The World Grand Prix gets underway in Leicester on Monday, with 32 players competing for one of the biggest titles on the PDC calendar.
Luke Littler heads into the tournament as the defending champion after beating Luke Humphries 6-1 in last year’s final. The 19-year-old is once again the favourite, although there could be some value elsewhere in the market.
I’ve picked out three selections for this year’s World Grand Prix, including one outright bet and two first-round picks.
World Grand Prix 2026 – Tournament Information
- Dates: September 28 – October 4
- Venue: Mattioli Arena, Leicester
- Players: 32
- Defending champion: Luke Littler
- Format: Double-in, double-out
The World Grand Prix is different from the majority of PDC tournaments, with players needing to hit a double before they can start scoring in each leg.
The opening round is also played over the best of three sets, which gives the favourites very little room for error.
World Grand Prix Outright Odds
- Luke Littler – 4/5
- Luke Humphries – 13/2
- Gerwyn Price – 12/1
- Gian van Veen – 20/1
- Ross Smith – 22/1
- James Wade – 22/1
- Michael van Gerwen – 25/1
- Gary Anderson – 25/1
- Wessel Nijman – 28/1
- Jonny Clayton – 33/1
Odds are subject to change.
Michael van Gerwen to win the World Grand Prix – 25/1
Michael van Gerwen is my pick at a bigger price to win this year’s World Grand Prix.
The Dutchman has an excellent record in this competition, winning the tournament six times, with his most recent victory coming in 2022.
Van Gerwen hasn’t been as consistent as we have become used to seeing from him, but he has still shown that he is capable of winning tournaments in 2026.
He starts his campaign against Ryan Joyce and could potentially meet Littler in the quarter-finals. It isn’t an easy section of the draw, but at around 25/1, I think Van Gerwen is worth backing given his record in this format.
Wessel Nijman vs Rob Cross – Rob Cross to win (5/4)
Rob Cross is my pick to progress when he faces Wessel Nijman in the opening round.
Nijman has enjoyed an impressive year on the ProTour, but Cross has much more experience when it comes to playing on the biggest stages.
The former world champion also beat Nijman at the World Grand Prix last year, which gives me more confidence in the selection.
This should be a close contest, but with Cross available at around 5/4, I’m backing him to reach the second round.
Nathan Aspinall vs Kevin Doets – Kevin Doets to win (11/10)
My final selection is Kevin Doets to beat Nathan Aspinall.
There isn’t a great deal separating the pair in the betting, and the short best-of-three-set format could make this a difficult opening match for Aspinall.
Doets has continued to improve and has shown that he is capable of competing with some of the best players on the tour.
I expect this to be another close match, but at odds-against, I’m going with Doets to progress.
BackYourBet’s World Grand Prix Best Bets
- Michael van Gerwen to win – 25/1
- Rob Cross to beat Wessel Nijman – 5/4
- Kevin Doets to beat Nathan Aspinall – 11/10
Luke Littler is understandably the favourite after winning the tournament last year, but his short price doesn’t appeal to me.
Instead, I’m taking a chance on Van Gerwen at 25/1, while Cross and Doets are my two selections from the opening round.
18+ only. Odds may vary by bookmaker and change at any time. Bet responsibly and never stake more than you can afford to lose.