Will Schindler pass the big test?

Martin Schindler is currently the best German darts professional on the PDC Tour. Thanks to a really good season overall, which was rewarded with tournament victories at a Players Championship and the Austrian Darts Open, among other things, the 29-year-old family man climbed to 13th place in the world rankings, making him the first German player in the world’s top 16.

Depending on how far “The Wall” makes it at Alexandra Palace in London, he could even break into the top ten for the first time. If the Brandenburg native brings his A-game to the oche in the third round, chances are good that betting on Schindler, probably Germany’s biggest darts hope in this tournament, will pay off in the exciting duel between Schindler and Searle.

Nevertheless, Ryan Searle is now Martin Schindler’s first top opponent. The 38-year-old Englishman, who is known for playing with heavy darts, has reached the round of 16 at the World Championship three times and has consistently remained in the world’s top 20 for five years. “Heavy Metal” brings experience and nerves of steel to the table. In addition, he has been very impressive in his first two appearances at the Ally Pally.

Searle did not drop a single set against Brendan Dolan and Chris Landman. The man, who has also made deep runs in various major tournaments in his career, lost just five of the 23 legs he played. A total of eight 180s and strong checkout rates complete the positive overall picture that the Englishman, seeded 20th, has presented so far. “Heavy Metal” has obviously also convinced the best bookmakers, because on paper, the odds offered before the Schindler vs. Searle match are slightly lower for the man with the long, open hair, who is nine years older.

In general, however, it is difficult to predict the winner between Martin Schindler and Ryan Searle. Instead, I expect a 50:50 match and therefore recommend the slightly higher odds on the German.

Alternatively, it might be a good idea to bet on a long match with many sets. Both players are in good form, have gained confidence with two good wins each, and are therefore on an absolutely equal footing. I therefore consider it rather unlikely that one of the two professionals will win the match 4-0 or 4-1. Based on this assumption, my favorite tip is that at least six sets will be played. Before the Schindler vs. Searle match, the betting odds for over 5.5 sets are 1.58.

Martin Schindler – Ryan Searle Head-to-head comparison / H2H statistics

Schindler and Searle have faced each other four times in the statistics. The first two matches in 2018 and 2021 went to the 38-year-old Englishman. However, the last two matches ended in victory for Martin Schindler, who has already conceded one set and more legs overall than his upcoming opponent in the current 2026 Darts World Championship. Looking at the form of the past few weeks and recent tournaments, however, the German gets another point in his favor. The bottom line, however, is that it remains a completely balanced and probably hard-fought affair!

Martin Schindler – Ryan Searle Tip

Martin Schindler and Ryan Searle do not play a significant role in the overview of the Darts World Championship odds. Nevertheless, “The Wall” is probably the biggest hope among the eight World Championship participants from Germany. Among other things, because the 29-year-old has climbed to 13th place in the world rankings this year. However, Schindler is still waiting in vain for his first round of 16 appearance at the PDC World Championship. That should finally change on Saturday, immediately after Christmas. Against the in-form Ryan Searle, Schindler will undoubtedly need to be at his best to reach the third round for the first time in his career.

Basically, I think the match is completely open, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes the full distance of seven sets. At least six sets are very likely, though. I am therefore going to risk a bet on Schindler and Searle playing more than 5.5 sets in this duel on December 27 at “Ally Pally.” I am confidently betting seven units on the aforementioned 1.58 from Bet365.