Grand Slam of Darts 2023: Day one predictions, betting tips, acca, order of play and TV time

• Click here for group-by-group betting preview

The group stage begins across two sessions on Saturday, with the likes of Gerwyn Price and Beau Greaves in action during the afternoon before Fallon Sherrock faces Michael van Gerwen in the evening.

Here's our match-by-match guide to all of the action...

Darts betting tips: Grand Slam of Darts day one

1pt Beau Greaves (+1.5) to beat Nathan Aspinall at 5/2 (Ladbrokes)

1pt Josh Rock to beat Chris Dobey at evens (Sky Bet)

1pt Luke Humphries to win, hit most 180s and have the highest checkout vs Steve Lennon at 7/5 (Paddy Power)

1pt Michael Smith to win, hit most 180s and have the highest checkout vs Nathan Girvan at 8/5 (Paddy Power)

SL Acca: Rock, Clayton, Humphries & Ratajski all to win at 6/1 with Sky Bet

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

• TV Coverage: Sky Sports
• Format: Best of nine legs sets

James Wade (4/5) v Krzysztof Ratajski (15/13) (A)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 94.77 - 94.96
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.21 - 0.17
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 41.06% - 34.33%
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 13.69% - 11.38%
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 18.98% - 19.33%

There's very little separating either player this season from a statistical point of view although James Wade will have a good level of confidence having reached the European Championship final.

Krzysztof Ratajski, however, is my pick to win the group and he'll probably need to win this clash to do just that.

Scoreline prediction: 4-5

Rob Cross (3/10) v Martijn Kleermaker (3/1) (G)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 96.21 - 90.55
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.23 - 0.23
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 41.68 % - 29.79%
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 13.44% - 11.51%
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 26.43% - 21.84%

Rob Cross hasn't got the best of records in this tournament but he's enjoyed an encouraging season so far and will be confident of getting off to a winning start against a player who battled his way through the last-gasp qualifying event out of nowhere.

Scoreline prediction: 5-1

Dave Chisnall (4/5) v Stephen Bunting (6/5) (E)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 96.14 - 95.77
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.35 - 0.29
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 36.79% - 37.15%
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 10.37% - 10.98%
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 26.47% - 26.85%

Dave Chisnall is an each-way tip to win the title but I have gone for Stephen Bunting to top the group given his recent form.

Chizzy has bagged plenty of titles this season - including one at the last Players Championship tournament of the season - but the Bullet has produced such a high level of performance on a regular basis over the past couple of months and over the short format, he can spring a very minor surprise tonight.

Scoreline prediction: 4-5

Dirk van Duijvenbode (8/5) v Gary Anderson (4/7) (C)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 95.90 - 98.96
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.37 - 0.33
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 41.04% - 36.22%
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 11.74% - 11.30%
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 35.48% - 33.61%

Gary Anderson is topping the averages charts this season whereas Dirk van Duijvenbode is far from the player he was at the start of the season.

Unless Aubergenious rekindles his form from the first half of 2023 and the Flying Scotsman fails to blast out of the blocks, then there's only one winner.

Scoreline prediction: 2-5

Luke Humphries (5/18) v Steve Lennon (10/3) (C)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 98.17 - 92.80
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.33 - 0.20
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 41.18% - 26.25%
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 10.65% - 10.50%
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 25.66% - 14.8%

Luke Humphries is riding the crest of a wave right now and should dominate all areas of his clash with Steve Lennon.

Cool Hand has a much higher 180 per leg rate than his opponent and if he wins the lion's share of the legs then you'd expect him to weigh in with the highest checkout too.

Scoreline prediction: 5-2

Peter Wright (1/5) v Stowe Buntz (10/3) (E)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 93.58 - 86.92
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.24 - 0.16
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 38.81% - N/A
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 13.28% - 13.82%
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 14.41% - N/A

Peter Wright comes into the tournament as the European champion and although his stats have been well-below par this season, he should have too much in the tank for CDC qualifier Stowe Buntz.

Scoreline prediction: 5-3

Michael van Gerwen (1/12) v Fallon Sherrock (15/2) (G)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 97.95 - 83.69
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.28 - 0.20
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 39.87% - N/A
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 12.06% - 8.69%
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 21.17% - N/A

As much as the darting romantic in us all would love Fallon Sherrock to pull off a massive shock against Michael van Gerwen, it is hard to make a case despite the short format.

MVG would really need to be operating well below his best to open the door for Sherrock, who will in turn need to produce her very best to give herself a fighting chance.

Scoreline prediction: 5-2

Michael Smith (1/6) v Nathan Girvan (11/2) (A)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 95.59 - 86.17
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.31 - 0.22
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 39.88 - N/A
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 12.53% - 7.46%
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 28.06% - N/A

Michael Smith may well be in a tough group but he begins his campaign with quite a soft opener that he should dominate relatively comfortably.

You'd expect him to hit most 180s given how prolific he usually is and if it's a resoundingly one-sided scoreline as most would expect, then the high checkout should also be in the bag.

