World Grand Prix 2022: Darts betting tips, preview and predictions for the Sky Sports-televised major in Leicester

Darts betting tips: World Grand Prix

1pt each-way James Wade to win the World Grand Prix at 33/1 (Bet365, 1/2, 1,2)

1pt each-way Danny Noppert to win the World Grand Prix at 25/1 (Betway, 1/2, 1,2)

1pt each-way Dave Chisnall to win the World Grand Prix at 25/1 (General, 1/2 1,2)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

Even the world's greatest ever players have endured their fair share of double-start nightmares down the years - especially in the first round when it's just best-of-three sets - so trying to find a winner of this unique event always feels more like a lottery than any other.

That said, although nobody is safe to begin with, once we get into the latter stages, cream most certainly rises to the top given the mental strength and all-round talent needed to consistently pin doubles at both ends of legs as well as relentless high scoring inbetween.

Past experience is also a key requirement for venturing far but even the three players making their tournament bow among the 32-man field - Martin Schindler, Martin Lukeman and Andrew Gilding - will take heart from how Dirk van Duijvenbode upset the odds to became the first debutant to reach the final in 2020.

Last year Jonny Clayton claimed his maiden ranked major title with a 5-1 demolition of Gerwyn Price, who was defending champion, to take the number of different winners since 1998 to nine but one notable absence from the role of honour is world number one Peter Wright.

Apart from reaching the final here back in 2018, Snakebite actually has a pretty horrendous record in this event, losing six first-round matches in 10 appearances, including the last two editions, while Michael van Gerwen (2), Gerwyn Price (3), James Wade (9), Michael Smith (7), Rob Cross (3) and Gary Anderson (3) are among the big names who have crashed out at the first hurdle on numerous occasions. And to think nine-time first-round loser Wade has won it twice as well!

It's all about hoping your man gets through that nerve-shredding opener when anything can happen, then it feels less about fortune and a lot more about having that all-round game.

As usual I'll run through each quarter of the draw and somehow try to give you the winner...

Quarter one

• (1) Gerwyn Price v Martin Schindler
• Joe Cullen v Damon Heta
• (8) Rob Cross v Daryl Gurney
• Madars Razma v Ryan Searle

Odds to win the quarter: Price 5/4, Cullen 9/2, Cross 11/2, Heta 6/1, Searle 8/1, Gurney 12/1, Razma 22/1, Schindler 28/1

Gerwyn Price is clearly a worthy favourite for the title at odds around 5/1, let alone this quarter, given his recent form and his double-start pedigree. Having suffered three first-round exits in his first five appearances, the Iceman finally got to grips with the format in style by winning the 2020 edition before another superb run to the final 12 months later, where he ran into an inspired Jonny Clayton.

Price's last event was the World Series of Darts Finals, which he won after holding his nerve to beat Dirk van Duijvenbode 11-10 in a gripping final and silence the home crowd. All four of his matches over the that weekend were close calls - a timely reminder of how cool he is under pressure and the mental strength he possesses.

The Welshman also has the third highest checkout percentage (41.7%) this season in all stage competitions and while being a clinical finisher doesn't necessarily guarantee with being a great starter, it's yet another positive sign about his title chances in Leicester.

His first-round opponent is debutant Martin Schindler and although he's clearly becoming a very dangerous player on the circuit and boasts the sixth best checkout stats in stage events in 2022 (40.58%), he's yet to shine in any individual major so if he does feel the nerves in front of the TV cameras, double-start may prove troublesome.

As for the rest of the quarter, it feels like a coin toss in regards to Joe Cullen v Damon Heta and both of them will view it as an absolute nightmare draw. They've both had very strong seasons and although Heta has a notably better seasonal average of 97.69 compared to Cullen's 94.32, the Rockstar has won three more titles with four, including the televised Masters and a European Tour event.

