2026 Flanders Darts Trophy R2 Preview & Tips – JP
2026 Flanders Darts Trophy R2 Preview
We got off to a decent enough start on Friday. You can check out James Punt’s 2026 Flanders Darts Trophy R2 preview and tips below.
R1 Reflections
The first-round bets produced a modest +1.71 point profit, which makes a change. The first-round matches are invariably tricky affairs, but now we move up a gear and see the sixteen seeded players join the party.
Krzysztof Ratajski vs. Kevin Doets
Doets made mincemeat of the injured James Hurrell in round 1. It was a 6-1 win and an average of 99.29. Hawkeye has won six of his last ten matches but not played with any great consistency. He has a good second round record, winning seven from nine.
Ratajski has won seven of his last ten matches but has a fairly dire 2nd round record, losing seven from eleven. He did go on to win a title when he did win one but clearly, he is a slow starter.
In Doets we have an exciting, heavy scorer, who still lacks consistency, while Ratajski is a very consistent player who is hard to beat. Their H2H record is 2-2, with Doets winning their last two, and their only meeting in 2026, a 6-5 win back in April. All of their matches have been close and this looks an obvious overs bet.
2026 Flanders Darts Trophy R2 Tip: 1 point over 9.5 legs @ 1.95 with Unibet
Jermaine Wattimena vs. Karel Sedlacek
Evil Charlie needs to reach the semi-final if he is to qualify for the Grand Prix, and the same kind of run to move into the qualifying positions for the European Championships.
He opened his account with a 6-2 win over Denmark’s Michael Hansen. It wasn’t a great match, typical first round fodder. Sedlacek has won seven of his last ten matches (excluding last week’s local qualifier for the Czech Open), but he isn’t playing with any great consistency.
Wattimena has also won seven of his last ten matches, but he is playing with a good deal of consistency. He has lost three of his last four, however, so he won’t be feeling overly confident, and he is a confidence player.
Wattimena is the 1.62 favourite but before jumping on that, we need to consider their H2H record, which is 3-1 to Sedlacek.
Sedlacek is an under rated player but I would want a bit more than the 2.40 on offer for him to win. No bet.
2026 Flanders Darts Trophy R2 Tip: No Bet
Martin Schindler vs. Rob Cross
Cross was in top form in his 6-3 win over Cristo Reyes. Both players averaged over the ton and it was a quality match. Cross has won seven of his last ten matches, but he hasn’t been that consistent, with four sub 92 averages in amongst the good stuff.
Schindler is bubbling under. Just not quite getting it all right but showing signs that his game is very nearly back. Too many stray darts, and some poor doubling has been costing him wins. He has lost five of his last ten matches
They met just three weeks ago and Cross won that 6-5. He usually does, leading Schindler 10-3 in their H2Hs. Schindler hasn’t beaten Cross since 2022. Their early matches were very one sided and he first three all ended 6-0, but latterly it has been closer with four of their last five best of eleven leg matches being over 9.5 legs.
Cross is the 1.53 favourite, Schindler 2.63. I suspect Cross will win, but it might be closer than the odds suggest. Schindler has lost six of his last seven matches on the Euro Tour, three of them 5-6. Over 9.5 legs is just 1.80 and I was expecting better. Maybe Cross to just edge it?
2026 Flanders Darts Trophy R2 Tip: 0.5 point Rob Cross to win 6-5 @ 6.50 generally available
Danny Noppert vs. Chris Landman
An all-Dutch affair and Noppert is the 1.40 fav to win it. Landman beat Andrew Gilding 6-5 in a poor match. Noppert is by far the better player and it is only in the latter stages of tournaments when he goes AWOL. Noppert is 4-0 vs. Landman and only once failed to cover a -1.5 leg handicap. He is just 1.73 to do so again and this is a match easily passed over. No bet.
2026 Flanders Darts Trophy R2 Tip: No Bet
Ryan Searle vs. Andy Baetens
Beatens was very good in his 6-3 win over Joe Cullen last night. It was a 102.70 average and it looks like he is determined to make the most of his chances on the European stage. After losing his tour card last year, he has something to prove, not least to himself. Baetens made the quarter final in his only other Euro Tour event in 2026, also held in Belgium. He clearly likes the home advantage.
Searle has not enjoyed his tips to Europe very much in 2026, failing to get past the third round in nine of his ten events. He has won six of his eleven second round matches. Searle has won five of his last ten matches overall.
These two have never met before which makes it harder to pick the value bet, but with Baetens on home soil and keen to make a point, he makes the most sense against a player not entirely comfortable in the Euro Tour stage.
2026 Flanders Darts Trophy R2 Tip: 1 point Andy Baetens to win @ 2.50 generally available
Chris Dobey vs. Niels Zonneveld
Dobey has won six of his last ten matches and is playing well, with fairly good consistency, but on the Euro Tour, he has lost seven of his last ten matches. That sums him up. A very good player, just not on a stage. He still plays well enough but lacks confidence to go and finish off opponents.
Zonneveld beat a local qualifier 6-3 yesterday and averaged 98.24. A nice warm up for the tournament proper. His overall form sees five wins from his last ten and that reflects his overall lack of consistency. He has lost his last five second round matches in a row on the Euro Tour.
Their H2H record is 4-2 to Dobey and he has won their last four. Dobey is the 1.50 favourite, Zonneveld 2.75. I can’t bring myself to back Dobey in a stage match, but Zonneveld isn’t in the kind of form to be backing him either. No bet.
2026 Flanders Darts Trophy R2 Tip: No Bet
Luke Woodhouse vs. William O’Connor
O’Connor is getting very used to winning his first round matches on the Euro Tour, but he has lost six of his nine second round matches in 2026.
Woodhouse has been in great form in 2026. His win rate is 67%, he is very consistent, very confident and has won a Euro Tour title in 2026. However, he hasn’t been great in round two, losing six of his eleven matches.
Their H2H record is 5-5. Woodhouse has won five of their last six, but O’Connor is 3-0 on the Euro Tour. Woodhouse is the 1.62 favourite, but we are on him outright and I am not going to have any further interest in this math. No bet.
2026 Flanders Darts Trophy R2 Tip: No bet
Ross Smith vs. Jeffrey de Graaf
Smith has won seven of his last ten matches and is a three-time Euro Tour finalist and two time winner in 2026. He has won eleven of his twelve second round matches in 2026 and loves his Euro Tour events.
De Graaf made hard work of beating a local qualifier 6-5 yesterday and he has won five of his last ten matches overall. De Graaf is a good player and starting to play nearer his best after being out of form for a while. He has not played well on the Euro Tour and lost the only second round match that he has played. De Graaf has only ever won three second round matches, usually because he goes out in the first round.
Their H2H record is 5-0 to Smith and he is the 1.50 favourite to keep that run going.
