2026 European Darts Trophy Friday Preview – JP
2026 European Darts Trophy Friday Preview
Just one winner from three bets for James Punt this afternoon but it’s still early days. His 2026 European Darts Trophy Friday preview and tips are below.
Dave Chisnall vs. Jeffrey de Zwaan
Two players whose careers have been stalled by injury. Chisnall has/had a back problem which kicked in at the back end of 2024. He has slipped down the rankings, from 6th at the end of 2024 to his current 22nd.
De Zwaan’s problem was a shoulder injury which required surgery in 2020. His girlfriend left him, and his front teeth fell out, yes, really. He was depressed and his darts suffered.
De Zwaan got his tour card back in 2020, lost it, won it back in 2023 and was heading in the right direction, when the Taxman came after him for 50,000 Euros. He had to go and live his parents and his darts suffered. The man is jinxed!
Hopefully both can make to the oche in one piece.
Mixed Form
Chizzy has won five of his last ten matches, hit four sub 90’s but did hit a 99.24 in one match. Having been a Euro Tour specialist, winning five titles across 2023 and 2024, Chisnall has lost eleven of his last thirteen opening matches, including a 4-6 loss to Daryl Pilgrim in ET1 a couple of weeks ago in Poland.
Jeffrey de Zwaan has lost six of his last ten matches and isn’t playing well, with a best average of 96.31 and five sub 90s.
Their H2H record is 7-4 to De Zwaan, but they have only played one match since 2021 and that was a 6-3 win for Chisnall in 2023. That was pre-injury Chisnall.
This will be played at a fast pace but looks like a bit of a coin toss. Chisnall is marginally the better player these days, but there is not a lot in it. Over 9.5 legs makes some sense, but odds of 1.85 are only fair. No bet.
2026 European Darts Trophy Friday Tip: No bet
Dirk van Duijvenbode vs. Mario Vandenbogaerde
Two players who take some spelling.
We are on Dirk to win the tournament and he is the 1.36 favourite to win this match. He has averaged 100.50 over his last six matches and lost half of them, but to good players.
Super Mario is a player who can p**s on your chips, but he comes here having lost his last seven matches, so hopefully Dirk’s chips will be safe. Mario has averaged 83.14 across those seven, so there is a huge gulf between the two players’ recent form.
Their H2H record is 2-1 to Dirk, and all three required a deciding leg. I think Dirk can put a bit clear air between them this time.
2026 European Darts Trophy Friday Tip: 1 point Dirk van Duijvenbode to win -2.5 legs @ 2.00 with Betfred, Boylesports, Betfair
Daryl Gurney vs. Sebastian Bialecki
Bialecki has won seven of his last ten matches at senior level but hit five sub 90 averages. He is an OK player who can have his moments.
Superchin seemed very happy to have reached the sixth round of the UK Open. He played well enough to beat Zonneveld 10-7 but had two sub 90s when beating a very poor Ross Smith10-8 and going down very tamely to Rob Cross. No fire in the belly anymore.
I assume Gurney will be looking to win this and then likely lose to Ryan Searle tomorrow. He is the 1.66 favourite to win, Bialecki 2.45, but it is the Pole who is being backed. I can see why, but Gurney usually wins these opening matches. He was 8 from 13 in his latest Euro Tour openers, but he is not value for me in this. No bet.
2026 European Darts Trophy Friday Tip: No bet
Niko Springer vs. Kai Gotthardt
These two met in the UK Open and it was Gotthardt who was the 6-4 winner. Springer has lost six of his last ten matches and isn’t playing well at all.
Gotthardt reached the last 32 stage at the UK Open, losing 6-10 to MVG. He has won five of his last ten matches and isn’t really doing anything special.
Gotthardt is 6-4 in the H2H department and has won their last three, albeit that goes back to 2023. That very recent win, and a good run for the lesser known German, will have given Gotthardt a boost and I will take him to follow it up.
2026 European Darts Trophy Friday Tip: Kai Gotthardt to win @ 2.60 with Ladbrokes
William O’Connor vs. Mensur Suljovic
O’Connor has lost seven of his last ten matches and Suljovic six of his last ten. I suppose you could say that Suljovic is some value at 2.50, but this has no bet written all over it.
2026 European Darts Trophy Friday Tip: No bet
Wessel Nijman vs. Cristo Reyes
An interesting one to end the night. Nijman has won seven of his last ten matches and hit five ton plus averages. He also hit three sub 92s, so he is not quite banker material. He is starting to get more comfortable on stage and made the quarter final of the Poland Darts Open a couple of weeks ago.
Reyes has played some nice stuff since qualifying for Ally Pally and then winning back his tour card. He qualified for the Poland Darts Open and reached the third round having beaten Springer and Searle.
These Euro Tour events are a great chance for Reyes to pick up nice ranking money and he has qualified for the first three of them.
These two have never met and Nijman is the 1.40 favourite, Reyes 3.00. The odds look spot on, but I will take a chance on the 180s.
Reyes hit six in his first round match against Springer in Poland and he can bang them in when his eye is in. Nijman is ranked 15th for 180s per leg over the last 12 months. It has the look of a match that could catch fire.
