Sporting Life
Luke Humphries won the Grand Slam of Darts (Picture: Kieran Cleeves/PDC))
Luke Humphries is the defending Grand Slam of Darts champion

Grand Slam of Darts 2024: Free darts betting tips and group-by-group preview for the Sky Sports-televised major in Wolverhampton

By Chris Hammer
Darts
Mon November 11, 2024 · 2w ago

The 2024 Grand Slam of Darts gets under way this weekend and our Chris Hammer brings you his group-by-group preview and tournament tips for the Sky Sports-televised major.

Darts betting tips: Grand Slam of Darts

3pts Luke Humphries to win the Grand Slam of Darts at 3/1 (General)

0.5pt e.w. Michael Smith to win the Grand Slam of Darts at 22/1 (SpreadEx 1/2 1,2)

0.5pt e.w. Stephen Bunting to win the Grand Slam of Darts at 28/1 (SpreadEx 1/2 1,2)

1pt Cameron Menzies to win Group B at 5/2 (Sky Bet)

1pt Martin Lukeman to qualify from Group C at 6/4 (Sky Bet, Ladbrokes)

1pt Michael Smith to win Group E at 5/4 (Betfred)

1pt Connor Scutt to qualify from Group D at 11/8 (Sky Bet, Ladbrokes)

1pt Gian van Veen to qualify from Group H at 13/8 (Sky Bet, Ladbrokes)

SL ACCA: 1pt Menzies, M Smith, Bunting, Cross & Anderson all to qualify at 11/2 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 next month's World Championship.

The last two winners of this event – Michael Smith and Luke Humphries – both followed up their Wolverhampton success by lifting the greatest prize in darts for the first time in their careers roughly six weeks later and given how the last two majors went to big outsiders, there will be more players believing that any dream is an achievable reality for them as well.

After a first-round win at the recent European Championship, Ritchie Edhouse told the media that Mike de Decker's shock triumph over Humphries in the World Grand Prix final gave all those of lower rankings the confidence that they could do the same. Just a few days later, Edhouse did exactly that and defied pre-tournament odds of 250/1 in the process.

Given the nature of the unique qualifying criteria, there's no shortage 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.

In this preview I'll look at each group in turn with seasonal statistics for every player as well as predictions of 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 (click here for more on that in our tournament guide).

GROUP A

Luke Humphries is the defending champion

Luke Humphries won all three of his group matches last year for the loss of just four legs, averaging over 100 in each of them – and we can probably expect a similar demolition job this time around.

Cool Hand's stunning run of six consecutive major ranking finals may have ended abruptly at the recent European Championship – where he was shockingly destroyed 10-4 by Jermaine Wattimena – but prior to that performance, he'd easily averaged over 100 in all of his seven previous games, which included a European Tour title run.

Obviously the Wattimena defeat – coupled with losing to Mike de Decker in the World Grand Prix final against the odds – makes him look a lot more human than before but I'd expect normal service to be resumed in Wolverhampton.

This is a prime time for Humphries to get back on the major-winning horse as it requires explosive power and nerves of steel to negotiate the groups and then ruthless consistency to come through the lengthy format of the knockout stages – including two best-of-31 leg matches on the final day.

He ticks those boxes more than anyone else and I feel it's going to be tough for anyone – including Luke Littler – to stop him.

CLICK HERE to back Humphries to win the title with Sky Bet

So who will join him in the knockout stages from Group A?

James Wade has a remarkable record in this event, reaching the knockout stages in 15 of the 16 years he's qualified, and he'll fancy his chances of doing so again.

He deserves a lot of credit for being in all but one Grand Slam since its inaugural edition back in 2007 and although that was relatively recently in 2022, it was sandwiched between two semi-final runs here which highlight his desire to challenge for the big titles.

I'd expect him to finish ahead of both Mickey Mansell, who stunned Gerwyn Price in the qualifying event, and World Cup runner-up Rowby-John Rodriquez as they are both just too inconsistent to feel confident about backing.

