Van Veen vs Little (Premier League Darts): odds and bets 02.04.2026

This April 2nd clash is not just another match: it opens Night 9 of the 2026 Premier League Darts in Manchester, played in a best-of-11 legs format. And honestly, I see it as a more interesting matchup than the odds might suggest.

Littler arrives as the Premier League leader and comes off a win in Berlin, while Van Veen is still well positioned in the race for the top 4, although he comes in with more physical doubts after missing the Dublin night due to kidney stones and returning with a heavy loss against Gerwyn Price.

I wouldn’t reduce this to just “clear favorite vs tricky outsider.” Littler is ahead, yes, but Van Veen already proved in this very Premier League that he can beat him — winning 6-4 on opening night. The key detail is what happened after that: Littler responded with authority in bigger stages, including a 7-1 win in the World Championship final and an 8-4 victory in the Poland Darts Open final.

For me, the match comes down to one very specific question: if Van Veen can apply pressure on the doubles and drag this into a tight 5-5 or 5-4 scenario, it’s a real contest; if Littler dominates the scoring early, it could break open quickly.

Gian van Veen

Van Veen is one of those players who no longer needs an introduction if you truly follow the circuit. He doesn’t have Littler’s spotlight, but his development has been very serious and he’s now fully established as a top-level player. In this Premier League alone, he already made a statement by beating Littler 6-4 on debut and reaching several latter stages in the early weeks.

What I like most about Van Veen in matches like this is that he rarely gives legs away. He can stay composed when the rhythm evens out and has the mental strength to absorb big scoring bursts from his opponent.

The issue this time isn’t really his darting level, but his physical condition. He went through surgery for kidney stones, admitted feeling completely drained, and returned without being at full strength, losing heavily to Price. Against a player who punishes any drop in intensity, that’s a significant handicap.

Still, I wouldn’t rule him out completely. Van Veen has already shown he can compete with Littler in short formats, and that matters a lot in the Premier League — a 2-0 or 3-1 start can change everything.

His path to success, in my opinion, lies in high checkout efficiency and avoiding a pure 180-scoring battle. If it turns into a scoring shootout, that’s where he’s clearly at a disadvantage.

Luke Littler

Littler comes in as the clear favorite, and not just because of his name. He’s world number one, recently won his second consecutive World Championship — beating Van Veen 7-1 — and has climbed to the top of the Premier League after winning multiple nights.

The overall feeling is simple: when he finds his rhythm, he’s currently the most devastating player in short formats.

The recent head-to-head also leans heavily in his favor. Van Veen beat him in Newcastle, yes, but Littler responded with convincing wins on bigger stages. That pattern matters because it shows something very specific: when the average level of the match increases, Littler usually has an extra gear.

The market odds reflect this perfectly. Littler is a clear favorite, which matches the current reality — better scoring, higher confidence, and much more stable physically. The only real concern is typical for this format: if he starts slow, things can get tricky. But under normal conditions, he’s the superior player.