Luke Littler faces Beau Greaves on night one of the Grand Slam of Darts
Luke Littler faces Beau Greaves on night one of the Grand Slam of Darts

Grand Slam of Darts 2026: Day one predictions, betting tips, acca, order of play and TV time

Darts
Sat November 14, 2026 · 5h ago

The 2026 Grand Slam of Darts gets under way on Saturday so check out Chris Hammer's match-by-match predictions, best bets and a suggested acca.

Grand Slam: Evening session (1900)

  • TV Coverage: Sky Sports
  • Format: Group Stage, Best of nine legs

SL EVENING ACCA: 1pt Price (-2.5), MVG, Wade & Greaves (+2.5) all to win at 7/1 (Sky Bet)

Gerwyn Price v Joe Hunt (Group E)

Gerwyn Price will have felt pretty pleased with the group he's ended up in and but this format means he can't take anyone lightly as just one slip-up could mean curtains.

The season stats for players in Grand Slam of Darts Group E

Price's first match is against PDC Challenge Tour winner Joe Hunt and while his seasonal average of over 90 is very respectable, it is his first appearance at a major tournament and he could be overwhelmed.

Verdict: 5-2

James Wade v Cam Crabtree (Group K)

James Wade is one of my outright picks to win the title so obviously I'm going to have to side with the Machine in his opening contest against rising star Cam Crabtree.

The season stats for players in Grand Slam of Darts Group K

His opponent hit the headlines recently by beating Luke Littler in the World Youth Championship semi-finals but we've got to take more into account than that, especially with how well Wade has played this season, winning multiple titles and challenging for major honours.

Verdict: 5-2

Ross Smith v Rusty-Jake Rodriguez (Group O)

Ross Smith is another of my outright title picks and I'd expect him to make short work of Rusty-Jake Rodriguez in his opening match.

The season stats for players in Grand Slam of Darts Group O

Smith is one of the stars of the season with six titles, including two of the last three majors, while the last time Rodriguez appeared at the Grand Slam was back in 2021 when he lost all three of his group games.

Verdict: 5-1

Michael van Gerwen v Henry Coates (Group L)

As much as Michael van Gerwen has struggled this year, I do think he's being underestimated against a youngster who has almost no major experience.

The season stats for players in Grand Slam of Darts Group L

Henry Coates was a brilliant winner of a Players Championship event earlier this year despite not having a Tour Card but apart from a few early round wins at the UK Open, he's not yet tasted a big stage atmosphere and it will be quite daunting to make that debut against MVG.

Sure, the Dutchman doesn't have the same fear factor of old but he still has a healthy seasonal average advantage over Coates and will be extra focused to make sure he gets through this tough group.

Verdict: 5-3

Luke Humphries v Paolo Nebrida (Group I)

Luke Humphries has found title-winning form at just the right time in the season and I can't see him slipping up in his opener against Paolo Nebrida, who won the Asian Championship to qualify for his Grand Slam debut.

The season stats for players in Grand Slam of Darts Group I

Obviously we're all familiar with Nebrida for his appearances at the Ally Pally and the World Cup in recent years - most notably his shock win over Ross Smith a couple of years ago - but his seasonal average of 85 is so much lower than Humphries' 99 and he may well be blown away.

Verdict: 5-1

Luke Littler v Beau Greaves (Group A)

I am backing Luke Littler to win his third Grand Slam title in a row but I do feel this could well prove to be his closest match in terms of a scoreline as he takes on Beau Greaves for the first time on TV.

The season stats for players in Grand Slam of Darts Group A

The pair have met twice before in PDC competitions and both best-of-11 leg matches went the distance, with Littler winning the first in a Players Championship event before Greaves got revenge in the 2025 World Youth Championship semi-finals.

This is a huge showdown for darts and comes hot on the heels of Fallon Sherrock beating Littler on Netflix over one leg to win a whopping £501,000.

Greaves has no hint of envy about it and insists she'd never have swapped her Tour Card for just a chance of facing him on a major stage - because now she's earned it the proper way in style.

The Doncaster star made more history in her incredible career by becoming the first woman to win a PDC ranking title, holding her nerve in a thrilling deciding leg against Michael Smith to do so.

She can definitely give Littler a run for his money - albeit not £501,000 of it - so I'll include her on the handicap in my acca.

Verdict: 5-4

Gian van Veen v Carl Sneyd (Group M)

Gian van Veen surprisingly hasn't won any titles this year but knew he'd be in this tournament ever since lifting the 2025 World Youth Championship last November.

The season stats for players in Grand Slam of Darts Group M

That said, the Dutch number one has enjoyed plenty of lengthy run in events both on the stage and floor, so it would be unfair to call it a terrible season and he should have too much quality to deal with Carl Sneyd, whose seasonal average is just 88.

