Grand Slam of Darts 2025: Free darts betting tips and group-by-group preview for the Sky Sports-televised major in Wolverhampton

Darts betting tips: Grand Slam of Darts

2pts e.w. Gerwyn Price to win the Grand Slam of Darts at 9/1 (General)

0.5pt e.w. Chris Dobey to win the Grand Slam of Darts at 28/1 (Sky Bet 1/2 1,2)

1pt Nathan Aspinall to win Group A at 5/2 (Sky Bet)

1pt Beau Greaves to qualify from Group H at 7/4 (General)

1pt Wessel Nijman to top Group F at 11/4 (Coral Ladbrokes)

SL Acca: 0.5pts Aspinall, Price, MVG and Noppert all to win their groups at 33/1 with Sky Bet

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

The Grand Slam of Darts is not only one of the most popular majors on the calendar but also a key indicator as to who is peaking at just the right time ahead of the World Championship.

The last three winners of this event – Michael Smith, Luke Humphries and Luke Littler – all followed up their Wolverhampton success by lifting the greatest prize in darts roughly six weeks later so anyone who shines here is clearly peaking at the right time.

Given the nature of the unique qualifying criteria, there are plenty of players in this field who aren't given much hope by the bookies but, as we are continually reminded in this crazy world of darts, anything is possible.

Just ask Martin Lukeman, who incredibly reached the final here 12 months ago as a massive underdog before being dismantled by a Squashies-fuelled Littler.

In this preview I'll look at each group in turn, with seasonal statistics for every player as well as predictions as to who will make the knockout stages.

Grand Slam of Darts Group Stage

• All group games best of nine legs. Top two qualify for knockout stages. Any two-way points tie in any position, the player with best leg difference will finish higher. If two players are still level then the winner of the match between them will progress. There is the potential for a Nine-Dart Shoot-Out should three or more players be tied for points and leg difference

GROUP A

It's great to see Michael Smith back on the big stage again after a year of injury troubles that have seen him tumble down the rankings and out of the qualification picture for all the majors since the UK Open back in March.

The 2022 Grand Slam champion felt everyone had forgotten his name but the social media reaction to his last-gasp qualification for this event should reassure him that we all still very much remember what he's achieved, and what's he's capable of.

As much as I'd like to see a fairytale run for Bully Boy, unfortunately I'm going to let my head rule my heart on this one and also be very predictable by forecasting a 1-2 finish in any order for Luke Humphries and Nathan Aspinall.

Cool Hand obviously boasts extremely impressive seasonal stats as well as a title haul that includes the Premier League while he's also got that extra motivation of hanging on to his world number one spot for another week at least.

Nathan Aspinall is playing his best darts for a long time, with three titles on the European Tour as well as some encouraging runs on the big stage.

He knows a good run in Wolverhampton will see him climb up the rankings and put himself firmly in the picture for another Premier League call-up.

Over a short format, I wouldn't be surprised to see a very minor upset when it comes to the group standings, with Aspinall coming out on top.

Predicted Finish:

1. Aspinall
2. Humphries
3. Smith
4. Spellman

GROUP B

Chris Dobey has fallen well out of the conversation for a Premier League call-up next season due to a string of early exits in all the ranked majors since reaching the World Championship semi-finals.

But away from the TV cameras he's won three Players Championship titles and his average of 97.6 since the start of September puts him in the top five on the circuit in that timeframe.

In some ways you could say he's left it late in the day to get back into everyone's thinking but ultimately this is the most important stage of the season and maybe he's just timing his run to perfection.

Hollywood is the form player in this group and it's not as if anyone else can boast any big TV runs in 2025 so I'm pretty strong on Dobey topping this group ahead of Damon Heta.

The Aussie has enjoyed a pretty good year without achieving what he would have hoped for in the majors and he should have too much for Martin Lukeman, who's not really built on that incredible run to the 2024 final.

I wouldn't even be surprised if rising star Jurjen van der Velde, who has won three titles across the Development and Challenge Tours this season, is able to pick up a win against him to finish third.

Predicted Finish:

1. Dobey
2. Heta
3. van der Velde
4. Lukeman

GROUP C

Stephen Bunting would probably give himself 7/10 for the season so far having won plenty of titles but not really delivered the goods on the major stages.

His seasonal stats, however, are up there with the very best and it's hard to imagine him going home early in Wolverhampton when you consider how he compares to his Group C rivals.

We can't completely discount Asian Tour star Alexis Toylo if he entertains us like he did at the Ally Pally last year but it's probably going to be a battle between Luke Woodhouse and Martin Schindler for the runners-up spot.

As consistent Schindler has been on the Pro Tour and European Tour, he just never seems to produce his best on the major stage and he's actually never been out of the groups in five previous outings.

