PDC World Darts Championship - World Darts Championship
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by Devesh Jaganath | in PDC World Darts Championship Predictions
The penultimate match on Day 2 at the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship will see Gian van Veen taking on Cristo Reyes. The winner of this match between The Giant and The Spartan will meet either Alan Soutar or Teemu Harju in the second round. Let’s get into the match prediction.
This will be Gian van Veen’s third year competing at the Ally Pally. His two previous appearances were unimpressive, bowing out in the first round in 2024 and the last 64 in 2025.
However, The Giant has been very good over the past 12 months, a period during which he won his first major PDC title, beating Luke Humphries 11-10 at the 2025 European Championship in October.
Van Veen is now inside the top 10 in the PDC Order of Merit and has won eight of his last 10 matches across all competitions.
Meanwhile, Cristo Reyes is set to make his return to the World Championships after a six-year absence. His best performance here came in 2015 when he reached the last 16.
The Spartan’s headline result this year was winning the Mediterranean qualitative title, where he defeated the likes of Jesus Noguera (6-2) and Martin Marti Santamaria (7-1).
Reyes will need to rely on his experience to defeat the rising star that is Van Veen in this match.
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Gian van Veen - Cristo Reyes Key Points
- Gian van Veen is ranked in the top 10 in the PDC Order of Merit.
- Gian van Veen won his first major televised title in October.
- Gian van Veen has won eight of his last 10 matches.
- Cristo Reyes failed to qualify for the World Championships in six of the past seven years.
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Our Gian van Veen vs Cristo Reyes Prediction
After years of grinding, Cristo Reyes is finally set to return to the Ally Pally, but he has been handed a very tough draw, set to face Gian van Veen, who has been surging up the ranks over the past year.
The young Dutchman is still riding high after winning his first major title against Luke Humphries in October, and we are expecting him to make a deep run at the World Championships this year. Our Gian van Veen vs Cristo Reyes prediction is Gian van Veen -1.5.
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All tips are fully researched and given in good faith, but profits cannot be guaranteed.
