Ryan Joyce vs Owen Bates Prediction & Betting Tips - World Darts Championship
PDC World Darts Championship - World Darts Championship
New customers only | Commercial content | 18+ age limit | T&Cs apply
by Devesh Jaganath | in PDC World Darts Championship Predictions
Day 8 at the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship will see Ryan Joyce taking on Owen Bates on Thursday afternoon. The winner of this match between Relentless and The Master will meet either Krzysztof Ratajski or Alexis Toylo in the second round. Let’s get into the match prediction.
Ryan Joyce qualified for the Ally Pally through the PDC Order of Merit. He reached the quarter-final on debut in 2019 and got to the last 16 of the competition last year.
Relentless has not won a ProTour title this year, but did make his first European Tour final in March. He has also reached the semis at the PC33 event and the last 16 at the 2025 UK Open.
Joyce lost to Jermain Wattimena in the second round of the PC finals last month, but has a solid 7-3 record in his last 10 matches across all ProTour competitions.
Meanwhile, Owen Bates secured his place in this competition via the Winmau Development Tour. He failed to qualify for the tournament last year and was eliminated in the first round on debut in 2024.
The Master has done his best work on the Development Tour this year, but he has claimed a few notable scalps in the Players Championship lately, including Stephen Bunting and Ryan Searle.
Bates has lost seven of his last 10 ProTour matches and was defeated in his two previous encounters against Joyce in 2024 and 2023.
Limited Offer. Currently at Stake
Ryan Joyce - Owen Bates Key Points
- Ryan Joyce is ranked 57 places above Bates in the PDC Order of Merit.
- Ryan Joyce reached the last 16 of the World Championships last year.
- Ryan Joyce has won seven of his last 10 matches.
- Ryan Joyce won his two previous matches against this opponent.
- Owen Bates has lost seven of his last 10 matches.
Limited Offer. Currently at Stake
Our Ryan Joyce vs Owen Bates Prediction
After failing to qualify for the 2025 Darts World Championships, Owen Bates is set to return to the Ally Pally this year, and he has been in decent form, winning three of his last five matches.
However, maintaining consistency has not been his strong point, while Ryan Joyce’s season has been based on getting to the latter rounds of competitions. Relentless had a nice run at PC33 at the end of October, and we feel he will outclass his opponent in this one. Our Ryan Joyce vs Owen Bates prediction is Ryan Joyce wins.
Use £/€50 free bets for the Ryan Joyce vs. Owen Bates game!
Are you planning to bet on the upcoming match between Ryan Joyce and Owen Bates? Why not take advantage of the free bets from Bet365? Use our promo code STYVIP1 and open your account. Bet365 offers a welcome package of €/£50 free bet credits if you bet €/£10 as a new player.
Try your luck on this year's World Darts Championship! You need to make your qualifying bet of €/£10 within 30 days of opening an account and this can be on any sport with at least one selection priced at 1.2 (1/5) or bigger.
All tips are fully researched and given in good faith, but profits cannot be guaranteed.
