Will The Nuke give the bottom team no chance?
The PDC Premier League has been a difficult place for two-time world champion Luke Littler so far in 2026. He suffered another defeat against Jonny Clayton last week and is now only seventh in the table. Only one player is worse off: his opponent today, Josh Rock, who is bottom of the table with zero points. Accordingly, there seems to be no alternative to betting on the 19-year-old to win when Luke Littler faces Josh Rock. But Rocky is traveling to Wales with momentum, having conjured up a historic nine-darter on the board last week, even though he ultimately lost the match against Van Veen 2-6.
Luke Littler’s standing is undisputed despite his current position in the table. Just two weeks ago, he demonstrated his exceptional talent at the European Darts Open, sweeping across the board with an average of 113.84 to secure the title. Although he is struggling to find his rhythm in the Premier League, The Nuke remains the benchmark on the tour with an average of 101.26 over the last twelve months and overwhelming scoring power. This Cardiff event is therefore particularly important for the world champion, who needs to fight his way back into the playoff spots. We expect him to succeed and are placing a handicap of -2.5 legs on the superstar in our betting recommendation.
Josh “Rocky” Rock is currently experiencing the downside of the world’s most prestigious invitational tournament. With zero points after four nights, the 24-year-old has his back against the wall. Yet his enormous potential has been on display time and again: in Belfast, he sent his home crowd into ecstasy with a perfect nine-darter, despite a 2-6 defeat to Gian van Veen. The problem for the world number nine remains consistency on the big TV stage. While his “first 9 averages” of 107.68 points per frame are among the best in the world, his scoring often collapses at crucial moments. In Belfast, too, he only managed a match average of 91.05.
Luke Littler – Josh Rock Head-to-head comparison / H2H record
Head to head: 5:0
The two athletes have already crossed paths five times, and in all five cases, Luke Littler was the winner in the end. World champion Josh Rock just beat him decisively in the quarterfinals at the European Darts Open in Poland, rolling over the Northern Irishman 6:1, who now has the chance for revenge just two weeks later.
Luke Littler – Josh Rock Tip
When will The Nuke break his duck in the 2026 PDC Premier League? Cardiff offers the ideal stage against the bottom team in the table. While Rocky provided the highlight of the evening last week with his nine-darter, he once again ended up without any points. The world champion, on the other hand, will sharpen his focus on the double fields in order to convert his scoring advantage (average 101.2 vs. 97.9) into legs. Accordingly, the prediction for Luke Littler against Josh Rock is that the 19-year-old will start his comeback with a clear victory.
The Northern Irishman has proven that he is definitely worthy of his place in the PDC Premier League and can enrich the competition with magical moments. However, he has repeatedly lacked the necessary toughness and precision in the legs, which is why we expect The Nuke to score a very clear victory.
