World Grand Prix darts: Day two predictions, odds, betting tips, accas, order of play & TV times
Our guide for Monday night's action at the World Grand Prix includes the order of play, match-by-match predictions, Sky Bet odds and a suggested acca.
- World Grand Prix draw, schedule & TV guide
- Click here for Chris Hammer's betting tips
- Follow @ChrisHammer180 on Twitter
It's the second night of the PDC's third-longest running major, which runs until October 12 in Dublin, and the second half of the 32-man field are in action including the likes of Rob Cross, Peter Wright and 2017 champion Daryl Gurney.
Last night the 5/1 four-fold acca came in thanks to Mervyn King, James Wade, Michael Smith and Gary Anderson while our 24/1 six-fold acca fell down only because of Steve Beaton!
Here I'll run through all eight matches with my suggested accas listed at the bottom.
World Grand Prix: Monday October 7
Click on the odds for more Sky Bet match markets
- TV Coverage: Sky Sports (1900 BST)
- First Round: Best of 3 sets, players must start and finish all legs on a double/bullseye
Stephen Bunting (11/10) v Jonny Clayton (8/11)
Head-to-head: 1-5
2019 Meetings: 0-1
PDC Titles this season: 0-1
Career PDC Titles: 2-3
I'm forecasting no shortage of minor upsets - in the eyes of the bookies - tonight and this one is the first, as Stephen Bunting looks to impress for the second televised event in a row having made the World Matchplay quarter-finals.
The Bullet reminded everyone of his class that week in Blackpool by holding his nerve to overcome Gerwyn Price and Ian White in nailbiting encounters before being edged out 16-14 by eventual champion Rob Cross.
He's reached a couple of finals this year - including one on the European Tour - and while Jonny Clayton has managed to win a Players Championship title back in March, I'm not sure he's a worthy favourite here.
Prediction: 2-1
Vincent van der Voort (13/8) v Nathan Aspinall (1/2)
Head-to-head: 2-3
2019 Meetings: 0-0
PDC Titles this season: 0-2
Career Senior PDC Titles: 5-5
Hats off to Vincent van der Voort for earning a return to the World Grand Prix for the first time since 2015 after all his problems of previous seasons.
The Dutchman may not have won anything for about five years but he's rolled back his 43 years to embark on several lengthly runs at tournaments this season, including the Austrian Darts Championship semi-finals.
However, debutant Nathan Aspinall has thrived on the big stages over the past 12 months and this is clearly where the UK Open and US Darts Masters champion is meant to be.
On what could be n otherwise tough night for the favourites, I expect the Asp to be a comfortable winner.
Prediction: 0-2
Adrian Lewis (4/5) v Jermaine Wattimena (1/1)
Head-to-head: 3-0
2019 Meetings: 0-1
PDC Titles this season: 1-0
Career PDC Titles: 25-0
It's great for the game to have Adrian Lewis climbing back up the rankings and he backed up his first title for two years back in March with an array of semi-final and quarter-final runs this season.
However, Jackpot failed to win a match in either televised events he's played in this season - the UK Open and World Matchplay - and you just wonder if he might be trying too hard in the spotlight to prove himself.
The fast throwing Jermaine Wattimena, who has enjoyed a strong enough season to earn a second successive Dublin appearance, will be a dangerous opponent for Lewis especially if he finds his rhythm early on.
Prediction: 1-2
Glen Durrant (4/6) v Krzysztof Ratajski (6/5)
Head-to-head: 1-2
2019 Meetings: 1-1
PDC Titles this season: 2-3
Career PDC Titles: 2-6
Glen Durrant and Krzysztof Ratajski have been two of the biggest success stories outside the world's top 16 this season and this could well be the tie of the night.
Three-time BDO world champion Duzza has soared up the rankings in his debut PDC season, winning two titles, reaching two other finals and lighting up Blackpool where he defeated Michael van Gerwen during a dazzling run to the World Matchplay semi-finals.
A debut on this Dublin stage will hold no fear for the Teesider but he is in for a baptism of fire against the Polish Eagle, who has won three tournaments in 2019 to take his tally to six.
There had been doubts whether Ratajski could take his undoubted talents onto the stage environment but he blew those questions out of the water when brilliantly winning the Gibraltar Darts Trophy on the European Tour last month and that'll do his confidence no end of good.
Prediction: 1-2
Daryl Gurney (2/5) v Danny Noppert (2/1)
Head-to-head: 5-0
2019 Meetings: 2-0
PDC Titles this season: 2-0
Career PDC Titles: 5-1
Obviously in such an elite 32-player field such as this, there are no easy games especially with this format but I am expecting Daryl Gurney to justify his favourtism in this clash.
