Defending champion Dave Chisnall will be eyeing another Baltic Sea Darts Open title as the PDC European Tour returns to Germany's north coast.

The Wunderino Arena in Kiel welcomes a field of 48 players, of which Chisnall is No.1 seed.

The Englishman is 25/1 to retain his title and win his first European Tour event of the year – something which is well overdue for 'Chizzy', who has regularly averaged over 100 and in the high 90s across Players Championship and European Tour events this season, but to no avail.

In the latest bout of Players Championship events at Hildesheim, he averaged as high as 114.03 in one match, yet could only reach the last 16 in both events.

On his side of the draw, Joe Cullen (33/1), Jonny Clayton (40/1) and Nathan Aspinall (20/1) would seem to be the main threats – but Aspinall will have one eye on next Thursday's crucial Premier League clash with Michael Smith for the last available play-off spot.

On home territory, Martin Schindler (33/1) will be expected to carry the German flag the furthest. 'The Wall' is consistent in averaging above 90 but can push that much higher – a fact he showed when lifting the International Darts Open earlier this year.

However, in order to reach the final, he must come through the toughest half of the draw, which features all three of the world's best players in Michael Van Gerwen (6/1), Luke Humphries (3/1) and Luke Littler (9/2).

Littler and Van Gerwen are poised to meet in the second round, with Humphries on a collision course to potentially face the winner of that in the quarter-final.

However, it's hard to look past the world No.1, who was supreme in Leeds on Premier League Night 15 and enjoys playing on the European circuit.

That's particularly true in Germany, where 'Cool Hand Luke' tends to have more support from the crowd than he does in the UK, although he was the man of the moment in Leeds thanks to his well-known footballing loyalties and the debut of his new walkout song by local band Kaizer Chiefs.

It all added up to help him power past Rob Cross, storm past Smith and edge out Van Gerwen on a memorable night for him at the First Direct Arena – once more hitting form at the right time.

Another title on German soil might be just the build-up he needs for the Premier League play-off in two weeks' time.