2026 European Championship R1 Preview

James Punt has already posted a player by player preview with outright tips for this weekend’s tournament, click here to read. Check out his 2026 European Championship R1 preview and tips below.

Luke Woodhouse vs. Dirk van Duijvenbode

A tricky opening match. There isn’t much between these two players these days. Woodhouse is a much better player than he was a couple of years ago, while Dirk has plateaued.

Woodhouse has won six of his last ten matches and played some good stuff last weekend, hitting 98 and 99 averages, but losing out to Noppert in the quarter final.

Dirk went out in the second round, didn’t play quite as well as Woody, but he has also won six of his last ten matches. However, he isn’t playing with the same kind of consistency as Woodhouse. He is hitting too many sub 90 averages and that is holding him back, but he is not the easiest player to call.

H2H

Their H2H record is 6-4 to Van Duijvenbode, but Woodhouse has won their last two, including a 6-5 win two months ago. They met in last year’s quarter final and Woodhouse won that 10-4. He has some good memories to draw upon.

Woodhouse was the 1.80 favourite and has been backed into 1.73, Dirk is 2.20. Four of their six best of eleven leg matches have been over 9.5 legs, and another would be no surprise. Both are former semi-finalist here.

2026 European Championship R1 Tip: 1 point over 9.5 legs @ 2.10 with Betfair

Danny Noppert vs. Stephen Bunting

Noppert has a good record in this event, having won his last five first round matches and reaching two quarter finals and three semi-finals. He comes here having been runner up in the Dutch Darts Championship last weekend. The Freeze hit three ton plus averages, including a 113.42 against Luke Woodhouse, but he bombed in the final, managing just 87.66, as is his way.

Bunting reached the semi-final last weekend. That was more than enough to get him into the finals, but he didn’t play that well, and certainly not as well as Noppert. His tournament average was 92.25 across four matches.

Their H2H record is 9-7 to Noppert, but on TV, it is 6-1. Noppert is the 1.80 favourite, Bunting 2.10.

2026 European Championship R1 Tip: 1 point Danny Noppert to win @ 1.80 with Betfred, SpreadEx

Niels Zonneveld vs. Cameron Menzies

The newest member of the PDC titles winners’ club, Niels Zonneveld, has won eight of his last ten matches and he has obviously hit some top form. This will be his first European Championship.

Menzies has won four PDC titles, but all of them on the floor. He won PC29 about a month ago and has played poorly since, losing four from five played. Menzies made his debut here last year, beating Gary Anderson in round one, and taking Humphries to a deciding leg in round two.

Their H2H record is 2-1 to Menzies, but Zonneveld won their only match in 2026. Zonneveld is the 1.67 favourite, Menzies 2.20. It is always hard to predict how a player will kick on after a significant win, and while I expect Zonneveld to win, there isn’t enough value in his odds. No bet.

2026 European Championship R1 Tip: No Bet

Gerwyn Price vs. Rob Cross

This is an interesting test for the third favourite to win the tournament, Gerwyn Price. Price has had a season of good runs, and ultimate frustration. His recent form saw him lose to Niels Zonneveld in last weekend’s second round at ET15. He lost the final of the Grand Prix to Luke Humpries and lost the final of the World Series finals to Ross Smith. He has won seven of his last ten matches but must be getting frustrated about his lack of titles.

Rob Cross hasn’t won a stage event since a World Series event in 2025 and he is not the winning machine he once was, but his game is in decent shape. His career took a knock when the Inland Revenue got into him, but he is starting to show signs that his head is back in the game.

H2H

Voltage has won just four of his last ten matches, but is playing better than that sounds. He lost his last match, despite averaging 106.68. His A game is good, his consistency not so good.

Their H2H record is 18-14 to Price, and he won their only 2026 match 11-5 at the Matchplay in July. Cross has only won one of his last four first round matches here, but he is a two time champion, and three time finalist.

Cross had to withdraw from last weekend’s Dutch Darts Championship, after he had travelled all the way to the venue, so it must have been something of importance, rather than just not fancying it. If that issue is ongoing, his mind might be elsewhere. I was thinking of backing him on the handicap, but the question mark over his personal issues means that I will pass.

2026 European Championship R1 Tip: No Bet

James Wade vs. Damon Heta

Wade has been playing some fantastic darts in the last two months, winning two titles and fourteen of his last seventeen matches. He has lost three of his last six, but he played well in those defeats.