Verdict: 5-2

Chris Dobey v Jan Schmidt (Group N)

The last match of a very long day sees Chris Dobey taking on German youngster Jan Schmidt, who is making his big stage debut thanks to reaching the World Youth Championship final.

The season stats for players in Grand Slam of Darts Group N

Dobey has added three more ranking titles to his collection this year and boasts a seasonal average that's over 10 points higher than Schmidt, so it would take a brave punter to bet against Hollywood tonight.

Verdict: 5-1

Afternoon Session (1200 GMT)

  • TV Coverage: Sky Sports
  • Format: Group Stage, Best of nine legs

SL AFTERNOON ACCA: 1pt Woodhouse, Rock & Manby all to win at 12/1 (Sky Bet)

Luke Woodhouse v Tom Sykes (Group J)

Luke Woodhouse has enjoyed the best season of his career having won a couple of titles and also hit the headlines for his victory over Luke Littler at the World Grand Prix.

The season stats for players in Grand Slam of Darts Group J

Tom Sykes came through the Grand Slam qualifier to book his place in Wolverhampton but he lacks the big stage experience and I fancy Woodhouse to pick up a relatively comfortable victory.

Verdict: 5-2

Jermaine Wattimena v Lisa Ashton (Group B)

Jermaine Wattimena is favourite to come through Group B and should have too much quality for Lisa Ashton to deal with as she bids for her first ever win on this stage.

The season stats for players in Grand Slam of Darts Group B

Ashton has lost all her 15 group stage matches dating back to 2019 and with a seasonal average of 79, I can't see her troubling the Machine Gun.

Verdict: 5-1

Stephen Bunting v Raymond Smith (Group D)

Stephen Bunting hasn't enjoyed the best of seasons having failed to win a title of any kind, while he's only managed to reach one quarter-final on the major stage in 2026.

The season stats for players in Grand Slam of Darts Group D

Nevertheless he's still favourite to come through this group ahead of Cameron Menzies and his overall quality and experience gives him a big advantage over Raymond Smith, who is here by virtue of winning the ANZ Premier League.

Verdict: 5-2

Ryan Searle v Charlie Manby (Group F)

Charlie Manby had big expectations on his shoulders after his superb World Championship debut back in December and after a relatively quiet season, he reminded everyone what he could do by winning his maiden PDC title at Players Championship 31.

The season stats for players in Grand Slam of Darts Group F

Although Ryan Searle has a lot more big stage experience, he's not actually enjoyed any good major runs since reaching the semi-finals at the Ally Pally, and Manby has what it takes to spring a surprise.

Verdict: 3-5

Josh Rock v Tommy Morris (Group C)

Tommy Morris doesn't have a PDC Tour Card yet but he's certainly played like he does in recent weeks, reaching two of the last three Players Championship finals.

And he beat none other than Luke Humphries to win the last of those to seal his place at the Grand Slam of Darts.

The season stats for players in Grand Slam of Darts Group C

However this will be his first appearance on the big stage and his lack of experience gives Josh Rock a huge advantage, even if the Northern Irishman hasn't exactly been at his best this year.

Verdict: 5-2

Wessel Nijman v Adam Sevada (Group H)

There's a huge gulf in class between Wessel Nijman and Adam Sevada, so this is one of the easiest wins to predict on the opening day.

The season stats for players in Grand Slam of Darts Group H

Nijman has won eight titles on the PDC Tour this season while his seasonal average of around 97 is almost 10 points higher than that of Sevada, who arrives here by virtue of winning the North American Championship.

Verdict: 5-1

Nathan Aspinall v Maik Kuivenhoven (Group P)

All logical signs point towards a dominant victory for Nathan Aspinall.

The season stats for players in Grand Slam of Darts Group P

Not only does the Asp has far superior seasonal stats but his pedigree and experience also give him a big advantage over Maik Kuivenhoven, who came through the Grand Slam qualifying event.

Verdict: 5-1

Jonny Clayton v Anton Ostlund (Group G)

Jonny Clayton is too polite to admit this, but the only threat he faces against Anton Ostlund is potential complacency.

The season stats for players in Grand Slam of Darts Group G

The PDC Nordic & Baltic Championship winner only has a seasonal average of 83 compared to Clayton's 95.5 and could also be a rabbit in headlights on his major tournament debut.