Predicted Finish:

  1. Luke Humphries
  2. James Wade
  3. Mickey Mansell
  4. Rowby-John Rodriguez

CLICK HERE to bet on Group A with Sky Bet

GROUP B

Beau Greaves is in Group B

All eyes will be on Beau Greaves as she attempts to prove herself wrong about women being able to beat male counterparts on a regular basis.

Greaves freely admits she doesn't enjoy playing men and has once again opted to play in the WDF Women's World Championship in December rather than compete at the Alexandra Palace – a decision that does lead some critics to question her ambition.

However she's definitely a threat to any player in the world, especially in this short, group stage format, and we saw that in last year's Grand Slam when she crushed Ricardo Pietreczko 5-1 and only just lost 5-4 to both Nathan Aspinall and Damon Heta.

Overall she averaged in the low 90s during that campaign which is a level she regularly reaches – and exceeds – in the Women's Series.

The crowd will be on her side massively and that probably makes her more of a danger to Martin Schindler than anyone else in this group. The diminutive German has enjoyed a superb year but his averages have dropped off a little in recent weeks and despite his clear progress in the stage environment, I still question his character and mental strength under the pressure of TV events.

Cameron Menzies has more experience of playing women than any other man purely by practicing with his girlfriend Fallon Sherrock, while he's on a high having recently won his maiden PDC title.

The popular Scotsman has a lot more potential and ability than he gives himself credit for and having reduced his working hours in the wake of his World Grand Prix disappointment, we may start to see a real upward curve in his performances on stage.

If Menzies is ranked 10th for his seasonal average of 96.38, imagine how good he'd be if he could dedicate himself even more to this sport?

He told the Sky Sports Darts Podcast that working does 'keep his sanity' so it may be beneficial for him to keep juggling in the way that Jonny Clayton did during his peak years of winning majors.

He'll take confidence from the likes of De Decker and Edhouse upsetting the odds so if he believes the big cheques are coming his way too, then it could well happen in Wolverhampton this week.

Danny Noppert is the seeded player but on this season's evidence he's not head and shoulders clear and I think he's vulnerable.

CLICK HERE to back Menzies to win the group with Sky Bet

Predicted Finish:

  1. Cameron Menzies
  2. Beau Greaves
  3. Danny Noppert
  4. Martin Schindler

CLICK HERE to bet on Group B with Sky Bet

GROUP C

Rob Cross and Peter Wright are in Group C

Rob Cross is a very fair favourite to top this relatively soft group as the fourth seed and his consistent levels of performance should help him win at least two games relatively easily.

Voltage hasn't been operating at the peak of his powers in recent weeks but even if he doesn't raise his game much, he should have more than enough to reach the knockout stages.

However, I'm not so sure about Peter Wright's chances after that horrendous 6-0 defeat to Jermaine Wattimena at the European Championship in which he averaged just 75.

It was the first time he'd gone below 80 since July but he hasn't gone above 100 in any of his last 17 matches and rarely ventures to those heights any more.

Martin Lukeman is certainly not without hope in this group and he averaged over 103 in each of his four games in the Grand Slam qualifying event, including 107 in his 'final' against Jeffrey de Zwaan, so if he can reproduce that kind of form then he can join my expected group winner Cross in the last 16.

Lukeman will be relishing a return to the TV stage having last been seen reaching the quarter-finals of the UK Open thanks to brilliant wins over Danny Noppert and Gary Anderson - while he also brushed aside Leonard Gates along the way.

Gates also has the game to beat a 2024 Snakebite but his usual average level is mid to high 80s so he will need to play above himself in two matches to find a way through.

CLICK HERE to back Lukeman to qualify with Sky Bet

Predicted Finish:

  1. Rob Cross
  2. Martin Lukeman
  3. Peter Wright
  4. Leonard Gates

CLICK HERE to bet on Group C with Sky Bet

GROUP D

Dave Chisnall is in Group D

Ritchie Edhouse wasn't anywhere near qualifying for a Grand Slam of Darts debut two weeks ago but all of a sudden he's now the 'form horse' in a group that includes two of the biggest names.