He will sense this could be the year he finally breaks his curse and while Woodhouse is continuing his upward curve with a couple of finals on the Pro Tour and European Tour in recent months, the German can get the job done.

Predicted Finish:

1. Bunting
2. Schindler
3. Woodhouse
4. Toylo

GROUP D

Gerwyn Price may well be regarded as one of the sport's biggest Box Office stars but there's a growing concern that he faces the possibility of being left out of the Premier League unless he picks up one of the three remaining majors.

He's won six titles this year but there's been no success in the ranked majors and the last time he got his hands on one of those was the 2021 Grand Slam of Darts.

The Iceman has also raised some concerns over his weight loss this season but he insists he's feeling better than ever from a physical and health point of view, and the fact he's still picking up Pro Tour titles and producing a high level of stats proves it's not negatively affecting his technique.

His average since the start of September is 97.16 and that puts him sixth overall so his game is there – it's just about rediscovering his magic touch in the very clutch moments on the big stage.

He'll look back on that World Grand Prix quarter-final with Littler as one that got away and that could have changed the complexion of his entire season.

This is another prime opportunity for him in a location that he loves with three Grand Slam titles to his name, while he's going to be in the opposite half of the draw to Luke Littler if he makes the knockout stages which bodes well for his chances.

So not only do I fancy him to sail through this group, I'll going to back him for the title at each-way prices.

James Wade should join him in the knockout stages having saved most of his best darts this season for the majors, reaching two finals at the UK Open and World Matchplay as well as a decent run to the European Championship quarter-finals.

The Machine, who is up to five in the world and also vying for a Premier League spot, has an incredible record at this event without winning it having reached three finals and two additional semi-finals, while he's only failed to reach the knockout stages once in 17 previous appearances.

Predicted Finish:

1. Price
2. Wade
3. Evans
4. Bellmont

GROUP E

There are no certainties in darts but if Luke Littler fails to get out of this group – even over best of 9 leg matches – it really would be an almighty shock.

Even finishing runner-up would be a surprise so I think we can put a line through this group as one to find much value out of.

Nobody needs any new more information about why Littler is clear favourite for the title having won four of the PDC's 'Premier Events' in 2025 and reaching the final in two others, but his early exit in the European Championship proves he is still human.

As for who's joining him in the knockout stages from this group, I can foresee a situation where Daryl Gurney, Connor Scutt and Karel Sedlacek all end up on two points, so I feel it's a bit of a lottery to make a solid call.

In situations like this, it could be worth going for the outsider of the three in Sedlacek but the price is probably about right.

Predicted Finish:

1. Littler
2. Sedlacek
3. Gurney
4. Scutt

GROUP F

Gian van Veen, Wessel Nijman and Josh Rock must be wondering what they've done wrong to end up in the 'Group of Death' for the second year in a row.

All three of them were grouped together alongside Stephen Bunting 12 months ago, with Rock and Nijman both departing despite posting ridiculous averages in some incredible matches.

In fact Nijman averaged 106, 105 and 111 in this three games and lost the lot!

Absolutely no disrespect to Lisa Ashton, but given the gulf in ability and seasonal stats, at least it's more of a three-way shoot-out for two spots this time rather than four.

Van Veen topped the group with three wins 12 months ago and obviously now arrives in Wolverhampton as an even more confident major champion after his success at the European Championship.

The manner in which he bounced back from missing title darts to then win the deciding leg against Luke Humphries shows tremendous character and this is just the start.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Dutch youngster, who's averaging just shy of 100 since the start of September in all competitions, go far here but this is such a tough group that it wouldn't be a disgrace to fall short of qualification.

Rock has also enjoyed a superb season and will probably be in the Premier League alongside van Veen next year while Nijman won the last Players Championship event of the season last week a day after reaching a semi-final, and a day before cruising through the Grand Slam qualifying event.

In total he's won 16 of his last 17 matches and while none of those have been on the big stage, this could be an opportunity to finally deliver on TV. He's worth a small bet at the prices.

Predicted Finish:

1. Nijman
2. Van Veen
3. Rock
4. Ashton

GROUP G

All eyes will be on Beau Greaves in Group G and her two blockbuster matches against Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson.

That's no disrespect to rising star Niko Springer, of course, but Greaves versus two absolute legends of the game is as exciting as it could possibly get for her at this stage of her career.

Greaves has not only dominated the Women's Series this year with 86 consecutive victories that brought her an incredible 13 titles in a row but she's also picked up wins on both the Development Tour and Challenge Tour to take her overall tally to a whopping 21, as well as hitting the headlines for her sensational last-leg win over Luke Littler in the World Youth Championship semi-finals.

