2026 European Darts Championship: First round predictions and previews originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 2026 European Darts Championship is almost underway, with 32 of the best players in the world heading to Dortmund for the four-day event.
The action heats up early on, with some exciting matches to be played on Thursday and Friday evening.
2026 European Darts Championship: First round predictions and previews
Here are my predictions for the first round.
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Luke Woodhouse vs. Dirk van Duijvenbode
Winner: Dirk van Duijvenbode, 6-4
This feels like a pretty even contest coming in, with neither player specifically standing out more than the other.
Woodhouse does have the advantage in some sense since he has an ET title to his name this year, but I actually like DVD's odds here.
DVD is a little hit or miss on a given day, but I think if we see something near his A-game, he'll be difficult to beat.
Danny Noppert vs. Stephen Bunting
Winner: Stephen Bunting, 6-4
Noppert has been the clear standout of the two on the ET this year, but an encouraging run to the semifinals this past weekend in the Netherlands could be what Bunting needs to kickstart a run at a major event.
He's lost a lot of close matches that have gone down to the wire, so he'll have to get off to a strong start to avoid those types of late-match moments.
Noppert was a finalist this past weekend, but it's a fresh event, and I like Bunting's chances.
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Niels Zonneveld vs. Cameron Menzies
Winner: Niels Zonneveld, 6-3
It's been a bounceback year for Menzies, but he still might have some work to do before he can really go on a run at an event.
He faces a newly crowned PDC title winner, who played very solid darts last weekend in the Netherlands.
Unless Zonneveld comes out flat, I see him getting through to the next round.
Gerwyn Price vs. Rob Cross
Winner: Gerwyn Price, 6-3
In every major Price has been in post-WC, Price has made at least a semifinal run.
I don't anticipate that streak ending, at least in the first round, but a matchup against Cross could be a tricky one.
Price has been much more consistent than Cross, so he feels like the favorite entering this match.
Price has won their only clash so far in 2026, beating Cross 11-5 at the World Matchplay.
James Wade vs. Damon Heta
Winner: Damon Heta, 6-5
A few months ago, Wade would have been a huge favorite in this match, but Heta has rallied at some recent events, showing promising form.
Heta has made a quarterfinal and a semifinal on the ET in the last three events.
Wade broke a long drought on the ET, winning the Flanders Darts Trophy a few weeks ago.
I anticipate this being a 50/50 contest, but Heta has a strong chance of coming through if he plays to the ceiling he's shown in recent weeks.
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Luke Humphries vs. Ryan Searle
Winner: Luke Humphries, 6-2
Humphries and Searle, two good friends, will play for the first time since last September.
Searle actually has a winning streak against Humphries, but it's unlikely that it continues, given the drastic difference in form we've seen between the two players.
Humphries has been one of the most dominant ET players this year, making three finals in the five events he played, as well as an additional semifinal.
The ET format doesn't seem to bother Humphries, so expect a fairly easy win for 'Cool Hand.'
Gian van Veen vs. Andrew Gilding
Winner: Gian van Veen, 6-3
GVV had a really slow first half of the year on the ET after a final run in Poland, but finished this year's European Tour with three straight semifinal appearances.
He is the reigning champion of this event, so there will be some extra motivation for him to defend the title.
He's had to face the noise of him not being worthy of the #2-ranked player on the Main OoM, but this could be his chance to show the world he's getting closer to the form he had this time last year.
Ross Smith vs. Karel Sedlacek
Winner: Ross Smith, 6-3
Smith is the highest-rated player from the European Tour in 2026, finishing #1 by a decent margin.
Sedlacek was just able to squeeze in and qualify, and while this isn't the worst draw he could have gotten, it's not an easy one by any means.
Smith is a recent major winner and has won this event before, so he should be a strong favorite in this contest if the expected scenario plays out.
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Ryan Joyce vs. Jermaine Wattimena
Winner: Jermaine Wattimena, 6-4
It's been a rocky year for Ryan Joyce, although he did recently make a quarterfinal run at the World Grand Prix.
The double-in format did suit him, but he's struggled to find quality results consistently at the various other tournaments.
Wattimena is a title winner on the Pro Tour in 2026 and has a handful of runner-up finishes, so he'll hope to pick up a quality run at one of the major events taking place in the next few months. I expect him to have an edge here over Joyce.
Krzysztof Ratajski vs. Dave Chisnall
Winner: Dave Chisnall, 6-4
The last two years haven't been ideal for Chisnall, who has had a visible drop in form.
However, he's started to find it in recent months in spells, so right now, it's all about unlocking his best darts at the right time.
He's qualified for a few majors he probably didn't expect to be in, so these are free shots for him to get back on track.
Ratajski is a quality opponent, but definitely a beatable player in this scenario against Chisnall.
Nathan Aspinall vs. Cristo Reyes
Winner: Nathan Aspinall, 6-4
On paper, this could be one of the best matches of the opening round.
Reyes has been unbelievable in his first year back on the tour, and has worked his way in qualifiers to make nearly every ET event in 2026.
Unfortunately, he faces Nathan Aspinall, who has been playing very close to his A-game in recent months.
Reyes will have a shot if he steps up to the plate this weekend, but Aspinall has the edge given how reliable he tends to be.
Jonny Clayton vs. Niko Springer
Winner: Jonny Clayton, 6-4
I've been a big believer in Springer, but he still appears to need some more time before he's a considerable favorite in a contest like this.
Clayton can throw a poor game here and there, but chances are he'll perform well, which will be a tough challenge for Springer.
Clayton won a title just a couple of weekends ago on the ET.
Luke Littler vs. William O'Connor
Winner: Luke Littler, 6-3
After a perfect start to the year at majors, Littler has now lost matches in each of the last two majors since the start of September (WSoD Finals and World Grand Prix).
He'll have a chip on his shoulder to up his intensity at this event, as this is one of two majors that he hasn't won, if you include the newly created European Darts Open that will begin in 2027.
O'Connor has been on a positive trajectory in the last year, playing in every ET in 2026, and played in both the World Matchplay and World Grand Prix, two majors that are hard to qualify for.
We've seen O'Connor produce averages in the low 100s, and that might be his only shot at beating a determined Littler on Friday.
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Wessel Nijman vs. Martin Schindler
Winner: Wessel Nijman, 6-3
Both of these players will be looking to prove themselves in their own separate ways in this event.
Schindler just made this event, despite being historically one of the better ET players in recent years.
Nijman, on the other hand, has had a slow second half of the year, after a dominant start on the Pro Tour and in ET events.
Nijman is a much more explosive player, and Schindler hasn't quite shown yet that he should be a favorite in a match like this, so expect Nijman to have a decent edge.
Kevin Doets vs. Michael van Gerwen
Winner: Kevin Doets, 6-5
The days of classic MVG seem to be fading slowly, and he's no longer someone who is a heavy favorite in first-round matches.
Doets is a very quality player and is looking to put together a big run at an event like this.
It's not crazy to say Doets has been much better than MVG in 2026, and he should be a slight favorite here.
Josh Rock vs. Chris Dobey
Winner: Josh Rock, 6-3
Dobey is another player who has had a disappointing year, struggling to put together wins.
Rock seems to be getting his form in a quality spot at the right time, and this should be easy work for him, as long as he cleans up on doubles.
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