The inaugural Saudi Arabia Darts Masters kicks off on Monday, 19 January at the Global Theatre in Riyadh. It’s a short turnaround following a fascinating conclusion of the Bahrain Darts Masters, won by Michael van Gerwen, with the Dutchman kicking off his 2026 season in some style.
World number one Luke Littler begins his campaign against veteran Paul Lim for the second event in succession, as eight PDC players take on eight Asian Tour players in the opening round, starting at 16:00 GMT.
As ever with these seeded events, the first round can be tricky to call, with the PDC completing a clean sweep in Bahrain, and they’re a short price to do the same in Boulevard City. It’s made us pivot into the more exotic markets (most 180s, total legs and correct score) to find value ahead of our Saudi Arabia Darts Masters first round betting tips.
First Round Betting Tips for the Saudi Darts Masters
Our Saudi Arabia Darts Masters first round betting tips are live, and we have three crackers to choose from. They are strong as single bets, but when combined into an acca, the best price is a whopping 20.76/1 with Coral, one of our top-rated online betting sites.
| Game | Market | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Danny Noppert vs Man Lok Leung | Man Lok Leung Most 180s | 5/2 |
| Nathan Aspinall vs Lourence Ilagan | Over 9.5 Legs | 17/10 |
| Michael van Gerwen vs Nitin Kumar | Handicap – van Gerwen -4.5 | 8/5 |
| Total Odds | 20.76/1 |
*Odds correct at 9:45 on 19/01/2026. Odds subject to change.
Bet 1: Danny Noppert vs Man Lok Leung – Leung Most 180s
If there’s going to be an upset in the opening round of the Saudi Darts Masters, it could well come from the opener between Danny Noppert and Man Lok Leung.
The Asian qualifier will be kicking himself for not landing his doubles last week in Bahrain against Gian van Veen. He had so many chances to beat the Dutchman for the second time in his career, previously winning 3-2 in the 2023-24 World Championships, but couldn’t get over the line.
He does, however, possess superb scoring power and lands 180s for fun. Doubling is an issue, so he might not win, but he’ll be able to pressure Noppert, who’s not known for his heavy scoring. Most 180s for Leung at 5/2 is the first of our picks.
Bet 2: Nathan Aspinall vs Lourence Ilagan – Over 9.5 Legs
Nathan Aspinall will have had his head in his hands as the draw was made for the first round, only to find that he comes up against Lourence Ilagan for the second week running. He’s faced the Filipino several times in his career, calling him an “absolute nightmare” to play against because of his slow, deliberate style.
The Englishman almost came unstuck last week in the Bahrain Darts Masters, but managed to scrape through 6-4 after Ilagan missed a slew of doubles.
We’re backing another close encounter here and taking the over 9.5 legs (best of 11) at 17/10. If you’re feeling like an upset is on the cards this week, this could well be a game to look out for.
Bet 3: Michael van Gerwen vs Nitin Kumar – van Gerwen -4.5 Handicap
It sounds strange to suggest that Michael van Gerwen winning a tournament would come as a shock, but few tipped the Dutchman to go all the way in the opener last week in Bahrain. He played, for the most part, really well, and hopefully it’s a sign that he can get back to his best in 2026.
He takes on Nitin Kumar in one of the biggest mismatches of the opening round. Kumar became the first Indian to win a match on the Ally Pally stage at the World Championships in December, but the reality is that his 12-month average of 76.76 and just 26 180s means he’s way off the standard here.
Taking van Gerwen at -4.5 on the handicap requires a 6-0 or 6-1 win, which are two very plausible scorelines. Priced at 8/5, it once again looks good value and is the final pick for our Saudi Arabia Darts Masters first round betting tips.