Verdict: 5-1

Grand Slam of Darts: Schedule of Play

Saturday November 14
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Afternoon Session (1300 GMT)
Group Matches (Best of nine legs, Seeded Player v Player C)

  • Luke Woodhouse v Tom Sykes (J)
  • Jermaine Wattimena v Lisa Ashton (B)
  • Stephen Bunting v Raymond Smith (D)
  • Ryan Searle v Charlie Manby (F)
  • Josh Rock v Tommy Morris (C)
  • Wessel Nijman v Adam Sevada (H)
  • Nathan Aspinall v Maik Kuivenhoven (P)
  • Jonny Clayton v Anton Ostlund (G)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
(Best of nine legs, Seeded Player v Player C)

  • Gerwyn Price v Joe Hunt (E)
  • James Wade v Cam Crabtree (K)
  • Ross Smith v Rusty-Jake Rodriguez (O)
  • Michael van Gerwen v Henry Coates (L)
  • Luke Humphries v Paolo Nebrida (I)
  • Luke Littler v Beau Greaves (A)
  • Gian van Veen v Carl Sneyd (M)
  • Chris Dobey v Jan Schmidt (N)

Sunday November 15
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Afternoon Session (1300 GMT)
Group Stage (Best of nine legs, Player B v Saturday Afternoon’s Losing Player)

  • Eight Matches

Evening Session (1930 GMT)

  • Eight Matches

Monday November 16 (1900 GMT)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Groups A-H (Best of nine legs,Player B v Saturday’s Winning Player)

  • Eight Matches

Tuesday November 17 (1900 GMT)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Groups I-P (Best of nine legs, Player B v Saturday’s Winning Player)

  • Eight Matches

Wednesday November 18 (1900 GMT)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Round Two (Best of 19 legs)

  • Winner Group A v Winner Group B
  • Winner Group C v Winner Group D
  • Winner Group E v Winner Group F
  • Winner Group G v Winner Group H

Thursday November 19 (1900 GMT)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Round Two (Best of 19 legs)

  • Winner Group I v Winner Group J
  • Winner Group K v Winner Group L
  • Winner Group M v Winner Group N
  • Winner Group O v Winner Group P

Friday November 20 (1900 GMT)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Quarter-Finals (Best of 31 legs)

  • Winner A/B v Winner C/D
  • Winner E/F v Winner G/H

Saturday November 21 (1900 GMT)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Quarter-Finals (Best of 31 legs)

  • Winner I/J v Winner K/L
  • Winner M/N v Winner O/P

Sunday November 22
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Afternoon Session (1300 GMT)
Semi-Final (Best of 31 legs)

  • Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 2
  • Winner QF 3 v Winner QF 4

Evening Session (1930 GMT)
Final (Best of 31 legs)

  • Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2

Grand Slam of Darts: Tournament format

Group Stage (Potentially complicated!!)

  • 16x groups of three players
  • Top 16 qualified players from PDC Rankings seeded. Next 16 qualified players from PDC Rankings numbered 17-32 for draw, and remaining players numbered 33-48 for draw (with any players without a ranking listed at the end in alphabetical order).
  • Two points will be awarded for a win, and no points are awarded for a defeat.
  • Should there be a three-way points tie in any group after the round-robin games have been played, these would be split as follows:
  • Should there be a three-way points tie in any group after the round-robin games have been played, these would be split as follows:
    • Total Leg Difference
    • Total Legs Won
    • Total Legs Won Against Throw
    • Highest Total Tournament Average (to two decimal places)
    • Highest Winning Match Average (to two decimal places)
    • If players cannot be split after the above criteria has been applied, a play-off will be organised between the players at the end of the session in which the final group game is played, and will be a two-way or three-way nine-dart shoot-out in which the player scoring the most points is deemed the winner, the player scoring the second highest points total would be deemed to have finished second in the group, with the lowest total finishing third. The order of throw would be determined by PDC Ranking, with the highest-ranked player having the option to throw first, second or third (if applicable), and the second-highest ranked player then having the second option of which order to throw in should there be three players involved. Should any scores be tied after nine darts, those players would continue throwing three darts apiece until there is a separation.

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 £200,000
  • Runner-Up £100,000
  • Semi-Finalists £60,000
  • Quarter-Finalists £35,000
  • Last 16 £20,000
  • Second In Group £12,500
  • Third in Group £5,000
  • Group Winner Bonus £3,500
  • Total: £1,000,000

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 lifted the trophy 12 months later in 2023.

Since then it's been the Luke Littler show, with the Nuke winning all of his matches on the Wolverhampton stage over the past two years to get his hands on the Eric Bristow Trophy twice.

Grand Slam of Darts Finals

Grand Slam of Darts Most Titles

  • Phil Taylor - 6
  • Michael van Gerwen - 3
  • Gerwyn Price - 3
  • Luke Littler - 2
  • Luke Humphries - 1
  • Michael Smith - 1
  • Jose de Sousa - 1
  • Scott Waites - 1
  • Raymond van Barneveld - 1

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