Gary Anderson vs Ryan Joyce (Premier League Darts): odds and bets 19.07.2026

Gary Anderson is 56 and remains one of the most dangerous players on the circuit when he finds his rhythm. The Flying Scotsman has competed at the highest level for more than two decades and has won almost everything there is to win in darts: two World Championships, three Matchplay finals and a proven ability to raise his game in the biggest moments. Blackpool suits him, the atmosphere inside the Winter Gardens brings out the best in him and, although he is no longer the dominant favourite he was five or six years ago, he remains an opponent nobody wants to draw.

Anderson’s main issue in recent times has been inconsistency. There have been ProTour nights when he has looked like his old self, producing huge averages and playing with the effortless rhythm that defined his peak years, but there have also been matches in which he has barely resembled that player. At his age, maintaining the same level throughout an entire tournament week is a considerable physical and mental challenge, and the Matchplay’s longer format demands exactly that: performing night after night without the body or mind letting him down at the wrong moment.

Ryan Joyce arrives at the Winter Gardens as one of the ProTour qualifiers and with a point to prove on the televised stage. The Geordie has a solid game and has shown several times this season that he can maintain strong averages over longer matches, which is precisely the sort of quality the Matchplay rewards. He is not a flashy player and is unlikely to produce extraordinary statistics, but he rarely gives away cheap legs when a match is still in the balance.

The key question is which version of Anderson turns up in Blackpool. If it is the player capable of averaging above 100 and hitting his doubles cleanly under pressure, Joyce could be in for a difficult evening. However, if Anderson carries the uncertainty that has affected him at various points this season, the Geordie has more than enough quality to stay competitive over 19 legs and potentially produce the upset of the night.