World Matchplay Darts Wednesday

The Winter Gardens in Blackpool has already delivered fireworks this week, with Luke Littler's stunning nine-darter against Nathan Aspinall and Michael van Gerwen's shock exit to Dirk van Duijvenbode dominating the headlines.

Now attention turns to the second half of round two, with four contests on Wednesday night deciding who joins Littler, Rock, Anderson and van Duijvenbode in the quarter-finals.

Two former world champions collide, a giant-killer looks to repeat the trick, and a Dutch derby could shape the road to the title.

Here's everything you need on the schedule, the odds and where the smart money might be heading.

World Matchplay Darts Wednesday Schedule

Wednesday's action forms the second session of round two, live on Sky Sports from 7pm BST, with all four matches played over the best of 21 legs.

  • Cameron Menzies vs Ross Smith
  • Gian van Veen vs Wessel Nijman
  • Gerwyn Price vs Rob Cross
  • James Wade vs Ryan Searle

Menzies arrives full of confidence after producing the shock of the tournament so far, coming from behind to eliminate world number two Luke Humphries with a big-fish 170 checkout.

Smith, meanwhile, was one of the form players of round one, cruising past Kevin Doets.

In the night's second tie, Dutch prospects van Veen and Nijman meet in a rematch of their March European Tour clash.

Price and Cross then renew an old rivalry between two former world champions, before Wade - a serial Blackpool finalist - takes on the steady Ryan Searle to close the night.

World Matchplay Darts Wednesday Odds

Match Odds (Player 1) Odds (Player 2)
Cameron Menzies vs Ross Smith 17/10 8/15
Gian van Veen vs Wessel Nijman 8/5 4/7
Gerwyn Price vs Rob Cross 7/10 11/8
James Wade vs Ryan Searle 11/13 21/20

 

Smith and Nijman go into their respective matches as clear favourites on paper, while Price is fancied to see off Cross despite a nervy first-round win. Wade edges the bookmakers' calculations in what looks the tightest match of the night on the odds alone.

World Matchplay Darts Wednesday Betting Tips

Cameron Menzies vs Ross Smith — Smith to win

  • Smith opened his tournament with a 100+ average and seven maximums in a comfortable win over Kevin Doets, well clear of his season average of around 0.34 maximums per leg.
  • Menzies pulled off a huge scalp against Humphries, but his own 180 output this year (roughly 0.29 per leg) trails Smith's, and his checkout percentage sits a few points behind too.
  • Menzies has built a reputation for following big highs with sudden lows, making it hard to trust back-to-back big performances from the Scot.
  • Backing Smith to win combined with hitting the most maximums looks the value angle rather than his short standalone price to win.

Gian van Veen vs Wessel Nijman — value seen with van Veen

  • Nijman has enjoyed a superb 2026 on the floor with numerous Pro Tour titles, but he has never gone beyond the last 16 of a major televised event, and dipped in his only previous World Matchplay appearance when the occasion stepped up.
  • Van Veen holds an edge in recent head-to-head meetings and has proven major-stage pedigree, including reaching a World Championship final and winning a European Championship.
  • Van Veen's doubling was sharp in his round-one win, hitting well over 60% on the outer ring, historically one of the strongest parts of his game when in form.
  • The head-to-head record and big-match experience make van Veen's price look bigger than it should be.

Gerwyn Price vs Rob Cross — Cross fancied for the upset

  • Cross was one of the most convincing winners of round one, racing through his match with a 97+ average and over 50% on the doubles, plus a highest checkout in the 120s.
  • Price laboured badly against Martin Schindler, trailing early and only edging through late having openly admitted he was fortunate to survive, citing a lack of recent match play.
  • Cross's scoring and finishing have both looked sharper than Price's over the past few months, including reaching a couple of finals since early summer.
  • Price's own admission that his level was well below par suggests the bookmakers' preference for the Welshman may be generous.

James Wade vs Ryan Searle — Wade to edge a close one

  • Wade has a long history of thriving in Blackpool, reaching numerous finals there and averaging strongly in this event in recent years, including as runner-up last year.
  • His round-one 180 count (seven) comfortably outstripped Searle's (three), a category where Wade has held a clear edge this season.
  • Searle counters with better doubling consistency in round one and a four-of-five winning run coming into the event, keeping this from being one-sided.
  • The head-to-head sits level in recent meetings, but Wade's affinity for the venue and occasion gives him the narrow edge for the win, with the contest itself likely to go the distance.