Rob Cross has enjoyed a resurgent season, boasting impressive stats, three finals and one title but he does have a very questionable World Grand Prix record and has never gone beyond round two. Daryl Gurney won't be happy with his results this year and is only averaging around 92 but he did of course win this event in 2017 and reached the semi-finals a year later.

Since then he's lost in the first round three years in a row so I'm going for Cross to come through this tie and set up a clash with Ryan Searle, whose doubling in stage events this year has been over 40% compared to Voltage's 36.77.

Heavy Metal, who faces debutant Madars Razma first up, may well have endured a poor run of recent form this month but he was a quarter-finalist here 12 months ago and certainly has the talents to bounce back on the big stage.

Quarter Verdict: Price should come through but Searle is the value call at 8/1

Quarter two

• (4) Michael Smith v Nathan Aspinall
• Danny Noppert v Gabriel Clemens
• (5) James Wade v Martin Lukeman
• Ross Smith v Andrew Gilding

Odds to win the quarter: Michael Smith 3/1, Noppert 7/2, Wade 7/2, Gilding 7/1, Aspinall 15/2, Clemens 12/1, Ross Smith 12/1, Lukeman 18/1

James Wade heads to Leicester as a big 40/1 outsider to lift this trophy for a third time in his career - and first since 2010 - but he hasn't actually gone beyond the second round since he reached the 2014 final.

The Machine's seasonal average of 93.37 is among the lowest in the field but his checkout percentage in stage events in 2022 is the highest at a staggering 44.44%. He's obviously one of the most unflappable players on the circuit so in theory - and in practice many years ago - this event seems really suited to his strengths.

His opponent Martin Lukeman is one of the three tournaments debutants having enjoyed a superb year that's seen him reach a maiden European Tour final back in April but he's not quite at that form now and you'd fancy Wade to use his experience to defeat him like he did at the World Matchplay.

Ross Smith and debutant Andrew Gilding would both be dangerous second-round opponents based on their recent performances but with one World Grand Prix appearance between them, a lack of experience of the format gives Wade a significant edge.

In terms of recent activity, he'll be pretty rested after not being involved in the recent European Tour events but he enjoyed some good results during the World Series Tour and ran Gerwyn Price very close in the semi-finals of the concluding event, losing 11-9 to the eventual champion.

The top half of this section is a tricky one to call and although Michael Smith is the marginal favourite to come through the whole quarter ahead Danny Noppert and Wade, you can't rule out Nathan Aspinall, who angrily silenced his critics at the World Matchplay earlier this year following his 'unexpected' victory over Luke Humphries.

Aspinall reached a Players Championship final back in August and then the semi-finals of the Hungarian Darts Trophy at the start of September and despite a strangely poor performance in that match against William O'Connor, averaging 79, he showed some encouraging performance levels in Belgium last weekend.

Smith, who has never gone behind the second round in all nine of his previous World Grand Prix appearances, blew hot and cold during the World Series of Darts tour in August and the trend concluded in the finals event last month when he averaged a sparkling 107 in beating Peter Wright before coming up well short against Wade in the quarter-finals.

Noppert beat Smith in the UK Open final back in March to become a major winner and he should be expected to go far in Leicester considering how well he's maintained his momentum throughout the summer, winning a Players Championship title and reaching the World Matchplay semi-finals before running into Gerwyn Price.

The Dutchman posted some impressive averages during his run to the Belgian Darts Open semi-finals, where he was edged out by eventual champion Dave Chisnall, while his confident and calm demeanour could really see him thrive here. His checkout percentage in stage events this season is also a healthy 40% so that also bodes well for his title chances.

I like both Wade and Noppert in this quarter and whoever comes through it will be bullish about getting into that final, no matter who they face.