One of those has spent most of his entire career knocking on the door of winning a maiden major title but has sadly made it look like the hardest thing in the world despite his world-class talents, and Dave Chisnall must be quietly envious of the likes of Edhouse and Mike de Decker managing it out of the blue in recent weeks.

Edhouse had never won a PDC title of any kind, nor had he gone beyond the last 16 of any major prior to his European heroics but since the start of October his match averages had really started to climb and even reached a whopping 120 during a Players Championship game. His overall average in this time frame is 94.22 and that puts him in the top 30 on tour ahead of Chisnall (93.87) and Ross Smith (92.71), who have both endured a mini slump in results and stats.

This could end up being a tricky group for both to negotiate unless they bounce back to the kind of levels we saw earlier in the season and bash in their usual tally of 180s that can be so devastating in a short format if opponents get off to a slow start.

However, one name not to discount is a player who doesn't even have a PDC Tour Card in Connor Scutt.

Since the start of October his all competition average of 96 – which includes 16 Players Championship matches and 15 on the Challenge Tour – puts him 13th in the world and he's also smashed in ten 100+ averages during this highly progressive time.

Four of those have been above 105, including a mammoth 110.82 in a defeat to Andrew Gilding, so if he can maintain this kind of momentum then he's definitely a dark horse in this potentially wide-open group. I could see any combination happening here, which is why I wouldn't put anyone off siding with either Edhouse or Scutt to qualify against the odds – or even to top the group.

CLICK HERE to back Scutt to qualify with Sky Bet

Predicted Finish:

  1. Dave Chisnall
  2. Connor Scutt
  3. Ritchie Edhouse
  4. Ross Smith

CLICK HERE to bet on Group D with Sky Bet

GROUP E

Michael Smith is in Group E

Michael Smith has higher expectations of himself than anyone else so if he was asked to sum up his season in a few words, I doubt many of them would be printable.

But despite that, he's still managed to reach the semi-finals of the World Matchplay and Premier League, while he won the World Cup with Luke Humphries and finished runner-up at the World Series of Darts Finals to Luke Littler.

So it's not really been a bad season by any means but the world number two would want a lot more to show for his efforts by November than a pairs major and a solitary Players Championship title.

His seasonal average of 95.27 is solid at best while he's only gone above 100 in three of his last 20 games – even though two of those were in excess of 106. Now is the time for Smith to turn up on the big stage and fire out a serious warning to his rivals.

CLICK HERE to back Smith to win the group with Sky Bet

This is a dangerous group in the sense we have the World Grand Prix champion in Mike de Decker and a recent European Championship runner-up in Jermaine Wattimena, who crushed Luke Humphries 10-4 during his unexpected run.

It's probably the type of group Smith needs to ensure he hits the ground running and has zero complacency – but it's also a lot easier than it could have been in a sense, given that it includes the woefully out of form Mensur Suljovic.

De Decker will have his fair share of backers due to his recent heroics as will Wattimena but the latter has averaged in the 80s in three of his last four matches – including the European Championship final – and in general always seems a very hot and cold player that I wouldn't want to trust throughout a group stage.

Looking further ahead, I feel Smith has fallen off the radar in most people's thinking for major honours but would you really be surprised to see a world number two with a wealth of experience of going deep in majors rediscovering a little of his lost rhythm and contending this week?

Predicted Finish:

  1. Michael Smith
  2. Mike De Decker
  3. Jermaine Wattimena
  4. Mensur Suljovic

CLICK HERE to bet on Group E with Sky Bet

GROUP F

Luke Littler is making his debut

The praying mantis that is the tabloid press will be ready to pounce on Luke Littler again if he suffers 'another' shock early exit in a major tournament but it's very hard to see that happening on his debut Grand Slam of Darts.

