World Matchplay Darts 2026 preview and prediction

Can Luke Littler repeat his incredible performance from last year at the World Matchplay Darts 2026? He won the tournament, threw a 9-darter and recorded the highest checkout of the tournament. A year on, every darts fan is eagerly awaiting the next edition. Will the big names deliver? How will the Dutch players fare? And, more importantly, who might spring a surprise? At Oranje Palace, you can read everything you need to know about the World Matchplay Darts!

Betting at Oranje Palace

New to Oranje Palace? Then you’re in for a great start with a welcome bonus of 3 x €14 Free Bets. You’ll receive a Pre-match Free Bet, a Live Free Bet and a Bet Builder Free Bet. You can use these to bet on the World Matchplay Darts or other sporting events.

What is the World Matchplay Darts?

The World Matchplay Darts is one of the most prestigious tournaments on the PDC calendar. Every year, the world’s best darts players gather in Blackpool to compete for the Phil Taylor Trophy. Naturally, this tournament offers darts of the very highest standard, with players having to adhere to the unique ‘double-out’ rule. It is no coincidence that, for many players, the World Matchplay is one of the most important titles to win, alongside the World Darts Championship.

Winter Gardens in Blackpool

The World Matchplay is traditionally held at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. This iconic venue has provided the backdrop for the tournament since its very first edition and guarantees an atmosphere that is hard to match. Partly because of the ever-frenzied crowd that packs into a venue that isn’t even that big.

The last five winners of the World Matchplay Darts

Below is an overview of the last five winners of the World Matchplay Darts:

Favourites for the 2026 World Matchplay

If the bookmakers are to be believed, Luke Littler and Luke Humphries are, unsurprisingly, the clear favourites to win the 2026 World Matchplay Darts. The number three favourite, however, comes as a big surprise: Wessel Nijman. Can he live up to his status as a favourite?

Luke Littler

It comes as no surprise to anyone that Luke Littler is the clear favourite to win the 2026 World Matchplay Darts. Last year, he was already the undisputed champion, whilst he has also won several tournaments so far in 2026. The World Championship and the Premier League are, of course, his biggest titles. A win for Luke Littler at the World Matchplay Darts will earn you odds of 1.98.

Luke Humphries

Second on the list of World Matchplay Darts favourites is Luke Humphries. The former World Championship and Premier League Darts winner was the standout performer this year at the Belgian Darts Open, the Players Championship 4 and the Players Championship 17. This shows that he has already won several titles, even if they are not of the same calibre as Luke Littler’s.

Wessel Nijman

Somewhat surprisingly, Wessel Nijman is ranked third among the favourites for the World Matchplay Darts. This is mainly because the Dutchman is currently in excellent form, having emerged victorious five times at the 2026 Players Championship. He also came out on top at the Slovak Darts Open and the European Darts Trophy. Could he perhaps spring another surprise at the World Matchplay Darts?

Title outsiders

Of course, big names such as Gian van Veen, Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price cannot be left off the list of favourites. Michael van Gerwen, the most successful Dutch darts player of all time, should never be underestimated, whilst Gian van Veen was in the final of the World Darts Championship just six months ago. Add to that the name of Gerwyn Price, a player you should never rule out, and it is clear that Blackpool will be packed with a host of world stars in the global darts,

Popular darts bets

During the World Matchplay Darts, there are various ways to place a bet. As well as betting on the overall winner of a match, there are also many popular player markets. Below, we discuss some of the most popular darts bets.

Match winner

The most common bet in darts is betting on the winner of a match. You predict which darts player will win the match. To do this, you can look at form, head-to-head records and performance over longer distances.

Highest checkout

In a highest checkout bet, you predict which player will throw the highest finish during the match. A spectacular 170 finish often yields high odds and makes this market popular amongst darts fans. Last year, it was Luke Littler who managed to do this.

Most 180s

Darters who hit a lot of triples are often of interest for the ‘most 180s’ market. You predict which player will record the most 180s during the match.

Correct score

With a ‘correct score’ bet, you predict the exact final score of a match. As the number of legs won is difficult to predict in advance, this market often offers attractive odds.

Handicap and total number of legs

In handicap betting, a player starts with a virtual lead or deficit. In total number of legs betting, you predict whether the number of legs played will be over or under a certain number.

Responsible betting at Oranje Palace

Would you like to play at Oranje Palace? You certainly can, as with a very extensive sportsbook there’s plenty to enjoy at this new bookmaker. However, we’d like to remind you to gamble responsibly. Therefore, only gamble with money you can afford to lose, and set clear limits for yourself. And don’t forget that it’s all about having fun!