2025 Austrian Darts Friday Preview

James Punt got off to a solid start this afternoon with two winners from three bets. Check out his 2025 Austrian Darts Open Friday preview and tips below.

Lukas Wenig vs. Niko Springer

An all-German affair and these two have met eight times, with four wins each. The first three all went to Wenig, 6-1,6-1, 6-0, but Springer has won four of their last five. His first win against Wenig was a 6-0 win, but after that most of their matches have been much closer.

They last met in the tour card holder qualifier for this event and Springer won that 6-4 earlier this month. However, Wenig came back from the dead by getting a call up from the reserve list. So, Springer has effectively already beaten Wenig in this tournament but has to face him again in the first round.

Springer is the better player but Wenig is now in his second season as a tour card holder and his game has improved. He has played a lot of Euro Tour events, way more than Springer. However, he has won just four matches from twelve events.

Springer is the 1.44 favourite with Wenig 2.90. Their last match was just over three weeks ago and Springer won that 6-4. It was a poor match with twenty four doubles missed between the two, but they did hit eight maximums. Both players have been hitting 180s at 0.26 per leg over the last twelve months and if we get a match in the 6-3 to 6-4 (or more) region, we should cover the 180s bet.

2025 Austrian Darts Open Friday Tip: 1 point over 4.5 180s @ 1.73 with Betvictor

Wessel Nijman vs. William O’Connor

My instinct wants to back O’Connor. He is playing better than ever and is the 2.10 outsider. However Nijman is the better player and if he kicks off, he wins. Nijman is the 1.79 favourite which is also an attractive price.

Nijman has won six of his last ten matches, but he hasn’t been at his best. On the Euro Tour in 2025 he has won three of his four first round matches and reached the quarter finals in ET3.

O’Connor has also won six of his last ten matches and, like Nijman, his most recent matches have been a bit iffy. He has hit four ton plus averages in those last ten, but also five sub 92s. You cannot predict which O’Connor is going to turn up.

O’Connor is being backed and perhaps the value is gone. This will be their first meeting. I feel that O’Connor may need his A game to win this. If Nijman gets his nose in front, O’Connor is likely to give up.

O’Connor is making his first appearance on the Euro Tour in 2025 and his record on the continent in recent years is not good, losing five of his last seven first round matches going back to 2023. He will be under more pressure than Nijman to make the most of his limited appearances on the Euro Tour.

2025 Austrian Darts Open Friday Tip: 1 point Wessel Nijman to win @ 1.79 with Livescorebet

Raymond van Barneveld vs. Karel Sedlacek

These two last met in ET3 three weeks ago and it was Sedlacek who won it 6-5 on his way to the quarter final.

RVB has lost six of his last ten matches, two of them to Gerwyn Price, and he is playing OK. Sedlacek has won seven of his last ten matches and he reached the quarter final of PC13 eleven days ago. His 2025 win rate is a healthy 63% and he is near the top of his game.

Their H2H record is 4-3 to Sedlacek. Six of their seven matches have been over 9.5 legs and the other was 6-3, so they are usually close affairs.

2025 Austrian Darts Open Friday Tip: 1 point over 9.5 legs @ 1.91 with Ladbrokes, Boylesports

Ritchie Edhouse vs. Mensur Suljovic

Edhouse has lost four of his last five matches and has played quite poorly in his last four, with three sub 85 averages. Has he got a problem? He had been playing quite well before that sudden slump.

Mensur Suljovic is not the player he once was, but he is still slow and deliberate, which some players struggle with. He is in poor form, losing seven of his last ten matches. He has been scoring a bit better than Edhouse has in his recent matches.

Their H2H record is 2-1 to Suljovic but his last win was back in 2022. Their most recent match was a 6-0 win for Edhouse last September. None of their three matches have required more than eight legs.

It is a hard one to call. Neither player is in any kind of form. Suljovic will have the large crowd on his side, but he was poor in yesterday’s qualifying tournament, averaging 78.78 across four matches. Another unders match? Maybe, but it could more likely be a low scoring grind. I will pass on this one.

2025 Austrian Darts Open Friday Tip: No Bet

Kevin Doets vs. Berry van Peer

Doets has a 65% win rate in 2025 but has lost five of his last ten matches and has not been playing well recently, with four sub 90 averages and nothing above 95. He has lost both his Euro Tour first round matches in 2025.

Berry van Peer is one of those fringe players who pops up now and then and surprises people. He is not in great form, also losing five of his last ten matches, also with four sub 90 averages and also nothing above 95. Are they the same person?

Their H2H record is nice and fresh. It is 4-2 to Van Peer and they have met twice this month, with one win each and both ending 6-4. They are the same person!

Kevin Doets is the 1.62 favourite, Van Peer 2.50. Doets is the better player, but right now? They look much the same and two recent matches tell us that there is nothing between them. It could come down to a missed double.

2025 Austrian Darts Open Friday Tip: 1 point Berry van Peer to win @ 2.50 with SpreadEx, Betfair

Jermaine Wattimena vs. Zoran Lerchbacher

Lerchbacher comes out of retirement for this event. Last year he came through the local qualifier and drew Luke Littler. He lost that 2-6, averaging 83.10. Yesterday he came through the local qualifier, averaging 81.09 across his four matches.

Wattimena is playing well, winning six of his last ten matches, hitting four ton plus averages, but also three sub 90s. His C game should be enough here.

Wattimena has won three of his four first round matches on the Euro Tour this year. He has got some easy draws, getting Patrick de Backer, Marko Kantele and Michael Unterbuchner in three of them, and winning all three; 6-2, 6-2 and 6-3 respectively. He barely got out of first gear in any of those matches.

2025 Austrian Darts Open Friday Tip: 0.5 point Jermaine Wattimena to win 6-2 @ 5.00 with Betfair

Luke Woodhouse vs. Nathan Rafferty

Both players have won six of their last ten matches, but in Rafferty’s case it is a question of how? He has hit sub 90 averages in eight of his last ten matches. To be fair, outside of beating Gabriel Clemens twice, he hasn’t beaten anyone of note for quite some time.

Woodhouse is not pulling up any trees himself, but he is playing better scoring wise. He has won three of his four first round games on the Euro Tour this year, not in any great style, but he lost 5-6 to Cam Cabtree last week.

Their H2H record is 2-0 to Rafferty, the last being a 6-2 win in 2023.

Woodhouse makes no appeal as the 1.36 favourite, Rafferty is the 3.50 outsider. There will be better opportunities this weekend. No bet.

2025 Austrian Darts Open Friday Tip: No Bet

-JamesPunt