The Northern Irishman is one of just three past Dublin winners competing in this year's staging having lifted his maiden televised title in 2017 while he also reached the semi-finals 12 months ago.
Since then - although he may not admit it due to his negative thinking talk - his confidence must have grown even further by winning the 2018 Players Championship Finals , reaching the Premier League semi-finals and landing two titles this season including a first on the European Tour.
Gurney's double in percentage of 53.61% over the past two stagings is highest out of anyone so he'll be looking forward to this challenge more than most.
I'm not dismissing Danny Noppert out of hand but not even he would be waxing lyrical about his own season.
Prediction: 2-0
Gerwyn Price (4/6) v Dave Chisnall (6/5)
Head-to-head: 3-3
2019 Meetings: 1-0
PDC Titles this season: 4-3
Career PDC Titles: 8-16
If Glen Durrant v Krzysztof Ratajski is the match between the two success stories outside the top 16, then this is one between two of the highest achievers within the top 16 this season.
Whereas Gerwyn Price is continuing his formidable rise up the rankings with four titles, including an amusingly heated one against Krzysztof Ratajski in the usually quiet atmosphere of a Players Championship event last week, Dave Chisnall is embarking on a revival after a couple of difficult seasons.
Gerwyn Price refusing Krzysztof Ratajski's offer of a fist bump in that heated final on Friday.
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) October 5, 2019
Afterwards he said: "We don't meet eye to eye, he plays his game I play mine. I'm not going to fist bump him to wish him all the best in the last leg - I hope he plays rubbish!" pic.twitter.com/lLnBrs6y14
Chizzy won his first title since 2017 way back in February but has kicked on to clinch a further two, with the most important being the Danish Darts Open which saw him end a six-year wait for one on a stage environment.
The popular St Helens thrower also bagged his third nine-darter of the season at the recent Gibraltar Darts Trophy before losing the final to Ratajski so he's clearly in a better place than he has been in recent times.
Dave Chisnall's THIRD nine-darter of the season and the 11th of his career! pic.twitter.com/l6FrDZO0DY
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) September 29, 2019
Against my better judgement, I have gone with Chisnall to finally end his wait for a televised title this week so I'm obviously going to have to side with him tonight as well!
Prediction: 1-2
Rob Cross (8/11) v Mensur Suljovic (11/10)
Head-to-head: 7-6
2019 Meetings: 2-1
PDC Titles this season: 1-2
Career PDC Titles: 9-7
Rob Cross couldn't have asked for a much tougher draw as he bids to win a match on this stage for the first time.
Voltage lost to Steve Beaton on each of his two previous World Grand Prix outings despite being a very warm favourite so if he wants to get off the mark, he'll have to do it against a player who has reached the semi-finals here in three of the last four years.
Even if the World Matchplay champion gets past Mensur Suljovic, his route to a third televised major title could read something like this: Durrant/Ratajski, Wright, Gurney and MVG!
Cross is clearly talented and confidence enough to rise to this challenge but the wily Suljovic, who has played brilliantly under pressure to win a pair of titles in deciding legs this season, will be well up for it.
Very tough to call but I may just have to edge with Cross.
Prediction: 2-1
Peter Wright (1/3) v Max Hopp (23/10)
Head-to-head: 5-1
2019 Meetings: 0-0
PDC Titles this season: 3-0
Career PDC Senior Titles: 26-3
Peter Wright is the shortest priced favourite of the night and that's hardly surprising considering the ruthless consistency he's found in the second half of the season.
Last year's runner-up won those three tournaments in a row prior to reaching the quarter-finals of the World Matchplay, and since then he's made four semi-finals on the circuit.
In the build-up to the tournament he told www.pdc.tv: "I've spent hours going for tops, wearing it out almost. At the moment I'm playing well, I'm hitting plenty of double-start nine-darters in practice.
"I've got good memories from Dublin last year when I beat Mensur [Suljovic] in the semis. This year I've got Max [Hopp] first up, he's a fantastic player but in my mind I'm playing better than anyone so it doesn't bother me who I play."
Hopp has managed to reach one final this year but apart from that he's not really set the pulses racing and I can't really see a shock in this one.
Prediction: 2-0
Monday's darts accas
- Bunting, Wattimena, Ratajski & Gurney at 12/1
- Bunting, Wattimena, Ratajski, Aspinall & Gurney at 18/1
- Bunting, Wattimena, Ratajski, Aspinall, Gurney, Chisnall & Cross at 73/1
- Click here to build your accas
Schedule for Tuesday October 7
Tuesday October 8 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Second Round (Best of five sets)
- James Wade v Mervyn King
- Michael Smith v Ian White
- Michael van Gerwen v Jeffrey De Zwaan
- Gary Anderson v Chris Dobey
World Grand Prix draw, schedule & TV guide
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