaine Wattimena is capable when he finds his rhythm and clearing the 5.5 line may be the best approach to take.

Danny Noppert to win & most 180s v Ritchie Edhouse: The consistency at hitting the maximums has helped Danny Noppert take his game to the next level and that power scoring can see him edge past Ritchie Edhouse in the Second Round.

2026 has been an inconsistent year on the Tour so far for Ritchie Edhouse.

While he has fought through to Qualify for a couple of European Tour events, he has not really put together any solid form at the Players Championship. The opening win here will have given Edhouse confidence and he deserves respect as a former European Champion when he surprised a lot of people in 2024.

Backing that up has been difficult and Danny Noppert should find a way past him back into another Finals Day at one of the European Tour events this season.

Luke Woodhouse-Kim Huybrechts over 5.5 180s: He may have entered the German Grand Prix as the World Number 59, but there have been some signs that Kim Huybrechts has rediscovered some of his best form on the oche.

He was a strong winner in the First Round and has put together some decent results on the floor, although not quite pushing into contention to win an event.

The 6-3 win over Peter Wright may have been easier with stronger finishing, but Kim Huybrechts smashed in four maximums in those nine Legs and he has been a big scorer in the past.

Luke Woodhouse is another that finds plenty of maximums and this could be a good Second Round match with the Belgian being underrated as a significant underdog.

Both players will be looking for the strong scoring to put themselves in a position to have enough goes at a double to earn the victory and they are more than capable of covering this 5.5 180s line as long as the match is not a blowout.

The expectation is that we will see at least nine Legs and that could see the two players have enough time to surpass this mark.

Josh Rock to win & most 180s v Ryan Joyce: The Premier League has been challenging for Josh Rock, but he has picked up at least one win in each of the last two Nights.

He may not Qualify for the Play Offs, but that will have helped Josh Rock's confidence nad there have been some better signs about the performances being produced in that tournament setting.

It should be noted that Rock has largely played pretty well outside of the Premier League this season and he should be able to produce the most maximums in this contest with Relentless.

Ryan Joyce will be steady and he will believe in his doubling- that has always been a strength and so Josh Rock will have to be a little wary about this opponent.

However, Joyce had been struggling a little bit prior to the First Round win on Saturday and an improving Josh Rock should complete the Match Double.

Nathan Aspinall to win & most 180s v Ricardo Pietreczko: The home fans are going to be right behind Pikachu, but Nathan Aspinall's scoring power gives him the real edge in this contest.

It will be really important to not get engrossed in Ricardo Pietreczko's antics, nor getting involved with the crowd and so there is going to be some mental pressure on Nathan Aspinall in this one.

He has not been happy about issues he has had getting to Germany, while The Asp has not been playing at his very best over the last three weeks. Some of the draws have landed him in some tough spots, which is the case again here, but Pietreczko has also been struggling for form.

Ricardo Pietreczko had lost five matches in a row before edging out Ian White in a last Leg decider in the First Round- being able to win in that manner will give him belief, but Nathan Aspinall may have too much scoring for the home player and that can give him every opportunity of still be playing here on Monday.

Martin Schindler to win & over 1.5 180s v Brendan Dolan: There are big expectations on Martin Schindler, but the start to the 2026 season has largely been disappointing.

He will feel confident in this Second Round match up against Brendan Dolan- Martin Schindler beat him 6-1 earlier this year and has won the last four against Dolan.

However, Martin Schindler will know that the home fans are expecting a deep run in this tournament.

Last year he did have some solid European Tour outings, but Schindler has won one match in the previous three events already played this season. He will want to start putting some consistent results together and that begins by seeing off a Brendan Dolan who has been struggling for consistency of his own since Players Championship 5 in late February.

Martin Schindler is still a solid maximum hitter and he will need those scores to put himself in a position to be playing on the last day at home and it does feel like he has enough to win this match.

MY PICKS: Jermaine Wattimena-Niels Zonneveld Over 5.5 180s @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Danny Noppert to Win & Most 180s @ 2.30 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Woodhouse-Kim Huybrechts Over 5.5 180s @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Josh Rock to Win & Most 180s @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Nathan Aspinall to Win & Most 180s @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Martin Schindler to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

German Darts Grand Prix Update: 1-1, - 0.39 Units (2 Units Staked, - 19.50% Yield)