Damon Heta has lost twice to Wade in the last six weeks. He reached the quarter final last weekend and hit two ton plus averages. The Heat has won six of his last ten matches, but he must hate the sight of the Westfalenhallen, as he has lost all four of his first round matches here.

Wade has won his last six matches in this event, reached two finals in the same period and was a quarter finalist last year. Wade is 7-5 vs. Heta and has won their last four.

Wade is the 1.62 favourite, I will back him on the handicap.

2026 European Championship R1 Tip: 1 point James Wade to win -1.5 legs @ 2.00 with Betfred, Betfair

luke humphries vs. Ryan Searle*

Luke Humphries was a last minute withdrawal after James had written this preview due to sickness and his place will now be taken by Kim Huybrechts. James has posted an update, see it below. 

2026 European Championship R1 Tip: No Bet

*Kim Huybrechts vs. Ryan Searle

Just when you plan ahead and get the previews done in good time, real life steps in and f***s things up.

Luke Humphries, our main outright pick, has withdrawn from the tournament due to illness. His place has been taken by the player in 33rd place on the Euro Tour O.O.M, Kim Huybrechts.

I don’t know exactly when he got the call, but it looks like it was earlier today. He will now be making his way from his home in Antwerp, to Dortmund in Germany. It isn’t a horrendous journey. Two and a half hours by road would be his quickest option. He would be a bit flustered by getting a late call, packing a bag, organising the hotel and hot footing his way to the venue. It is not ideal preparation.

The organisers have made it little easier by putting his match with Ryan Searle, on last in tonight’s schedule.

Deciding Legs

Huybrechts has lost six of his last ten matches…with the incredible run of eight consecutive matches that went to a deciding leg. He lost six of them. Bizarre.

Searle was playing well with his new darts at the Dutch Darts Championship last weekend. He has won five of his last ten matches, but as I said, he played well last week and was put out in round three by Van Veen. Searle averaged 100.66 in the match, but Van Veen was red hot on the doubles.

Their H2H record is 4-4. Searle has won both their matches in 2026, 6-1 and 6-3.

Searle Fav

Searle is the 1.57 favourite, Huybrechts 2.50. Surely Huybrechts can’t play another deciding leg match? His brain will be fried by having to sprint to get here, settle down, and get prepared for a big match. Searle will have to get his head around the fact that he is not playing the world number 2, but Kim Huybrechts instead. I will take Searle, with his new darts, to beat the late replacement and cover the handicap.

2026 European Championship R1 Tip: 1 point Ryan Searle to win -1.5 legs @ 2.00 with SpreadEx

Gian Van Veen vs. Andrew Gilding

Van Veen is in great form, winning seven of his last ten matches. He has been a bit wobbly at the business end of tournaments, but he is going deep in most of them. Gilding has lost seven of his last ten matches and has been struggling to average over 90 much of the time.

Their H2H record is 3-2 to Gilding. He has won their last two 6-3 and 6-0, both in 2026, but they were around the time when Van Veen was having his gallbladder issues, and he played poorly in both matches. He is a different player right now.

Van Veen is the 1.33 favourite, Gilding 3.50. Goldfinger is a hard player to play against due to his slow, deliberate style, but he is struggling for form, Van Veen is flying. We are on Van Veen outright, and it is hard to see any value in the is match. No bet.

2026 European Championship R1 Tip: No Bet

Ross Smith vs. Karel Sedlacek

Smith, the number 1 seed, is the 1.57 favourite to beat the in-form Karel Sedlacek. The Czech has won eight of his last ten matches and won his first PDC title last month.

Smith is 6-0 in their H2Hs and he will be hoping that he can avoid being another number 1 seed who has lost their first round match here. That has been the case for four of the last eight.

Sedlacek has struggled with the doubles in the pressure matches he was having to play to qualify for the finals. He should have done it with a bit more comfort, but he got tight on some big doubles.

On the positive side, he was smashing in the 180s like, well like Ross Smith. In his last two Euro Tour events, Sedlacek hit twenty one 180s at a rate of 0.39 per leg. In the same two events Smith hit twelve at 0.31.

Smith is the 1.57 favourite, Sedlacek 2.63. Despite their H2H record, Sedlacek has a chance here, but I was hoping for a bit better than 2.63. Something north of 3.00.

I have looked at the side markets and can see no edge here. No bet.

2026 European Championship R1 Tip: No bet

-JamesPunt