2026 European Darts Open R2 Preview – JP
2026 European Darts Open R2 Preview
Check out James Punt’s 2026 European Darts Open R2 betting preview below.
R1 Reflections
Day 1 was a mixed bag of results. We were -0.98 points down in the end, but worse was losing two of our outright bets, Rob Cross and Cameron Menzies. Both bang in-form coming into the event, but Menzies managed to go from 5-1 up, to losing 5-6. Rob Cross went down 3-6 to Max Hopp, and the German was just the more effective player in that one. Now on to round two and the entry of the seeded players.
Damon Heta vs. Rob Owen
Owen was the better player against Andrew Gilding yesterday but it took him a deciding leg to get through. Owen hasn’t won a second round match on the Euro Tour since 2017, and that was his only second round win in fifteen previous appearances. His recent form sees six wins from his last ten matches but he isn’t the most consistent of players.
Damon Heta has won five of his last ten matches and is just about as inconsistent as Owen. Heta has played eight second round matches in 2026 and lost five.
Their H2H record is 4-0 to Heta, all easy, wide margin wins, including two 6-0 wins in 2024.
Heta is the 1.62 favourite, Owen 2.25. Given Heta’s H2H record over Owen, and Owen’s poor 2nd round record, I will go for Heta on the handicap.
2026 European Darts Open R2 Tip: 1 point Damon Heta to win -1.5 legs @ 2.05 with Betfred
Mike de Decker vs. Jan Schmidt
Schmidt pulled off the mother of all comebacks to beat Menzies 6-5, from 1-5 down. It was a strange match, with Menzies playing darts from the gods, but switching off when he thought it was in the bag. Just at the same time, Schmidt started playing like Littler and crushed Menzies’ spirit. I suggest he will find doing that again impossible.
Mike de Decker has shown some signs of getting his form back thanks to an equipment tweak. He isn’t back to his best, but has got up off the floor. De Decker has won five of his last ten matches but, worryingly, he lost his last four, and was scoring poorly with averages of 82.20, 91.68, 87.22 and 80.94. That makes me wonder if the novelty of an equipment change has worn off and he is back in the abyss?
De Decker is an unbackable 1.33, Schmidt 3.65. I am reluctant to back a local qualifier on the back of a career best win in the first round, but if Decker is back at square one and averaging in the 80s, he could lose as much as Schmidt wins.
2026 European Darts Open R2 Tip: 1 point Jan Schmidt to win @ 3.65 with Livescorebet
Luke Woodhouse vs. Dragutin Horvat
Horvat won the worst match of round 1 yesterday. He was the least bad against Mario Vandenbogaerde, with both players averaging in the 70’s.
Woodhouse is in great form and one of our remaining outright selections. He will win and is the 1.20 favourite.
2026 European Darts Open R2 Tip: 1 point Luke Woodhouse to win -2.5 legs @ 1.70 with Bresbet
Danny Noppert vs. Sebastian Bialecki
Bialecki won a very close match with Willie O’Connor last night. It was close, but not great quality, with both players averaging in the mid 80s. Bialecki has won six of his last ten matches and is playing OK and usually a lot better than he did yesterday.
Noppert has also won six of his last ten matches and is playing at much the same sort of level as Bialecki.
Their H2H record is 2-0 to Bialecki , both matches played last year.
Noppert is the 1.73 favourite, Bialecki 2.35. I will go with the underrated Bialecki to win.
2026 European Darts Open R2 Tip: 1 point Sebastian Bialecki to win @ 2.35 with Livescorebet
Jermaine Wattimena vs. Kim Huybrechts
Huybrechts had a perfunctory 6-1 win over Sam Price last night. Price averaged 78.74 and is out of his depth at this level. Wattimena will be a stiffer task, but not one Huybrechts needs to fear too much. The Belgian is having a good season and has won seven of his last ten matches.
Wattimena has won six of his last ten matches and is playing OK, but not quite at his best.
Their H2H form is 13-9 to Huybrechts and in 2026, it is 2-0 to Huybrechts. Wattimena is the 1.80 favourite, but the money is going down on Huybrechts and I can see why.
2026 European Darts Open R2 Tip: 1 point Kim Huybrechts to win @ 2.18 with Livescorebet
Chris Dobey vs. Dirk van Duijvenbode
Two of the great underachievers in darts going head to head. Dobey has won seven of his last ten matches, but it is more important to look at his stage form, and in that he has lost six of his last ten.
Dirk van Duijvenbode beat Jaimy van de Weerd 6-3 in a poor match yesterday. He has won five of his last ten matches. His Euro Tour form in 2026 has been very poor and he has only played four second round matches and lost two. All were over 9.5 legs.
Their H2H record is 9-8 to Dobey and he is the 1.57 favourite, with Dirk 2.5. I couldn’t back Dobey at those odds, but I can’t disagree with them. No bet.
2026 European Darts Open R2 Tip: No Bet
Wessel Nijman vs. Bradley Brooks
Brooks beat Lukas Wenig 6-2 last night in a very poor game. Brooks has won six of his last ten matches. When he is good, he is very good, but he has never lived up to expectations after becoming World Youth Champion in 2020. Others to have won that title include Luke Humphries, Luke Littler, Josh Rock, Gian van Veen, Michael Smith and Dimitri van den Bergh.
Wessel Nijman never won the World Youth Championship, so Brooks has that over him, but not much else. Nijman last two matches at the Players Championships earlier this week, which nearly qualifies as a crisis for him these days.
He has won two Euro Tour titles in 2026 and six Players Championships. His win rate is 81% and he has won seven of his last ten matches. His two defeats this week were both 5-6 and saw 95 averages. That’s his B game.
Nijman is the 1.25 favourite and he is 8-3 in their H2Hs. They have met twice at senior level and Nijman won 6-2 and 6-1, both last year.
2026 European Darts Open R2 Tip: 0.5 point Nijman to win 6-2 @ 5.50 with Boylesports
Max Hopp vs. Krzysztof Ratajski
Max Hopp is another former World Youth Champion and on the comeback trail. He beat Rob Cross fair and square in round one, averaging 95.34. Cross wasn’t quite at his best, but he wasn’t allowed too many chances and Hopp was impressive.
The German has won six of his last ten matches and while he lacks the kind of consistency of the top players, he is heading in the right way. He also has home advantage and it does mean a lot to him.
Ratajski has lost five of his last ten matches and even hit a couple of sub 90 averages. There have been plenty of low 90 averages and he has not quite been his usual self lately.
Their H2H record is 3-2 to Ratajski, but Hopp won their only match in 2026 6-5 in February. Both Hopp’s wins were 6-5, all three of Ratajski’s 6-3. I expect a close match again and Hopp to edge it.
