2026 Dutch Darts Championship Sunday – JP
2026 Dutch Darts Championship Sunday Preview
Things didn’t go to plan for James Punt on Saturday night but to be fair, we were due a tough session. Check out his 2026 Dutch Darts Championship Sunday preview and tips below.
R2 Reflections
Day 2 was a mixed bag. A decent afternoon session yielded +1.73 points, but the evening session, a strange session, was a disaster and a -4.17 point loss. That means we are +4.46 for the weekend so far. Both the outright selections, Price and Ross Smith are still in the hunt.
Gian van Veen vs. Brendan Dolan
Van Veen set a new Euro Tour record average with a 120.24 average in a 6-0 win over Bialecki. He won’t be doing that again today, but he won’t have to.
Dolan eventually beat Heine Uuldriks 6-4, but he had to rely on the qualifier’s lack of experience more than anything else. He has done his job, reaching round 3, picking up £5k on a weekend where he was supposed to be sitting at home watching the TV.
Their H2H record is 3-3, which is a surprise. They played twice in 2025, and Dolan won both. They have met once on the Euro Tour, Van Veen winning 6-2 back in 2023.
Van Veen is the 1.26 favourite , Dolan 4.33.
This is not really a betting match. No bet.
2026 Dutch Darts Championship Sunday Tip: No Bet
Ryan Searle vs. Ross Smith
Smudger had little problem in beating Ryan Joyce 6-2. He switched off in the middle of the match and allowed Joyce two legs, but he closed him down easily enough. Searle overcame the crowd and Dirk van Duijvenbode to win 6-5. It was a good match and a good performance. The question is, can he keep it up?
Searle has changed the grip on the barrel of his darts and is liking the results. Heavy Metal’s record in the third round in 2026 is not great, however. He has played seven and lost six. Will his equipment tweak be enough to change that poor record?
Their H2H record is 4-4. The last time Searle won a 3rd round match was in ET7. He went on to reach the final, where he lost 3-8 to Ross Smith.
Smith is the 1.67 favourite, Searle 2.38. I can’t argue with those odds. No bet.
2026 Dutch Darts Championship Sunday Tip: No Bet
William O’Connor vs. Luke Woodhouse
O’Connor put an end to any hope of MVG winning on home soil. It was a 6-5 win and a 101.83 average. He actually showed a bit of aggression at one point, rather than beating himself up. He should try it more often. O’Connor has only reached the third once in 2026, and he won that match 6-5 vs. Josh Rock.
Woodhouse said that he had not been feeling well in the lead up to his match with Andrew Gilding yesterday. It was poor match, but Woody won it 6-1, but only averaged 87.18. Woodhouse has won three of his six third round matches in 2026.
Their H2H record is 7-5 to Woodhouse and he has won their last three in a row, and won them comfortably. Before that, they had a run of four matches that required a deciding leg.
Woodhouse is the better player and has won six of their last seven matches. I am a bit reluctant to back a player who hasn’t been well recently, but it is a third-round match, and O’Connor is usually worth opposing at this stage, but it could be another close one.
2026 Dutch Darts Championship Sunday Tip: 1 point over 9.5 legs @ 1.96 with Livescorebet
2026 Dutch Darts Championship Sunday Tip: 0.5 point Woodhouse to win 6-5 @ 7.00 with Skybet, Betfair
Danny Noppert vs. Jermaine Wattimena
Noppert had to work hard to beat an unusually good Dave Chisnall in round 2. In the end, a 100.84 average was enough to win 6-4. Noppert has a great tournament record, having reached the final in 2022, and the quarter final for the last three years. He has reached six quarter finals in 2026, and I expect he can win this and leave us guessing in what subsequent round will the wheels fall off.
Wattimena was very ordinary in a 6-2 win over a very ordinary Jimmy van Schie in round 2. Wattimena has played in nine third round matches in 2026 and lost seven.
Their H2H record is 7-5 to Wattimena and he has won five of their last six. Four of the six required a deciding leg. Seven of their eight best of eleven leg matches have been over 9.5 legs, five have ended 6-5.
2026 Dutch Darts Championship Sunday Tip: 1 point over 9.5 legs @ 1.91 with Boylesports, Livescorebet
2026 Dutch Darts Championship Sunday Tip: 0.5 point Noppert to win 6-5 @ 7.00 with Betfair, Skybet
Gerwyn Price vs. Niels Zonneveld
Zonneveld made hard work of beating Ratajski. It was a 6-5 win, but Ratajski was poor, averaging just 88.61. Zonneveld was banging in 180s for fun (he has hit 14 across his first two matches) and he should have won a bit easier than he did. Zonneveld has hit seven 180s in his last three Euro Tour matches. He is ranked 8th for 180s per leg.
Gerwyn Price didn’t have to get out of first gear to beat Scott Williams 6-3 but still threw a 97.14 average. That is just below his seasonal average.
Price is 1.40 to win, Zonneveld 3.25. Their H2H record is 3-0 to Price, two 6-3s and a 6-4. Zonneveld has had the most 180s in two.
2026 Dutch Darts Championship Sunday Tip: 1 point Zonneveld to have the most 180s @ 1.95 with Livescorebet
2026 Dutch Darts Championship Sunday Tip: 1 point over 6.5 180s @ 2.10 with Boylesports, Betfair
Wessel Nijman vs. Cristo Reyes
Nijman was far from impressive in a 6-3 win over De Graaf. I am beginning to learn that De Graaf is a bit of a bottle merchant. Reyes was mighty in a 6-2 win over Dobey. He averaged 110.26, and now that he is free from worry about qualifying for the finals, he was playing with freedom. When he is good, he is very good, and he looks to have hit some top end form in recent weeks.
Nijman has not been great in recent months and is there to be had.
These two have played twice in 2026 and it is 1-1, both going to a deciding leg. I expect Reyes to win and not to require a deciding leg this time.
2026 Dutch Darts Championship Sunday Tip: Cristo Reyes to win @ 2.18 with Livescorebet
Damon Heta vs. Martin Schindler
Heta smashed up last weekend’s winner Jonny Clayton 6-1 last night. It was a 103.57 average for the annoying Aussie. Can he keep it up? He certainly isn’t very consistent.
Schindler manged to take advantage of Sedlacek’s poor doubling to win their big match 6-4. It wasn’t a great match but that was to be expected given what was at stake. Now that Schindler is in the finals. He can breathe, and play better, his job is done. The rest is a bonus.
Their H2H record is 5-4 to Schindler. They have played five Euro Tour matches. And Schindler has won three. Three have required a deciding leg, the other two, easy wins for the German. I am tempted by an overs bet at 2.20, but I will pass on this one. No bet.
2026 Dutch Darts Championship Sunday Tip: No Bet
Stephen Bunting vs. Nathan Aspinall
Bunting was gifted his place in the finals by Menzies. The Scot just rolled over after putting Bunting on the spot in the opening legs, but then he just gave up trying. It stank.
Aspinall was very good in his 6-1 thrashing of Michael Smith. He averaged 102.45 and looked liked he means business.
Their H2H record is 9-8 to Bunting. He may play better now that he is through to the finals, but Aspinall is the better player, playing better right now.
