World No1 Luke Littler will look to defend his World Matchplay crown at the iconic Winter Gardens in Blackpool.
The tournament gets underway on Saturday, July 17th and the final is scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 26th.
As per usual, the World Matchplay features a star-studded 32-man roster, which includes plenty of former winners in Michael van Gerwen, James Wade, Gary Anderson, Rob Cross, Nathan Aspinall and Luke Humphries.
But can anyone stop Littler? The Nuke has already won the World Championship, World Masters, UK Open and Premier League this year, as well as lifting the World Cup alongside fellow Englishman Humphries.
Stopping him looks a tall order, however, in a straight knockout tournament anything is possible!
Check out our full sports betting preview below, along with the best darts odds currently available on the NetBet Sport platform.
Where can I watch the World Matchplay 2026 in the UK?
The entirety of the World Matchplay 2026 will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK.
What happened at the World Matchplay 2025?
Littler won the World Matchplay for the first time last year by beating Wade 18-13 in the final.
On top of lifting the trophy, Littler also hit a nine-darter in his epic semi-final showdown with Josh Rock, which he eventually won 17-14.
World Matchplay 2026 First Round Draw
Josh Rock vs Luke Woodhouse
Stephen Bunting vs Niels Zonneveld
Luke Littler vs Niko Springer
Nathan Aspinall vs Joe Cullen
Chris Dobey vs Dirk van Duijvenbode
Gary Anderson vs Ryan Joyce
Michael van Gerwen vs Andrew Gilding
Jonny Clayton vs Damon Heta
Ryan Searle vs William O’Connor
James Wade vs Jermaine Wattimena
Gian van Veen vs Krzysztof Ratajski
Wessel Nijman vs Dave Chisnall
Ross Smith vs Kevin Doets
Gerwyn Price vs Martin Schindler
Luke Humphries vs Cameron Menzies
Danny Noppert vs Rob Cross
World Matchplay 2026 Winner Odds
*All odds are subject to change
Luke Littler – 1.91
Luke Humphries – 6.00
Wessel Nijman – 11.00
Gerwyn Price – 13.00
Michael van Gerwen – 17.00
Gian van Veen – 17.00
Jonny Clayton – 29.00
Kevin Doets – 34.00
Gary Anderson – 34.00
Rob Cross – 41.00
Stephen Bunting – 41.00
Josh Rock – 41.00
James Wade – 41.00
Nathan Aspinall – 51.00
Ryan Searle – 51.00
Chris Dobey – 51.00
Luke Woodhouse – 67.00
Ross Smith – 67.00
Danny Noppert – 67.00
Damon Heta – 126.00
Dirk van Duijvenbode – 126.00
Jermaine Wattimena – 126.00
Krzysztof Ratajski – 151.00
Martin Schindler – 151.00
Niels Zonneveld – 151.00
Cameron Menzies – 151.00
Dave Chisnall – 151.00
William O’Connor – 151.00
Niko Springer – 201.00
Ryan Joyce – 201.00
Andrew Gilding – 201.00
Joe Cullen – 201.00
World Matchplay 2026 Betting Tips
To reach the final – Wessel Nijman @ 4.33
Nijman is enjoying a spectacular year and is deservedly the third favourite to claim one of the PDC’s most prestigious prizes. The Dutchman has collected multiple ranking titles throughout 2026, and if he can carry his form from behind the curtain to the big stage, it may take something very special to stop him.
3rd quarter winner – Luke Humphries @ 2.25
Former world champion Humphries has been drawn in the same quarter as Price, while there are some other big hitters too in the form of Cross and Noppert, although those two clash in the first round. On his day, Cool Hand is a class above everyone else on the circuit bar Littler – and should have more than enough to reach the semi-finals here. Humphries won the recent US Masters in New York and collected the Matchplay title back in 2024, so a price slightly higher than evens looks fantastic value.
Tournament 170 checkouts – Over 4.5 @ 2.00
The 170-finish has become more commonplace in darts since Littler’s emergence, with every top player seemingly looking to thrill the crowd by achieving the feat. So with 31 matches taking place throughout the tournament, backing one to be hit at a rough average of one per six games seems like a decent betting pick.
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