2026 World Matchplay: Three bets for Thursday evening's action

After his nine-dart heroics two nights ago, anticipation is sky-high among darts fans as Luke Littler returns to the World Matchplay stage on Thursday.

The Nuke takes on Josh Rock in the second of two blockbuster clashes at the Winter Gardens this evening, with Gary Anderson and Dirk van Duijvenbode opening things up beforehand.

Odds Now's arrows expert Matt Hill is once again on hand with a comprehensive look at both of Thursday's quarter-finals, alongside his best bets.

2026 World Matchplay darts betting tips – Thursday July 23rd 2026

Gary Anderson vs Dirk van Duijvenbode

Thursday's opening quarter-final sees Gary Anderson bid to maintain his remarkable World Matchplay record against an in-form Dirk van Duijvenbode.

The Dutchman deserves enormous credit for reaching the last eight. Having already upset Chris Dobey in round one, he followed it up with another memorable victory over Michael van Gerwen, proving he still possesses the scoring power capable of troubling the very best.

However, both victories have been anything but straightforward.

Van Duijvenbode survived match darts against Dobey before edging through in overtime, while he also allowed a commanding 10-7 advantage over Van Gerwen to disappear before eventually recovering to prevail in another sudden death finish.

On paper, that demonstrates tremendous resilience. Scratch beneath the surface, though, and it perhaps tells a slightly different story.

Dirk has spoken refreshingly honestly throughout this tournament about the nerves and panic he continues to experience when approaching the finishing line. By his own admission, he almost begins playing with greater freedom once he feels victory slipping away again.

That honesty is admirable, but it also highlights a vulnerability that could become increasingly exposed over the World Matchplay's marathon quarter-final format.

One trend I've found particularly interesting when looking back through recent editions of this tournament is how often the heavily-fancied players don't merely win these longer knockout matches – they win them convincingly.

It sounds obvious to suggest shorter-priced favourites are more likely to cover handicap lines, but the numbers really do support it.

I think the reason lies largely in the format itself.

First to 16 legs is an enormous mental examination. Outside of the World Championship's latter rounds, players rarely experience matches over this distance, and it becomes as much about patience, composure and emotional control as it does raw scoring ability.

Experience counts.

It's no coincidence that players such as James Wade have repeatedly thrived in Blackpool over the years, while Anderson is another who always appears completely at ease in these situations.

The Flying Scotsman has contested four World Matchplay quarter-finals over the past decade and won every single one.

Some have been straightforward demolitions, others have required overtime, but Anderson invariably seems to understand exactly what's required on this stage.

Van Duijvenbode has suggested he enjoys Anderson's rhythm and pace of play, but I'm not convinced that'll prove enough over a match that will feature more than four mini-sessions.

For all Dirk's superb scoring, there's still an implosion lurking beneath the surface on occasions, whereas Anderson simply feels like the consummate professional for this sort of assignment.

With Anderson available around the 4/9 mark, the handicap markets appeal to me more than the outright price (which I also wouldn’t put you off, if that’s your bag).

I'm happy to back him to win by four or more legs as my main selection, while I'll also take a smaller chance on him covering an even bigger handicap should the Dutchman's motivation levels falter when falling behind.

Luke Littler vs Josh Rock

Luke Littler's reward for producing one of the finest World Matchplay performances in recent memory is a blockbuster meeting with his good pal Josh Rock.

The teenage phenomenon has somehow managed to raise expectations even further after a breathtaking couple of outings in Blackpool.

Following a slightly sticky opening against Nico Springer, Littler exploded into life by averaging an astonishing 124 across the final six legs to pull away.

He somehow then found another level against Nathan Aspinall.

The nine-darter in the opening leg immediately entered Matchplay folklore, while he very nearly repeated the feat just a few legs later. Throw in Aspinall's sensational 170 checkout to keep himself alive and it became one of the highest-quality contests we've seen on television for some time.

Yet despite all the fireworks, it never truly felt like Littler was in danger.

That's becoming a recurring theme over longer formats. His consistency over extended matches is extraordinary and it's worth remembering he has lost just one contest played over this distance or longer in his professional career – his first World Championship final against Luke Humphries.

If anyone was to make life awkward, however, Rock would be a prime candidate based on previous evidence.

The Northern Irishman pushed Littler harder than almost anybody at last year's World Matchplay, storming into a 5-0 lead before eventually losing 17-14. Even then, Rock still held a 9-6 advantage before Littler's relentless scoring eventually overwhelmed him.

The pair also produced another competitive encounter at the UK Open earlier this season.

Perhaps their friendship helps bring the very best out of one another. Even so, I have slight reservations about Rock's current level.

He eventually defeated Stephen Bunting in the previous round, but it was a real grind from start to finish.

There were several scrappy legs where neither player found top gear, and while Rock became emotional afterwards given his ‘close friendship’ with Bunting (a slightly bizarre turn of events), I suspect the relief owed just as much to how difficult he'd found the contest itself.

By contrast, Littler appears to be operating on an entirely different level to everyone else left in the draw.

The handicap lines are understandably enormous as a result, though.

Normally I'd be reluctant to lay such a big start against someone of Rock's quality, particularly given his previous record of keeping these matches competitive.

For that reason, I won't be steaming into the individual handicap market. Instead, I'll simply use Littler's handicap alongside Anderson's in a small-stakes double.

Rock has shown before that he can extend Littler further than most, but unless he produces a significant improvement on his opening two performances, it's difficult to envisage anything other than another comfortable victory for the world number one.

We may not get two tightly-fought contests on Thursday night, but think of these wagers as some value insurance in a such a scenario.

Matt Hill's best World Matchplay bets for Thursday July 23rd 2026

2pts – Gary Anderson -3.5 legs handicap vs Dirk van Duijvenbode – 6/5 (Betway)

1pt – Gary Anderson -5.5 legs handicap vs Dirk van Duijvenbode – 5/2 (Betway)

1pt double – Gary Anderson -3.5 legs handicap vs Dirk van Duijvenbode / Luke Littler -7.5 legs handicap vs Josh Rock – 3.95/1 (Betway)

Total staked – 4pts

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