Scoreline prediction: 5-1

AFTERNOON SESSION

Damon Heta (4/6) v Ricardo Pietreczko (11/10) (H)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 94.55 - 93.96
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.28 – 0.20
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 38.66% - 43.01%
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 13.24% - 14.09%
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 24.53% - 17.09 %

Ricardo Pietreczko has enjoyed a career-breakthrough in recent months and qualified via the European Tour and his seasonal average isn't much less than Damon Heta, who isn't firing at his usual best.

Scoreline prediction: 3-5

Andrew Gilding (4/6) v Brendan Dolan (11/10) (F)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 93.66 - 92.60
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.18 – 0.16
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 38.85% - 39.78 %
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 16.25% - 9.70%
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 16.79% - 14.17%

I've gone for Brendan Dolan to qualify from this group in my pre-tournament preview so this is obviously a key game he has to win - and I think he'll do just that. There's very little between the pair for the season but Dolan has been marginally better during these autumn months.

Scoreline prediction: 3-5

Ryan Searle (1/1) v Gian van Veen (5/6) (D)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 95.14 - 96.51
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.26 – 0.31
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 34.74% - 41.95%
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 11.88% - 11.08%
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 24.07% - 25.58%

Gian van Veen is my pick to win this group so ultimately he'll need to win this match. He's enjoyed a fantastic season and his run to the European Championship semi-finals will give him plenty of belief on the TV stage.

Scoreline prediction: 2-5

Chris Dobey (9/10) v Josh Rock (1/1) (B)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 96.12 - 96.26
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.31 – 0.27
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 38.99% - 38.60%
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 12.65% - 12.54%
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 23.81% - 23.70%

I've backed Josh Rock to top this tough group and his opening clash with Chris Dobey will be key to that outcome given how similarly they've performed this season.

I'm going for the Northern Irishman at even money although there won't be much in it at all.

Scoreline prediction: 4-5

Danny Noppert (2/9) v Haruki Muramatsu (7/2) (F)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 94.43 - 87.30
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.25 – 0.08
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 41.03% - N/A
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 11.48% - 8.44%
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 22.56% - N/A

Danny Noppert qualifyied for the event at the 11th hour but he should breeze through this encounter against the Asian Championship qualifier who has precious little experience at the highest level.

Scoreline prediction: 5-1

Nathan Aspinall (1/6) v Beau Greaves (5/1) (H)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 95.94 - 85.58
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.31 - 0.24
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 37.67% - N/A
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 11.40% - 8.58%
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 20.00% - N/A

Beau Greaves will be relishing this opportunity against the PDC's elite - especially because she won't be competing at the World Championship - and she really could push Nathan Aspinall close.

The World Matchplay champion hasn't been performing too well since his Blackpool heroics and since the start of September his average of 92 doesn't put him much higher than 50th in the PDC ranks.

Greaves can produce fireworks and must deliver close to her best to pull off a huge upset here - and I think she's got a great chance of covering the handicap at the very least.

Scoreline prediction: 3-5

Jonny Clayton (4/11) v Berry van Peer (2/1) (B)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 96.17 - 89.55
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.21 - 0.18
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 42.69% - N/A
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 15.88% - 11.90%
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 15.92% - N/A

Jonny Clayton has endured a tough few months and isn't producing the kind of darts we saw him earlier in the campaign but he'll have more than enough to see off Challenge Tour qualifier Berry van Peer.

Scoreline prediction: 5-2

Gerwyn Price (1/6) v Nathan Rafferty (5/1) (D)

• Three-Dart Average (2023): 98.77 - 89.81
• 180s per leg (2023): 0.33 - 0.17
• Checkout % (Stage Events 2023): 41.20% - 42.86%
• 100+ checkout per leg won (2023): 12.83 % - 10.31%
• Match Treble % (Win, most 180s & high checkout): 38.46% - 5.97%

Gerwyn Price is hot favourite to get off to a winning start and should probably boss all areas of the match.

Scoreline prediction: 5-1

Darts: Related content

• 2023 PDC Darts Calendar
• 2024 PDC Darts Calendar
• 2024 Premier League Season
• How legends would fare today
• Troubles and triumphs
• Tournament ideas for darts
• 'What If' moments in darts
• Agony of missed match darts
• Good, Bad, Ugly: Nicholson on darts shirts
• Referees in darts
• Calling the shots in darts
• Weird actions in darts
• Hidden talents in darts
• Superstitions in darts
• Routes to glory
• Paul Nicholson's five darts drills
• Paul Nicholson's five mental tips
• Paul Nicholson's five practice games
• Worst losers in darts
• World number ones in darts
• Best players never to be number one
• Do averages lie?
• Paul Nicholson's Ally Pally tales
• Watch all the Ally Pally nine-darters
• Players everyone hates to face
• Players everyone loves to face
• How to make it as a pro?
• How much money do players earn?
• Greatest darts rivalries
• Rivalries to cherish
• Be canny with counting
• Phil Taylor's greatest display
• World Cup of Great Darts performances
• Sky Bet's darts odds