2026 WM Darts Sunday Preview & Tips – JP
2026 WM Darts Sunday Preview & Tips
Now, it is time for James Punt’s 2026 World Matchplay Darts Sunday preview and tips. We landed one winner from two bets yesterday, fingers crossed there’s plenty more to come.
Chris Dobey vs. Dirk van Duijvenbode
These two met just a week ago, with Dirk winning 6-2 on the Euro Tour. Will the longer format make any difference? Their overall H2H record is 9-9, but Dirk has won their last three, including two in 2026. On stage it is 4-2 to Dirk.
Dirk has lost five of his last ten matches and he is not at his best. He averaged 94.65 in that win over Dobey, and that was his second best average in his last ten, which saw six sub 92s. His record here is OK, winning three from four first round matches and making one quarter final.
Dobey has won six of his last ten matches and he is playing better than Dirk has been doing. All 91+ averages and five ton plus. His record in this event saw Dobey lose his first three first round matches, but he has won his last three, made one quarter final and lost two second round matches.
Stage Fright
Dobey is the better player, playing better darts, but he isn’t quite the same player on a stage. He won the Masters in 2023, before it was a ranking event, but like Bunting, who also won the Masters before it became a ranking event, Dobey has never won a ranking Major. He has never won a Euro Tour title either and in his stage matches in 2024 he has played 21 matches and won just 10. His overall win rate is 70%, which does highlight his stage weakness.
Dirk has a very recent win over Dobey, one of two in 2026. Dobey is scoring better than Dirk but isn’t as good a player on a stage. It is not a straightforward proposition.
Dobey is the 1.57 favourite, Dirk 2.63. As the match is on a stage, I am prepared to go with Dirk van Duijvenbode at the odds.
2026 World Matchplay Darts Sunday Tip: 1 point Dirk van Duijvenbode to win @ 2.63 with Skybet, Betfair, BET365
Gary Anderson vs. Ryan Joyce
Can Anderson get away with his part time strategy? He says darts is not his all-consuming passion, indeed it is hardly a passion at all. He’d rather be fishing. He does like the Majors but doesn’t like practicing and has limited himself to fourteen Players Championships, two Euro Tour events and the TV events in 2026. Forty seven matches played and twenty nine won.
Anderson has won just four of his last six but hit four ton pus averages and three sub 90. His A game is still very impressive, his consistency less so.
Ryan Joyce has won six of his last ten matches, but only averaged over 93 twice. He has to rely on brilliant finishing to be competitive at this level and his checkout rate over the last 12 months is 43.32%. For reference, Anderson is 40.56%.
H2H
Their H2H record is 4-2 to Anderson and he has won their last three, including a 5-1 win in their only TV match.
Tournament record wise, Anderson has won three of his last five first round matches, which is more relevant than pointing out that he won it in 2018. For the true pedants, his first-round win rate is 76.5% from his 17 matches.
Joyce has played three first round matches and lost all three. He is not the fittest of players and likely to find it uncomfortable in the heat. That may explain why he struggles in the event.
Anderson is the 1.29 favourite, Joyce 4.30. I will take Anderson to cover the handicap.
2026 World Matchplay Darts Sunday Tip: 1 point Anderson to win -2.5 legs @ 1.73 with Ladbrokes
Michael van Gerwen vs. Andrew Gilding
MVG has won 82% of his seventeen first round matches in the event, and four of his last five, so it is not just old form. Most recently he has won six of his last ten matches but strip out the World Series nonsense and it is six defeats from his last ten.
There isn’t much wrong with his scoring, but a checkout rate of 37.94% is far from elite level. He knows it and when he misses a couple, he can unravel quite quickly.
Andrew Gilding has lost half of his first round matches here, but he has reached the quarter finals for the last two years, so it has been a nice little earner for Goldfinger. His recent form sees five defeats from his last ten but it is his last six matches that are a worry. He averaged under 92 in all six. On the positive side, his last ton was a month ago when he averaged 103.51 in a 6-3 win over MVG in ET9.
H2H
Their H2H record is 8-3 to MVG, but their last five sees Gilding leading 3-2. He famously beat MVG 11-10 to win the final of the 2023 UK Open final, and that has changed the dynamic. MVG can’t bully Gilding anymore. They met in the 2024 quarter final and MVG won that 16-10.
MVG is the 1.40 favourite, Gilding 3.30. MVG has won two of their three long format matches and he still usually wins his first rounds in the Majors, but it is getting harder for him. If Goldfinger was in good from I would be looking at him for the value, but he isn’t. Then again, neither is MVG. The Dutchman has better firepower and that might just be the deciding factor.
I can see Gilding giving MVG a bit more to think about than the odds suggest. Maybe a bit like in 2023 when MVG lost 7-10 to Brendan Dolan?
2026 World Matchplay Darts Sunday Tip: 1 point over 16.5 legs @ 1.96 with Livescorebet
Jonny Clayton vs. Damon Heta
The Ferret has lost five of his last ten matches but he is scoring well enough and playing with a good deal of consistency. Three of his defeats were in deciding legs and he looks like he will be tough to beat. Clayton has played in eight Matchplays and won four of his last five first round matches, including the last three in a row.
Damon Heta has won seven of his last ten matches and is also playing with a good deal of consistency, albeit with a couple of sub 90s. His record in this event is not good, losing four of his five first round matches, but he did reach the quarter finals in 2023.
Their H2H record is 8-7 to Heta but they have played just twice in the last three years.
Clayton is the 1.57 favourite, Heta 2.50. The odds look about right and it is a no bet.
