Gian van Veen vs Raymond Smith Prediction & Betting Tips - Australian Darts Masters
PDC - Australian Darts Masters
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by Devesh Jaganath | in Darts Predictions
The first round of the 2026 Australian Darts Masters will see Gian van Veen taking on Raymond Smith on Friday morning. The Giant is the top seed in this competition, and our prediction is that he will win this match fairly comfortably.
Owing to Luke Littler and Luke Humphries not featuring in the Oceanic legs of the World Series this year, Gian van Veen enters the tournament as the top seed on debut Down Under.
The Giant was excellent in the opening round of the New Zealand Darts Masters last week, where he eased past Jonny Tata 6-1 before losing to eventual champion Jonny Clayton 6-3 in the quarter-final.
Van Veen has won seven of his last 10 matches in all competitions, which included a semi-final appearance at the Players Championship 26 event last month.
Meanwhile, Raymond Smith has been one of the dominant figures on the domestic circuit this year, currently ranked second on the ADA Tour rankings, only behind Brody Klinge.
The Guru enjoyed an excellent showing in New Zealand last week, beating Stephen Bunting 6-2 in the opening round and Adam Leek in the quarter-final before bowing out to Gerwyn Price 7-2 in the semis.
Smith has also won seven of his last 10 listed matches. This is his first competitive encounter against Van Veen.
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Gian van Veen - Raymond Smith Key Points
- Gian van Veen is ranked third in the PDC Order of Merit.
- Gian van Veen is the top seed in this competition.
- Gian van Veen has won seven of his last 10 matches in all competitions.
- Raymond Smith has mainly participated in the Modus Super Series and domestically this year.
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Our Gian van Veen vs Raymond Smith Prediction
Raymond Smith was the surprise package in New Zealand last week, but there is a case to be made that he received a major slice of luck, facing an out-of-form Stephen Bunting before drawing Adam Leek in Round 2.
Unfortunately for Smith, this week he has been drawn against the top seed Gian van Veen, who is having arguably the best season of his career. The Giant has the scoring power to defeat anyone on his day, and we feel he will get the win in this one fairly comfortably. Our Gian van Veen vs Raymond Smith 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.
