Baltic Sea Darts Open 2026 Predictions: Smudger to go back-to-back?

The PDC European Tour is back this weekend in Germany, with all 48 players looking to grab another ranking title on the continent. 

Of course, our resident darts tipster Sean Rafferty is back on board and here are his Baltic Sea Darts Open Betting Tips...

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History, Location and Format

The 2026 Baltic Sea Darts Open is the eighth of fifteen events on the PDC European Tour this season.

The event is once again being held at the Wunderino Arena in Kiel, Germany and runs from Friday 29 May to Sunday 31 May. It will be aired on PDC and Viaplay in the UK.

The 48 strong field features the top 16 in the world, the next 16 from the Pro Tour order of merit and 16 regional qualifiers, plus a reserve list for any drop-outs.

The defending champion is Gerwyn Price, who defeated Gary Anderson 8-3 in the 2025 final.

Prize Money

There is a prize fund of £230,000 on offer to the 48 participants, with £35,000 going to the winner.

1.5 units Ross Smith to win @ 12/1

This might seem a bit of an obvious pick considering he won last week, but it’s quite simple - Smith looks the best player right now in his quarter of the draw and it looks a golden chance to get into the semi-finals and give himself another realistic shot at lifting silverware.

Smudger ticked another box off his list as he finally won his first ever European Tour event in Riesa last weekend. It was his fifth final and finally he converted, he made it look easy too. A comfortable 8-3 victory over Ryan Searle in the final backed up a 7-0 thrashing over Cameron Menzies in the semis, as he barely broke a sweat in getting over the finish line.

Van Veen is the top seed in this quarter but I’ve still yet to see enough from him in recent months to suggest he’ll be going all the way this weekend. Niko Springer is a likely opening round opponent for Ross, he played awfully last weekend in defeat to Charlie Manby. Martin Schindler would be the most likely opponent in the last 16, another player who’s struggling to find any consistency at the moment. There’s nobody to fear in the draw for Ross and if he continues to produce a consistent level of play, averaging mid-90s then he could well be in with a good chance of going back-to-back ET titles, having waited so long for his first.

0.75 units Luke Woodhouse each-way @ 28/1

I’ve been waiting for a better draw for Woody to back him again since winning his maiden PDC title on the Pro Tour a few weeks ago. Kevin Doets has been a thorn in his side this month, defeating him in the last couple Euro Tour events. Thankfully he wouldn’t have to worry about potentially bumping into Kevin until the semis this time, with the draw looking more on the generous side of things this week.

This bottom section of the draw is very open one, with no obvious standout player to come through it. Woody looks better equipped than most to come through it based on current form so the 28/1 has plenty appeal about it. Andrew Gilding, the man who Woodhouse defeated to win that Pro Tour title, is the likely last 32 opponent for Luke and Goldfinger hasn’t looked the same on the Euro Tour as he has at the floor events. One of Menzies, Bunting and Cross would await in the last 16 which may seem quite tricky, but Woody firmly belongs in that company now.

Consistency is something Woodhouse has in abundance, if he can show that as well as his grittier side then he can battle through this section and give himself every chance of being in the mix come Sunday evening.

0.5 units Justin Hood each-way @ 40/1

The first name that jumped out at me in the draw, partly because it’s a breath of fresh air to see him back on the European Tour. This is incredibly just a third Euro Tour appearance for Justin and the first one he’s qualified for this year. For a player of his potential, he hasn’t found qualifying for these easy but I truly believe he can do some real damage now he’s at one.

Happy Feet has made it no secret that he’s better suited to playing in-front of big crowds and perhaps playing the showman role if you like. I expected to see more from him this year after his excellent run at the World Championship over Christmas caught the attention of thousands across the country. I do feel like he’s just starting to come into some top form again - he made his first Pro Tour final last month where he didn’t disgrace himself at all against Chris Dobey, averaging 103 despite defeat.

Hood has averaged 98+ in 9 of his last 14 matches and looks primed to do something big soon. Bottle is something he evidently doesn’t lack which could prove so crucial when he does make the latter stages of one of these events which I’m sure will happen. It’s a tough draw but he can beat almost anyone on his day. If he continues the form he’s shown the past month or so then he’s a serious contender this weekend.

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