2026 World Matchplay: Three bets for Tuesday evening's action
This year's World Matchplay field is already down to 16, with four round two matches set to take place on Tuesday evening in Blackpool.
A whopping 13 out of 16 seeded players managed to navigate their opening Winter Gardens assignment but there were three shocks – none more so than when Cameron Menzies sending second favourite Luke Humphries packing on Monday.
Odds Now's resident darts tipster Matt Hill is back to offer up his thoughts and selections ahead of Tuesday evening's action.
Luke Littler vs Nathan Aspinall (Monday)
Josh Rock vs Stephen Bunting (Monday)
Michael van Gerwen vs Dirk van Duijvenbode (Monday)
Jonny Clayton vs Gary Anderson (Monday)
Cameron Menzies vs Ross Smith (Tuesday)
Gerwyn Price vs Rob Cross (Tuesday)
Gian van Veen vs Wessel Nijman (Tuesday)
James Wade vs Ryan Searle (Tuesday)
An interesting betting heat to open things up on Tuesday then, with Gary Anderson having been backed into a very strong favourite here against Jonny Clayton.
The Flying Scotsman has been virtually anonymous on the PDC Pro Tour in recent months, playing just 10 matches since the end of April due to a combination of early exits and a significantly lightened schedule. That left punters like me wanting to get a visual of Gary before making any strong assumptions about his playing level.
Of course, what we saw from the two-time world champion against Ryan Joyce suggests the break has done him good. A 109.94 average his highest ever in Blackpool and one of the top 10 numerical displays in the history of the World Matchplay.
To quote Gary, he had one of those days where he could "hit stuff with his eyes shut". For mere mortals like you and I, it's hard to imagine just how good that must feel.
Still, I must say, having him a 4/6 favourite to beat Jonny Clayton – based on the last 12 months, rather than the last 48 hours – feels a bit of an overreaction.
Clayton wasn't bad in his 10-7 win over Damon Heta either. Sure, the final numbers weren't as spectacular but he, unlike Gary, was firmly tested by his opponent and showed his notoriously strong bottle remains in lofty supply. In fact, Clayton's 62.7% on the outer ring was superior to Anderson's 55.56%.
The Ferret is completely battle-hardened this term, having shone in a gruelling 16-week Premier League campaign by topping the table for large spells, reaching Finals Night and then missing match dart in an epic semi-final with Luke Humphries.
He's by far the more reliable of these two to maintain his level and, furthermore, he's had a strong edge over Anderson in recent times – winning nine of the last 12 head-to-head meetings.
All told, the nostalgic part of me would love to see Gary continue at this title-winning level but the logical part of my brain makes 6/5 on the Clayton win a must-back.
A meeting of two Dutchmen comes next as the iconic but enigmatic Michael van Gerwen faces his former World Cup teammate Dirk van Duijvenbode after both were made to work hard in their opening contests.
Van Gerwen was forced to pull his socks up after falling 4-1 behind to Andrew Gilding at the first interval. He quickly got back to 5-5 and rarely looked troubled from that point en route to a 10-6 victory – though there is no doubt his opponent failed to capitalise on a promising situation with some slack doubling when in the lead.
Meanwhile, Van Duijvenobde came through undoubtedly the most dramatic match of the tournament thus far, edging Chris Dobey 13-11 in an overtime epic despite a whopping 13 180s from his crestfallen opponent.
The Aubergenius had to hang in for the early parts but found himself 9-7 in front, though it appeared his chance had been and gone when Dobey reeled off three straight legs to lead 10-9. However, the Geordie spurned his match darts and it would eventually be Van Duijvenbode who prevailed.
It was nice from a neutral perspective to see Dirk finally come out on the right side of such a contest, having typically been a player who often outscores opponents but often fails to transfer that into victories. He'll know Dobey battered him in the scoring phase on Sunday but weirdly, I'd suspect 'winning ugly' might give him a confidence boost, given how unusual such a feat is for him.
Van Gerwen, on the other hand, has to be admired for his bouncebackability but still feels like a man to be taken on at short prices. This isn't the MVG of old. Sure, he has the class still in his locker and remains capable of magical darts – but there is so much inconsistency in his game now that opponents no longer fear him as they once did.
That appears to be relevant for Dirk, who, after winning only two of his first 13 meetings with his decorated compatriot, has more recently won two of their last three head-to-heads.
Again, this is a tight contest but I have to side with the outsider in Van Duijvenbode at the prices and will gladly chance the 13/8 on an upset.