• Click here to back Danny Noppert each-way to win the title with Sky Bet
• Click here to back James Wade each-way to win the title with Sky Bet

Quarter Verdict: Noppert or Wade to come through

Quarter three

• (2) Peter Wright v Kim Huybrechts
• Callan Rydz v Krzysztof Ratajski
• (7) Jonny Clayton v Dirk van Duijvenbode
• Dimitri Van den Bergh v Dave Chisnall

Odds to win the quarter: Wright 2/1, Clayton 3/1, Van den Bergh 11/2, Chisnall 13/2, van Duijvenbode 15/2, Ratajski 12/1, Rydz 16/1, Huybrechts 25/1

Peter Wright has a bafflingly poor record in the World Grand Prix and two of his six first-round exits have come since he reached the final in 2018.

Snakebite obviously has everything it takes to win this major while he has been handed a relatively kind early draw when you consider neither Kim Huybrechts, Callan Rydz nor Krzysztof Ratajski have been ripping up trees this season.

However, should he get as far as the quarter-finals, he's guaranteed to run into a formidable opponent well capable of ending his hopes of adding this lucrative title to his CV.

Defending champion Jonny Clayton may be seen as the most likely but he will be cursing his luck to be drawn against Dirk van Duijvenbode, who beat him 11-8 in the last four of the World Series of Darts Finals last month.

The Ferret did get a measure of revenge last weekend at the Belgian Darts Trophy but they both averaged over 105 in a fantastic match and this could well be another cracker.

Van Duijvenbode reached the World Grand Prix final on debut two years ago before losing to Gerwyn Price, who also dramatically denied him a maiden TV title at the aforementioned World Series a few weeks ago, so he's fine with the format and should be seen as a lot more than a 180 hitter.

However my pick in this quarter is going to be Dave Chisnall given his proven track record at double-start darts and also his inspired recent form.

Chizzy has reached this final twice in 2013 and 2019, losing to Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen respectively, while he's also gone as far as the semi-finals on two occasions - including the 2020 edition - and last year got through to the quarter-finals before losing to Gerwyn Price.

His checkout percentage on stage this year is a very strong 39.64% but most importantly, he's on a real high right now having won the Belgian Darts Open last weekend.

I think if Chisnall, who also hit a nine-darter in the semi-finals, is ever going to win a major then it will probably happen swiftly after having a title-winning experience in the locker for him to feed off, especially when it's been in a stage event with a high-octane atmosphere.

I'm tempted to back him at 9/2 to win his quarter but if he can come through this, then you'd really have to fancy his chances of going one step closer at a big price.

• Click here to back Dave Chisnall each-way with Sky Bet

Quarter Verdict: Chizzy to come through and then reach the final

Quarter four

• (3) Michael van Gerwen v Gary Anderson
• Brendan Dolan v Stephen Bunting
• (6) Jose de Sousa v Adrian Lewis
• Chris Dobey v Luke Humphries

Odds to win the quarter: Van Gerwen 5/4, Humphries 3/1, De Sousa 7/1, Anderson 9/1, Lewis 14/1, Dolan 14/1, Dobey 14/1, Bunting 14/1

Michael van Gerwen has won eight titles this year, including the Premier League and the World Matchplay, so he'll surely be well fancied to get his hands on this trophy for the sixth time and first since 2019.

However, there are some question marks over his from since beating Gerwyn Price in the final of the Queensland Darts Masters back in August, losing five of his next seven matches in World Series and European Tour competition.

His defeat to Kim Huybrechts was the first time he'd lost to a player averaging under 85 in European Tour history and the less said about his doubling in that 10th and final leg, the better!

We haven't seen much of the declining Gary Anderson recently apart from a second-round defeat to Dirk van Duijvenbode at the World Series of Darts Finals but he probably has a better chance of beating MVG in the first round than if they'd met later in the tournament when the format leaves a lot less to chance.

MVG should be able to deal with either Brendan Dolan or Stephen Bunting in the next round and most fans would expect him to come up against Luke Humphries in the quarter-finals.

That said, Jose de Sousa has reached the quarter-finals or better in his last four tournaments - including the last three on the European Tour. He's produced some fantastic performances in those runs, while he also beat Gerwyn Price en route to the German Darts Open semi-finals.

