Gerwyn Price and Luke Humphries collide in Sunday night's Boylesports World Grand Prix final in Leicester so check out our preview with statistics, routes to the final, head-to-head records and tips.
Darts betting tips: World Grand Prix final
2pts Luke Humphries to beat Gerwyn Price at 2/1 (Boylesports)
1pt either player to miss their first three darts at a starting double of the match at 13/8 (Ladbrokes)
1pt Price to hit 8+ 180s and 2+ 100 checkouts at 11/4 (Sky Bet)
1pt both players to hit a 120+ checkout and 16+ 180s in the match at 100/30 (Sky Bet)
Gerwyn Price (2/5) v Luke Humphries (7/4)
- TV Coverage & start time: Sky Sports, 1930 BST Sunday October 8
- Format: Best of nine sets. All Sets are the best of five legs. All legs must begin and end with a double, meaning that a player must hit a double before he can begin scoring in each leg.
Head-to-head record
- Overall Head-to-Head: 7-3, 1 draw (TV: 1-1, 1 draw)
2023 Head-to-Head: 0-2 (TV: 0-1) - All Televised Meetings: 1-1, 1 draw
4-6 - 2023 US Darts Masters QF
10-6 - 2020 Players Championship Finals
6-6 - 2019 Premier League
Gerwyn Price heads into this clash with the superior head-to-head record overall but Luke Humphries has got the better of him in their two meetings this year - firstly at the US Darts Masters at Madison Square Garden and then in the semi-finals of the Hungarian Darts Trophy.
If anything, it's Cool Hand who has the phycological advantage in this particular factor.
2023 World Grand Prix statistics
- Tournament Average
Price: 87.87 (14 sets, 56 legs)
Humphries: 86.54 (14 sets, 64 legs) - Tournament 180s (180s per leg)
Price: 14 (0.25)
Humphries: 13 (0.20) - Checkout %
Price: 37.3% (38/102)
Humphries: 35.8% (39/109) - Double-in %
Price: 38% (56/146)
Humphries: 50% (64/127) - 100+ checkouts (per leg won) & high checkout
Price: 5 (0.13) & 120
Humphries: 3 (0.07) & 138 - Scoreless starting visits
Price: 19 across 56 legs
Humphries: 6 across 64 legs - Legs away first throw
Price: 24 (43%)
Humphries: 31 (48%)
It's pretty clear to see that while Gerwyn Price has been the heavier scorer and more ruthless on his finishing doubles, the key to Luke Humphries' success has been the way he starts a leg.
Cool Hand has only failed to get away in six visits over 64 legs which is extremely impressive - especially when you consider the Iceman has fired blanks in 19 visits across his four matches.
Humphries has pinned a starting double with his very first dart of a leg 31 times from those 64 legs (48%) whereas Price has managed it 24 times (43%).
If the Newbury ace can maintain that clinical level of getting away then he'll put Price under more pressure than he's faced all tournament so far.
You'll have noticed in the staking plan I've gone for either player to miss their first three darts of the match at a starting double - but the evidence suggests it's most like to be Price. However, given it's Humphries' first World Grand Prix final and there could be an element of nerves at play, he's probably just as liable very early on!
Price's rate of 180 hitting has been very strong for double-start format and given how prolific Humphries usually is this season, we probably should be expecting more maximums from him tonight than he's produced so far.
The 2020 World Grand Prix champion has also produced a 100 checkout in 13% of the legs he's won which is pretty decent and if we see a keenly-fought final of at least seven sets then we could quite easily see a couple more. Humphries has only managed three of them so far but in such a long format, I'd be very surprised if he didn't throw in a big one tonight.
Routes to the World Grand Prix final
GERWYN PRICE
- R1: 2-0 v Danny Noppert (3-2, 3-0)
Average: 88.23
180s: 3
100+ Checkouts: 112, 101
Checkout %: 75% (6/8)
Double In%: 27% (7/26)
Scoreless starting visits: 4
Legs away first throw: 3 - R2: 3-0 v Krzysztof Ratajski (3-2, 3-2, 3-2)
Average: 85.13
180s: 5
100+ Checkouts: 120, 116
Checkout %: 45% (9/20)
Double In%: 35% (15/43)
Scoreless starting visits: 6
Legs away first throw: 5 - QF: 3-0 v Martin Schindler (3-0, 3-0, 3-1)
Average: 90.73
180s: 2
100+ Checkouts: 0
Checkout %: 43% (9/21)
Double In%: 52% (10/19)
Scoreless starting visits: 1
Legs away first throw: 5 - SF: 4-2 v Michael Smith (3-2, 2-3, 0-3, 3-0, 3-1, 3-0)
Average: 85.08
180s: 4
100+ Checkouts: 109
Checkout %: 26% (14/53)
Double In%: 40% (23/58)
Scoreless starting visits: 8
Legs away first throw: 11
Gerwyn Price dominated the early rounds with a supreme display of front-running and even when the going got tough against Michael Smith at 2-1 down in sets, he knuckled down and picked up nine of the next 10 legs to race through to his third World Grand Prix final.
He's consistently been prolific in this format at maximum hitting but it's only been against Martin Schindler when both his finishing and starting doubles were of a high level.
Could he be saving his absolute A-game for tonight when he'll be pushed to the wire?