The 100+ averages are getting far more frequent for her and she clearly relishes the toughest of challenges, as we saw with the 105.02 against Littler earlier this month.

Although she's yet to get through the group stage in two previous outings, she came agonisingly close in 2023 when losing a last-leg decider to Damon Heta, while 12 months ago she did at least pick up a 5-1 win over Cameron Menzies.

I think she'll win a game, possibly even two and qualify for the knockout stages for the first time in her career.

As for who misses out, I fear for Anderson's chances of performing well here given his lack of recent form and struggles on the big stage since the 2024 Grand Slam when he came so close to reaching the final.

That came at the end of a really good season, however, whereas this hasn't been so great and it seems as if he's running out of steam now compared to the younger, hungrier players.

Springer is one of those and certainly isn't without a chance of progressing but I'm favouring Michael van Gerwen, who has played to a high level in the latter half of the season despite his problems away from the oche.

He beat Luke Littler in the World Series of Darts Finals in September and also reached the last four of the European Championship where he was undone by eventual winner Gian van Veen in the semis.

Predicted Finish:

1. MVG
2. Beau Greaves
3. Niko Springer
4. Gary Anderson

GROUP H

All logic points to Jonny Clayton and Danny Noppert progressing from this group given their wealth of big-stage form and experience.

Noppert may not have picked up any titles this year but he's been particularly strong in the majors having reaching three semi-finals at the World Masters, World Grand Prix and European Championship.

Jonny Clayton can raise him to three semi-finals and a final at the World Masters, which he narrowly lost to Luke Humphries, while he has also picked up a couple of non-televised titles.

Cam Crabtree is certainly a bright prospect for the future judging from his fine performances on the Development Tour and also the Pro Tour circuit, so in this short format, he'll fancy his chances of giving a good account of himself.

The same could be said of Lukas Wenig but overall I'm going for the two big guns, with Noppert to top the standings.

Predicted Finish:

1. Noppert
2. Clayton
3. Crabtree
4. Wenig

Grand Slam of Darts: Daily Schedule and results

Click for Sky Bet's darts odds

Saturday November 8
Afternoon Session (1pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Group Matches (Best of 9 legs)

• Danny Noppert v Lukas Wenig (H)
• Damon Heta v Martin Lukeman (B)
• Chris Dobey v Jurjen van der Velde (B)
• Gerwyn Price v Ricky Evans (D)
• James Wade v Stefan Bellmont (D)
• Jonny Clayton v Cam Crabtree (H)
• Josh Rock v Wessel Nijman (F)
• Gian van Veen v Lisa Ashton (F)

Evening Session (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Group Matches (Best of 9 legs)

• Daryl Gurney v Connor Scutt (E)
• Martin Schindler v Luke Woodhouse (C)
• Nathan Aspinall v Michael Smith (A)
• Gary Anderson v Niko Springer (G)
• Luke Humphries v Alex Spellman (A)
• Luke Littler v Karel Sedlacek (E)
• Michael van Gerwen v Beau Greaves (G)
• Stephen Bunting v Alexis Toylo (C)

Sunday November 9
Afternoon Session (1pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Group Matches (Best of 9 legs)

• Groups B-C-D-H Second Matches
• Saturday’s winning players in each group meet, and Saturday’s losing players in each group meet.

Evening Session (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Group Matches (Best of 9 legs)

• Group Stage x8 - Groups A-E-F-G Second Matches
• Saturday’s winning players in each group meet, and Saturday’s losing players in each group meet.

Monday November 12 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Group Matches (Best of 9 legs)

• Group Stage x8
• Groups A-D Final Matches

Tuesday November 13 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Group Matches (Best of 9 legs)

• Group Stage x8
• Groups E-H Final Matches

Wednesday November 14 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Second Round (Best of 19 legs)

• Four Matches

Thursday November 15 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Second Round (Best of 19 legs)

• Four Matches

Friday November 16
Evening Session (1pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Quarter-finals (Best of 31 legs)

• Two Matches

Saturday November 17
Evening Session (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Quarter-finals (Best of 31 legs)

• Two Matches

Sunday November 18
Afternoon Session (1pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Semi-finals (Best of 31 legs)

• Two Matches

Evening Session (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Final (Best of 31 legs)

• Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2

What TV channel is the Grand Slam of Darts on?

Every session of the Grand Slam of Darts will be televised live on Sky Sports.

Grand Slam of Darts: Tournament format

Group Stage (Potentially complicated!!)

The 32 players are drawn into eight groups of four players during the round-robin stage, and they will play each other once. The opening games are decided by a draw, with the second set of matches seeing the two winners from the first games meeting each other, and the two losers also playing each other. The third set of matches will consist of the pairings which have not previously met.