Luke Humphries was 'the' player to back earlier in the season having won four European Tour titles among his overall haul of five in 2022 but the mid-season break for non World Series players in August thwarted his momentum.

Nevertheless, he's still got the fourth highest average this season behind MVG, Damon Heta and Peter Wright and is among the most prolific 180 hitters (0.33 per leg) and clinical finishers (40.41%) on the circuit so he will fancy his chances of a lengthy World Grand Prix run at his second attempt.

Quarter Verdict: MVG should come through but if he falls early, De Sousa can take advantage at 7/1

World Grand Prix: Daily schedule

Monday October 3 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
First Round (Best of three sets)

• Callan Rydz v Krzysztof Ratajski
• Brendan Dolan v Stephen Bunting
• Chris Dobey v Luke Humphries
• Dimitri Van den Bergh v Dave Chisnall
• Jonny Clayton v Dirk van Duijvenbode
• Peter Wright v Kim Huybrechts
• Michael van Gerwen v Gary Anderson
• Jose de Sousa v Adrian Lewis

Tuesday October 4 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
First Round (Best of three sets)

• Madars Razma v Ryan Searle
• Ross Smith v Andrew Gilding
• Danny Noppert v Gabriel Clemens
• Joe Cullen v Damon Heta
• (8) Rob Cross v Daryl Gurney
• (5) James Wade v Martin Lukeman
• (1) Gerwyn Price v Martin Schindler
• (4) Michael Smith v Nathan Aspinall

Wednesday October 5 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Second Round (Best of five sets)

• Four Matches

Thursday October 6 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Second Round (Best of five sets)

• Four Matches

Friday October 7 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Quarter-Finals (Best of five sets)

• Four Matches

Saturday October 8 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Semi-Finals (Best of seven sets)

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

Sunday October 9 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Final (Best of nine sets)

• Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2

What TV channel is the World Grand Prix on?

This is one of the majors broadcast live on Sky Sports, whose coverage begins at 1900 BST every night except the semi-final night, which is 2000 BST.

World Grand Prix: Past Finals

• 1998 - Phil Taylor 13-8 Rod Harrington
• 1999 - Phil Taylor 6-1 Shayne Burgess
• 2000 - Phil Taylor 6-1 Shayne Burgess
• 2001 - Alan Warriner 8-2 Roland Scholten
• 2002 - Phil Taylor 7-3 John Part
• 2003 - Phil Taylor 7-2 John Part
• 2004 - Colin Lloyd 7-3 Alan Warriner
• 2005 - Phil Taylor 7-1 Colin Lloyd
• 2006 - Phil Taylor 7-4 Terry Jenkins
• 2007 - James Wade 6-3 Terry Jenkins
• 2008 - Phil Taylor 6-2 Raymond van Barneveld
• 2009 - Phil Taylor 6-3 Raymond van Barneveld
• 2010 - James Wade 6-3 Adrian Lewis
• 2011 - Phil Taylor 6-3 Brendan Dolan
• 2012 - Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Mervyn King
• 2013 - Phil Taylor 6-0 Dave Chisnall
• 2014 - Michael van Gerwen 5-3 James Wade
• 2015 - Robert Thornton 5-4 Michael van Gerwen
• 2016 - Michael van Gerwen 5-2 Gary Anderson
• 2017: Daryl Gurney 5-4 Simon Whitlock
• 2018: Michael van Gerwen 5-2 Peter Wright
• 2019: Michael van Gerwen 5-1 Dave Chisnall
• 2020: Gerwyn Price 5-2 Dirk van Duijvenbode
• 2021: Jonny Clayton 5-1 Gerwyn Price

World Grand Prix Most Titles

• Phil Taylor - 11
• Michael van Gerwen - 5
• James Wade - 2
• Jonny Clayton - 1
• Gerwyn Price - 1
• Daryl Gurney - 1
• Colin Lloyd - 1
• Alan Warriner - 1
• Robert Thornton - 1

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