Littler's first-round defeat to f̶o̶r̶m̶e̶r̶ U̶K̶ O̶p̶e̶n̶ c̶h̶a̶m̶p̶i̶o̶n̶ 'former butcher' Andrew Gilding at the European Championship was disrespectfully reported by the likes of the Daily Mail, who didn't want to let his superb form away from the TV cameras get in the way of their click-bait headlines.

A week before that loss to Gilding he averaged 110.4, 116.5, 110.5 and 106.7 in a European Tour event and since then he's taken a constructive break from competition to prepare for the most important period of the season.

It's 12/1 that he fails to get through and while Dimitri Van den Bergh beating him is certainly feasible, he'd also need to lose to either Keane Barry or Lourence Ilagan to end up in jeopardy. Stranger things have happened, but I can't see it.

Barry is only averaging 90 since the start of October and while Ilagan always entertains us, there's a reason why he celebrates winning legs like match darts.

Predicted Finish:

  1. Luke Littler
  2. Dimitri Van den Bergh
  3. Keane Barry
  4. Lourence Ilagan

CLICK HERE to bet on Group F with Sky Bet

GROUP G

MVG and Gary Anderson are in Group G

Apart from the World Championship, the one tournament Gary Anderson wants to win more than any other is the Grand Slam of Darts.

The Wolverhampton major has frustratingly eluded him despite playing in 16 of its 17 stagings and he'll probably still be ruing 'that' defeat to Gerwyn Price in the 2018 final.

Statistically, Anderson is playing better on a consistent basis than he has since that golden year in which he won three majors including the World Matchplay and UK Open but it's not been good enough to end his six-year wait for another big trophy.

The European Championship was a huge opportunity missed given the way the draw had opened up prior to his surprising 10-5 defeat to eventual winner Ritchie Edhouse in the quarter-finals having previously wiped the floor with Michael van Gerwen 10-4.

Anderson has been fantastic over the short format this season and should find this group a relative breeze, while MVG could find himself in trouble if he has one of those all too familiar 'off days' against the potentially dangerous Ryan Joyce.

Noa-Lynn van Leuven has weighed in with some impressive performances in the Women's Series but ultimately her overall level in the low to mid 80s shouldn't be enough to trouble the leading names in this group.

Predicted Finish:

  1. Gary Anderson
  2. Michael van Gerwen
  3. Ryan Joyce
  4. Noa-Lynn van Leuven

CLICK HERE to bet on Group G with Sky Bet

GROUP H

Is Group H the 'group of death'?

This is the 'group of death' in terms of how difficult it is to predict which two will make it through to the knockout stages.

All four have strong claims but none more so than Stephen Bunting, who must be wondering how many black cats he drove over after winning the Masters at the start of the season.

The Bullet has incredibly finished runner-up in six tournaments since then – including four of the last seven Players Championship events of the season – while he boasts the eighth highest average of 2024 with 96.72.

Over the past month he's up at 97 and has won 27 of his last 33 matches in all competitions and two of those were first-round defeats at the World Grand Prix and European Championships where he was handed nightmare draws against Luke Humphries, who he also faced early on in the World Matchplay, and Gary Anderson.

That 'lack' of major form means he's unfairly off the radar but let me put him back firmly on it, which is where he should be.

This is a very tough group and if he comes through it then he'll probably be facing either Michael van Gerwen or Gary Anderson in the last 16; neither challenge is one that would faze him given his form and stats.

One of the players who has beaten Bunting in a recent final is rising star Wessel Nijman and he will have plenty of backers among the darts fraternity who keep their fingers on the pulse of the non-televised action.

His average of 97.31 since the start of October is second only to Luke Littler and Anderson in this field but he's still had precious little experience of major tournaments and that can't be overlooked.

Josh Rock won't be without support having won the last Players Championship event of the season at the end of October. The 8-7 success over Jonny Clayton was also his fifth final of the season and his second of the month but he was the first to admit that his TV form has been poor with four early exits out of four, including three in round one.