Match three sees the reigning champion back in action, with Luke Littler now an odds-on poke at 4/5 to retain his Blackpool crown after his main foe Luke Humphries exited at the first hurdle to Cameron Menzies.
I guess the real question is, should Littler not have been odds-on for this anyway? His major record over the last two years certainly suggests so. I'm not really one for short prices but you wouldn't get any firm pushback from me if your main strategy on the big events these days is to just back Littler and let nature take its course.
Niko Springer played some bloody good darts against Littler in the opening stanzas of their first round clash. And yet, at 5-5, you found yourself just waiting for the Nuke to push the turbo button. That he did – a 124.39 average across the final six legs to win it 10-6.
Quite simply, nobody has gears like the 19-year-old and if you're opposing him, you need not only your selection to find their best level but also for the world champion to be having a real off-night.
Nathan Aspinall certainly has the level to punish any slackness. The Asp produced a stunning opening effort himself, averaging over 105 to rid of his good friend Joe Cullen, and should be full of confidence as a result for what most would view as a free hit.
A former winner of this title, Aspinall will have plenty of backing in the arena. Crowd support only gets you so far, though...particularly against an opponent who has beaten you in 16 of 20 previous meetings.
An angle I sometimes like to back in Littler games is the double result, with his opponent to hang level for the first 6 legs (or even lead), before he powers away into the sunset. It worked against Springer. Could it work again here? Level at 3-3 after six legs, then Littler to win pays 11/4 at Bet365. Aspinall to lead after six and lose is 13/2.
If you're desperate for an angle in, they may be worth a look. I'd prefer to just sit this one out.
The final game of the night looks the tightest contest on paper, as two of this season's Premier League bottom-half runners meet in Josh Rock and Stephen Bunting.
Interestingly, Bunting has been installed as the narrow favourite here despite having a rather unimpressive time of things against Niels Zonneveld. The Bullet had to dodge three match darts from the Dutchman, while Rock was much more comfortable in breezing past Luke Woodhouse 10-4.
Granted, it's hard to read too much into the latter result as Woodhouse was having a really disastrous evening on the doubles. But still, Rock took care of business with minimal fuss and his checkout rate being north of 50% always bodes well for someone whose Achilles heel has often been the outer ring.
Bunting rallied well in a tough Premier League campaign to finish fifth but ultimately did his good work when the pressure was off, so I'm hesitant to read into that too much. For me, majors seem to weigh him down a bit and given Rock made the semi-final this year, I'd probably have him as a marginal favourite rather than how the books see it.
Outside of a gruelling debut Premier League campaign, the Northern Irishman has had a pretty decent season and he certainly expanded a lot less energy in his opener. I do see a world where he starts quicker here and that ultimately proves to be the difference.
So, a small play on Rock to be leading after six legs and win the match at 11/4 in Bet365's double result market makes appeal for an interest.
2pts - Jonny Clayton to beat Gary Anderson - 6/5 (various)
2pts - Dirk van Duijvenbode to beat Michael van Gerwen - 13/8 (BetMGM)
1pt - Double result - Josh Rock to lead after six legs and win match vs Stephen Bunting - 11/4 (Bet365)
Total staked - 5pts
Matt Hill is Odds Now's Head of Content and leads our digital operation, while also offering his insight as a tipster across darts and football.
Having worked in the industry for the best part of a decade, including extended stints with Betfred and LiveScore, Matt joined the project in May 2024 with the sole aim of making Odds Now a key player in the betting content space.
He has also forged a reputation as a respected darts tipster, landing numerous three-figure outright winners over the years, while his love for lower league football also helps him pick out the odd obscure winner in that space.
When not at the editorial desk, Matt enjoys travelling the country supporting his beloved Carlisle United FC, chucking a few arrows and spending time with his young family.
Matt Hill is Odds Now's Head of Content and leads our digital operation, while also offering his insight as a tipster across darts and football.
Having worked in the industry for the best part of a decade, including extended stints with Betfred and LiveScore, Matt joined the project in May 2024 with the sole aim of making Odds Now a key player in the betting content space.
He has also forged a reputation as a respected darts tipster, landing numerous three-figure outright winners over the years, while his love for lower league football also helps him pick out the odd obscure winner in that space.
When not at the editorial desk, Matt enjoys travelling the country supporting his beloved Carlisle United FC, chucking a few arrows and spending time with his young family.
Matt's p/l
7 Days
30 Days
Year 2026