LUKE HUMPHRIES
- R1: 2-0 v Daryl Gurney (3-1, 3-2)
Average: 86.64
180s: 4
100+ Checkouts: 0
Checkout %: 43% (6/14)
Double In %: 60% (9/15)
Scoreless starting visits: 0
Legs away first throw: 5 - R2: 3-0 v Luke Woodhouse (3-2, 3-2, 3-2)
Average: 84.85
180s: 1
100+ Checkouts: 0
Checkout %: 32% (9/28)
Double In %: 60% (15/25)
Scoreless starting visits: 1
Legs away first throw: 8 - QF: 3-2 v Peter Wright (1-3, 2-3, 3-1, 3-2, 3-2)
Average: 92.32
180s: 4
100+ Checkouts: 133, 109
Checkout %: 46.2% (12/26)
Double In %: 47% (23/49)
Scoreless starting visits: 2
Legs away first throw: 9 - QF: 4-0 v Joe Cullen (3-1, 3-1, 3-1, 3-2)
Average: 85.96
180s: 4
100+ Checkouts: 138
Checkout %: 29% (12/41)
Double In %: 45% (17/38)
Scoreless starting visits: 3
Legs away first throw: 9
As previously mentioned, Luke Humphries has been extremely hot on his starting doubles throughout the tournament and very rarely fires blanks.
Cool Hand has been getting away quickly and therefore hasn't needed his usual high scoring power to win many of his legs while he's also held his nerves in the key moments - most specifically in the last two sets against Peter Wright which went the distance.
Humphries may need to improve on his finishing and scoring against Price but in this format, starting well puts so much pressure on your opponent and it's essential he reproduces these clinical levels tonight.
2023 Season Statistics
- 2023 Titles: 5-3 (Finals: 8-9)
- Seasonal Average
Price: 98.84
Humphries: 98.17 - 180s per leg in 2022
Price: 0.33
Humphries: 0.34 - Checkout % in 2023 (Stage events only)
Price: 36.41%
Humphries: 41.21% - 100+ checkouts per leg won
Price: 11.58%
Humphries: 10.43% - Match Treble % (Win, most 180s, highest checkout)
Price: 34.69%
Humphries: 25.95%
These stats are obviously less relevant now than they were at the start of the week, but if nothing else they prove how evenly matched these players have been throughout 2023 on every key area.
I really feel this has all the makings of an extremely close classic that Humphries will edge.
Scoreline prediction: Price 3-5 Humphries
What time does Price v Humphries start and what TV channel is it on?
Coverage of the final between Nathan Aspinall and Michael van Gerwen starts at 8.00pm on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Arena, with the match expected to begin around 8.15pm.
World Grand Prix: Round-by-round results
FINAL
- (4) Gerwyn Price v Luke Humphries (6)
SEMI-FINALS
- (1) Michael Smith 2-4 Gerwyn Price (4) (2-3, 3-2, 3-0, 0-3, 1-3, 0-3)
- Joe Cullen 0-4 Luke Humphries (6) (1-3, 1-3, 1-3, 2-3)
QUARTER-FINALS
- (1) Michael Smith 3-0 Andrew Gilding (3-1, 3-0, 3-2)
- (4) Gerwyn Price 3-0 Martin Schindler (3-0, 3-0, 3-1)
- Joe Cullen 3-2 Chris Dobey (3-0, 1-3, 1-3, 3-1, 3-1)
- (6) Luke Humphries 3-2 Peter Wright (3) (1-3, 2-3, 3-1, 3-2, 3-2)
SECOND ROUND
- (1) Michael Smith 3-0 Brendan Dolan (3-1, 3-1, 3-0)
- Andrew Gilding 3-2 Gary Anderson (0-3, 3-2, 0-3, 3-0, 3-1)
- (4) Gerwyn Price 3-0 Krzysztof Ratajski (3-2, 3-2, 3-2)
- Martin Schindler 3-2 Stephen Bunting (0-3, 3-1, 3-1, 2-3, 3-1)
- (2) Michael van Gerwen 2-3 Chris Dobey (1-3, 3-0, 3-2, 2-3, 0-3)
- Joe Cullen 3-1 Ross Smith (3-0, 2-3, 3-2, 3-2)
- (3) Peter Wright 3-1 Ryan Searle (1-3, 3-1, 3-2, 3-0)
- (6) Luke Humphries 3-0 Luke Woodhouse (3-2, 3-2, 3-2)
FIRST ROUND
- (1) Michael Smith 2-0 Callan Rydz (3-0, 3-1)
- Dirk van Duijvenbode 1-2 Brendan Dolan (3-0, 1-3, 0-3)
- (8) Rob Cross 1-2 Andrew Gilding (3-0, 1-3, 2-3)
- Jose de Sousa 1-2 Gary Anderson (3-2, 0-3, 2-3)
- (4) Gerwyn Price 2-0 Danny Noppert (3-2, 3-0)
- Krzysztof Ratajski 2-1 James Wade (1-3, 3-0, 3-2)
- (5) Nathan Aspinall 1-2 Stephen Bunting (1-3, 3-2, 2-3)
- Martin Schindler 2-1 Raymond van Barneveld (3-2, 2-3, 3-1)
- (2) Michael van Gerwen 2-0 Josh Rock (3-1, 3-0)
- Chris Dobey 2-0 Dimitri Van den Bergh (3-2, 3-2)
- (7) Jonny Clayton 0-2 Ross Smith (1-3, 2-3)
- Joe Cullen 2-0 Mike De Decker (3-2, 3-1)
- (3) Peter Wright 2-0 Gabriel Clemens (3-1, 3-1)
- Ryan Searle 2-1 Damon Heta (2-3, 3-0, 3-2)
- (6) Luke Humphries 2-0 Daryl Gurney (3-1, 3-2)
- Dave Chisnall 0-2 Luke Woodhouse (1-3, 2-3)
World Grand Prix Past Finals
- Final scores in sets
- 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
- 2022: Michael van Gerwen 5-3 Nathan Aspinall
World Grand Prix Most Titles
- Phil Taylor - 11
- Michael van Gerwen - 6
- 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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