Gian van Veen has been made the outsider of four to come through the group but in the past few weeks it looks as though he's starting to trend in the right direction again after a relatively mediocre season by his growing expectations.

Having agonisingly missed out on a maiden European Tour title at the hands of MVG towards the end of September, the Dutch youngster has been averaging consistently in the mid to high 90s again while his run to the World Youth Championship final recently has given his confidence a boost.

CLICK HERE to back Van Veen to qualify with Sky Bet

Predicted Finish:

  1. Stephen Bunting
  2. Gian van Veen
  3. Josh Rock
  4. Wessel Nijman

CLICK HERE to bet on Group H with Sky Bet

Grand Slam of Darts: Who will win?

As I mentioned earlier, Luke Humphries ticks all the boxes to defend his Grand Slam of Darts title even though he hasn't had it all his own way in the last two majors.

Although he's a very well balanced individual who never looks like he's getting carried away with any success, those defeats may have given him an additional reason to refocus and ensure he genuinely doesn't let any complacency creep into his preparations for the most important two months of the season.

CLICK HERE to back Humphries to win the title with Sky Bet

If Cool Hand does suffer a surprise exit along the way, I do like the each-way chances of Michael Smith and Stephen Bunting at big prices.

Both are somewhat under the radar having been relatively quiet on the big stages during the autumn months but this is the event that Bully Boy won a couple of years back to springboard him to world champion status and the format plays to his strengths to bounce back into title-winning form.

CLICK HERE to back Smith to win the title with Sky Bet

Away from the TV cameras, Bunting has been in great form, reaching a host of finals without winning them, while he's had some bad luck with the draws in major tournaments.

It won't be easy for him in Wolverhampton given the tough group he finds himself in and the prospect of facing MVG or Gary Anderson in round two, but nobody will fancy playing him either.

CLICK HERE to back Bunting to win the title with Sky Bet

Grand Slam of Darts: Daily Schedule and results

Click for Sky Bet's darts odds

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

  • Stephen Bunting v Wessel Nijman (H)
  • Josh Rock v Gian van Veen (H)
  • Dave Chisnall v Connor Scutt (D)
  • Danny Noppert v Beau Greaves (B)
  • Martin Schindler v Cameron Menzies (B)
  • Rob Cross v Leonard Gates (C)
  • Peter Wright v Martin Lukeman (C)
  • Ross Smith v Ritchie Edhouse (D)

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

  • James Wade v Mickey Mansell (A)
  • Gary Anderson v Ryan Joyce (G)
  • Dimitri Van den Bergh v Lourence Ilagan (F)
  • Michael Smith v Mensur Suljovic (E)
  • Michael van Gerwen v Noa-Lynn van Leuven (G)
  • Luke Littler v Keane Barry (F)
  • Luke Humphries v Rowby-John Rodriguez (A)
  • Mike De Decker v Jermaine Wattimena (E)

Sunday November 10
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 11 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Group Matches (Best of 9 legs)

  • Group Stage x8
  • Groups A-D Final Matches

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

  • Group Stage x8
  • Groups E-H Final Matches

Wednesday November 13 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Second Round (Best of 19 legs)

  • Four Matches

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

  • Four Matches

Friday November 15
Evening Session (1pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Quarter-finals (Best of 31 legs)

  • Two Matches

Saturday November 16
Evening Session (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Quarter-finals (Best of 31 legs)

  • Two Matches

Sunday November 17
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: Sky Bet odds

Click here for more darts odds from Sky Bet

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 £125,000
  • Runner-Up £65,000
  • Semi-Finalists £40,000
  • Quarter-Finalists £20,000
  • Second Round Losers £10,000
  • Third in Group £7,500
  • Fourth in Group £4,000
  • Group Winner Bonus £3,500
  • Total: £550,000

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 in 2023.

Grand Slam of Darts Finals

Grand Slam of Darts Most Titles

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

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