2026 German Darts GP R2 Preview

James Punt four more winners on Saturday night to keep things ticking over. Check out his 2026 German Darts GP R2 preview and tips below.

R1 Reflections

It’s Sunday, but it’s only the second round today. Very confusing. Day one provided a 2.59 point profit, but we lost Wessel Nijman, who was one of our outright selections. He really doesn’t like playing Captain Weird.

Ross Smith vs. Patrik Kovacs

Kovacs was the surprise winner in his first-round match with Joe Cullen. The truth is that Cullen was useless and Kovacs won with an 85.54 average. Ross Smith will have been pleased.

Smudger isn’t in great form, losing six of his last ten matches. He has won all three of his first-round matches in Europe in 2026, but of course, this is the second round. Smith got bumped up to seeded status thanks to the various withdrawals. He has lost all three of his second round matches in 2026, but he is the 1.13 favourite to win this one. It is a match with no betting interest. No bet.

2026 German Darts GP R2 Tip: No Bet

Jermaine Wattimena vs. Niels Zonneveld

We are on Zonneveld outright and he wasn’t entirely convincing in his 6-3 win over Adam Lipscombe yesterday. It was a slow start but he came from behind to win comfortably in the end.

Wattimena has lost five of his last ten matches and is very inconsistent. Half of his performances have been very good, the rest, rather ordinary. He has played three second round matches in 2026 and lost two, one of them a 4-6 loss to Zonneveld.

Their H2H record is 6-3 to Wattimena, but Zonneveld has won their last two, both this season. That is a fair reflection of Zonneveld’s uptick in form.

Zonneveld is the 2.00 favourite, Wattimena 1.91. I have Zonneveld as the favourite but the outright bet is enough interest for me, in what is a very tricky match to call.

2026 German Darts GP R2 Tip: No Bet

Daryl Gurney vs. Andrew Gilding

Two players who have benefitted from others withdrawing. Gurney got bumped up to seed status and Gilding was a reserve. Now both are guaranteed £3500, and one of them a place in the final day’s play.

The first thing to consider is their H2H record. Gilding is a player who spooks some opponents. Like Nijman. Gurney has played Gilding eight times and lost five. They have not met since 2023 when they played twice, both on the Euro Tour and it was 1-1, both matches ending 6-4. Five of their matches have ended over 9.5 legs and I suspect this will be another.

2026 German Darts GP R2 Tip: 1 point over 9.5 legs @ 2.20 with Boylesports

Ryan Searle vs. Krzysztof Ratajski

Searle comes here on the back of winning PC7 on Monday. That was his eighth Players Championship title and it served to remind him that he hasn’t won a Major, nor a Euro Tour event. He has made fourteen Euro Tour quarter finals and lost eleven of them. It is a monkey on his back.

Ratajski has also won eight Players Championship titles, but also two Euro Tour titles. The last was back in 2023 and more recently, he has failed to make the third round in 2026. He has won five of his last ten matches and he is playing well enough to take advantage of any sloppy play from Searle.

Their H2H record is 6-3 to Ratajski and the last met in this year’s UK Open, Ratajski winning that 10-5. They have met on the Euro Tour twice, Ratajski winning both 6-3.

Searle is the 1.80 favourite, Ratajski 2.10. I’ll have a punt on another 6-3 for The Polish Eagle.

2026 German Darts GP R2 Tip: 0.5 point Ratajski to win 6-3 @ 8.50 with Boylesports

Danny Noppert vs. Ritchie Edhouse

Edhouse played well in his 6-3 over Kevin Troppmann. It was a 95.27 average and his first win on the Euro Tour since last September. He is a player who really needs to take advantage of these chances to play in Europe. Edhouse has lost six of his last ten matches and is playing with no consistency.

Noppert has won six of his last ten matches and two of his three Euro Tour second round matches. He hasn’t been playing that well, hitting just one 95+ average in his last six matches.

Their H2H record is 3-1 to Noppert, but Edhouse won their last match 6-2. Ther last three matches have ended 6-2. This is hard to call. Noppert is the 1.44 favourite, Edhouse 3.10.

Noppert has been a bit flat recently, but he is the better player. Edhouse did play well yesterday, and he can do it, but predicting when he’ll deliver has become very difficult. He has won his last three second round matches on the Euro Tour and at the odds, I’ll take a chance on Madhouse.

2026 German Darts GP R2 Tip: 1 point Ritchie Edhouse to win @ 3.10 with SpreadEx

Mike de Decker vs. Dirk van Duijvenbode

Dirk played OK in his 6-2 win over Stephen Burton yesterday, he didn’t have to get out of first gear, to be honest. He has won six of his last ten matches and is hitting a lot of mid to high 90 averages.

Mike de Decker has lost seven of his last eight matches and lost all three of his second-round matches on the Euro Tour this season.

Their H2H record is 5-1 to Dirk and he is the 1.60 favourite. Most of their H2H form is quite old, going back to Development tour days. Their last two were Players Championship matches in 2021 and 2020, with Dirk winning both 6-3.

2026 German Darts GP R2 Tip: 1 point Dirk van Duijvenbode to win -1.5 legs @ 1.91 with Betfred, Ladbrokes

2026 German Darts GP R2 Tip: 0.5 point Dirk van Duijvenbode to win 6-3 @ 6.50 with Betfred

Dave Chisnall vs. Michael Smith

These two go back, having been virtual neighbours in St Helens. They have met twenty-two times with Smith winning twelve. They have not met since 2024 and it is fair to say that both players form has dropped quite dramatically since then.

They have met three times on the Euro Tour with Smith winning 6-1, 6-2 and 6-1. Their last match was in the 2024 European Championship which Smith won 6-0

Smith has won seven of his last ten matches, but hit six sub 90 averages, which is where his game is these days. Chisnall has won six of his last ten matches and reached the quarter final of PC8 on Tuesday, and he played five very strong matches, hit three ton plus averages and was 101.47 across all of his matches.

If Chizzy can repeat his form of Tuesday, he wins easily, but he has lost both his Euro Tour second round matches in 2026.

Smith is the 1.91 favourite, Chisnall 2.05. This is too tricky for me. No bet.

2026 German Darts GP R2 Tip: No bet

-JamesPunt