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Darts Players Championship 31 Predictions 2026: Gian van Veen To Prevail On Home Turf?

1 day ago

| BY Sam Cox

The Players Championship 31 will take place on Oct. 27 at Maassport Den Bosch. There’s a 128-man field for this event, with Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen among the darts betting favourites.

Wessel Nijman sits atop the Players Championship Order of Merit coming into this event. The top 64 players qualify for the Players Championship Finals – there are only three more events following the Players Championship 31, including the Players Championship 32 on Thursday.

Absent Tour Card Holders

Big names like Nathan Aspinall and van Gerwen are competing, but several other recognisable figures are sitting this one.

Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Gerwyn Price, and Jonny Clayton are absent. Stephen Bunting, Rob Cross, Josh Rock, and European Championship winner Ross Smith are also missing.

Predictions

Martin Schindler is a player to keep an eye on. The German was a finalist at the European Championship, but his record in the Players Championship leaves plenty to be desired. We have to go all the way back to the 15th event for the last time he reached a quarter-final – can he carry over his European Championship form?

Then there’s Krzysztof Ratajski. Currently 22nd in the Order of Merit, the Pole has reached the last eight on four occasions. He’s also coming off a semi-final defeat to Martin Schindler at the European Championship, which came after Ratajski recorded a stunning win over Littler.

We fancy a big performance from van Veen as he tries to confirm his place in the Finals. The Dutchman has reached three straight semi-finals on the European Tour to go with his strong recent showings in ranking events. He should be able to put a premature European Championship exit behind him.