Two points are awarded for a win and no points will be awarded for a loss. Each game is the best of nine legs.

The top two players in each group will progress to the knockout phase. Should there be a two-way points tie for first place in any group, then the player with the best leg difference will be deemed to have won the group. If both players have the same leg difference, then the player who won the group match between the two players will be deemed to have won the group.

Should Points, Leg Difference, Tournament Average and Legs Won Against Throw not be able to separate three players, then if one player has defeated both of the other two players then this player will be deemed to have finished higher, and the winner of the group match between the remaining two players will be the ‘second’ of the three. Should the three players have secured one win apiece against each other, then a Nine-Dart Shoot-Out will be played between the relevant players to determine final standings, with the highest aggregate score over nine darts being used to separate players.

In the event a “Nine-Dart Shoot-Out” finishes level between two or more players, those players who have tied on the most points will continue to throw three darts each in the same order until one player scores more points than the other player(s) with his three darts.

From the second round onwards, the tournament will be in a knockout format.

Knockout stage (far more simple!)

From the second round onwards, the tournament will be in a knockout format. There will be no tie-break rule employed in any match.

Grand Slam of Darts: Prize money

• Winner £150,000
• Runner-Up £70,000
• Semi-Finalists £50,000
• Quarter-Finalists £25,000
• Second Round Losers £12,250
• Third in Group £8,000
• Fourth in Group £5,000
• Group Winner Bonus £3,500
• Total: £650,000

Grand Slam of Darts: The History

The Grand Slam of Darts used to bring together the best players from the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and the British Darts Organisation (BDO) but since the latter's demise in 2020, it's now purely a PDC event.

Phil Taylor won the first three finals against Andy Hamilton, Terry Jenkins and Scott Waites - averaging over 100 in each one - but he failed at the quarter-final stages to Steve Beaton in 2010.

That year, Waites bounced back from his 16-2 hammering at the hands of 12 months to become the first ever BDO player to win the event by coming from 8-0 down to defeat James Wade. No other BDO player has ever reached the final.

Taylor averaged over 109 in a 16-4 thrashing of Gary Anderson to reclaim the title in 2011 before Raymond van Barneveld edged a thrilling all-Dutch battle to beat Michael van Gerwen in 2012.

Two more titles for The Power followed in 2013 and 2014 to take his overall tally to six when he defeated Robert Thornton and Dave Chisnall but he would lose his first final in 2015 when Michael van Gerwen triumphed 16-13 in a high-quality showdown.

The Dutchman twice successfully defended his crown in 2016 and 2017 with victories over James Wade and Peter Wright respectively but the next year Gerwyn Price would bag his first televised title with a controversial victory over Gary Anderson.

The Welshman would go on to defend his crown 12 months later with a brutal 16-6 demolition job over Snakebite before Jose de Sousa triumphed over James Wade in 2020.

Price would then bring up a hat-trick of titles in this competition when defeating Wright in the 2021 final while Michael Smith broke his major duck in 2022 before Luke Humphries and Luke Littler lifted the trophy in 2023 and 2024 respectively.

Grand Slam of Darts Finals

• 2007 - Phil Taylor 18-11 Andy Hamilton
• 2008 - Phil Taylor 18-9 Terry Jenkins
• 2009 - Phil Taylor 16-2 Scott Waites
• 2010 - Scott Waites 16-12 James Wade
• 2011 - Phil Taylor 16-4 Gary Anderson
• 2012 - Raymond van Barneveld 16-14 Michael van Gerwen
• 2013 - Phil Taylor 16-6 Robert Thornton
• 2014 - Phil Taylor 16-13 Dave Chisnall
• 2015 - Michael van Gerwen 16-13 Phil Taylor
• 2016 - Michael van Gerwen 16-8 James Wade
• 2017 - Michael van Gerwen 16-12 Peter Wright
• 2018 - Gerwyn Price 16-13 Gary Anderson
• 2019 - Gerwyn Price 16-6 Peter Wright
• 2020 - Jose de Sousa 16-12 James Wade
• 2021 - Gerwyn Price 16-8 Peter Wright
• 2022 - Michael Smith 16-5 Nathan Aspinall
• 2023 - Luke Humphries 16-8 Rob Cross
• 2024 - Luke Humphries 16-8 Rob Cross
• 2023 - Luke Littler 16-3 Martin Lukeman

Grand Slam of Darts Most Titles

• Phil Taylor - 6
• Michael van Gerwen - 3
• Gerwyn Price - 3
• Luke Littler - 1
• Luke Humphries - 1
• Michael Smith - 1
• Jose de Sousa - 1
• Scott Waites - 1
• Raymond van Barneveld - 1

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