Grand Slam of Darts: day seven predictions, odds, betting tips, order of play & TV start time
Two quarter-finals at the Grand Slam of Darts take place in Wolverhampton tonight so here's the full order of play, predictions, Sky Bet odds and suggested double.
Glen Durrant flies the flag of the BDO into tonight's first quarter-final against PDC number two Peter Wright while Gary Anderson then faces his recent nemesis Mensur Suljovic for a place in the last four.
Here, we have tonight's Sky Bet odds, Chris Hammer's predicted scoreline for each game, his suggested bets and double. You can also click here to look back at the group standings and full tournament schedule.
Grand Slam of Darts: Friday November 17
Click on the odds for more Sky Bet match markets
- TV Coverage: Sky Sports Action (7pm)
- 2x Quarter-Finals: Best of 31 legs
Glen Durrant (BDO) (2/1) v Peter Wright (2/5)
Glen Durrant has proved just how well he'd cope in the PDC when he finally decides to leave the BDO but at the moment he's doing his organisation proud as he bids to become only their second winner of this event behind Scott Waites.
The Lakeside world champion is the tournament outsider at a Price Boosted 20/1 from 14/1 with Sky Bet but that's hardly surprising given he needs to get past the PDC's number two tonight, then either Gary Anderson or Mensur Suljovic in the semi-finals before facing, most likely, Michael van Gerwen for the title.
Nevertheless, he clearly has more than a fighting chance of ending Peter Wright's hopes having beaten Snakebite 5-2 in the so-called 'group of death', averaging a highly-impressive 106 in the process, while his only blip so far was a dead-rubber defeat to Corey Cadby.
I thought he'd become undone in the longer format of the last 16 - like he did last year - but to be fair to Durrant, he outplayed Dave Chisnall and the 10-8 scoreline really should have been more convincing.
However, best-of-31 legs against a player who has consistently mixed it with the very best on this scale of televised stage will be a far stiffer challenge than his previous four and I'd expect Wright to stay cooler under pressure should it get close.
The UK Open champion, who has won 11 PDC titles in 2017, will also have the motivation of trying to put one over on Durrant, especially after the Middlesbrough thrower claimed he wanted Wright to beat Stephen Bunting in the last 16.
Snakebite averaged over 103 in a resounding 10-4 win over Bunting while his clinical finishing was backed up by a superb 161 checkout. He may not hit has many 180s as his opponent - Durrant hit seven in his clash with Chizzy compared to Wright's one - but his all-round quality will prove decisive.
Prediction: Durrant 12-16 Wright
Mensur Suljovic (11/5) v Gary Anderson (4/11)
"He's a lovely lad and he deserves all the success he's having - but I hate playing him. He's a fantastic player but he's so hard to play against!"
No prizes for guessing that's Gary Anderson's verdict on Mensur Suljovic ahead of their quarter-final clash and this could probably end up being his toughest mental test, even if he goes on to play Michael van Gerwen in the final.
The Scotsman always relishes games with fast throwers like MVG and we saw yet more evidence of that against his former protege Michael Smith in the previous round, where he was able to find that purple patch which makes him so formidable to play and exhilarating to watch.
Incredibly Anderson used no more than 15 darts in any of the legs he won in the 10-6 victory while he finished with an average of 106.91, fired six 180s and managed two ton plus checkouts including a decisive one from 164 which ended Smith's early blitz that had seen him race 4-1 up.
If he was able to play in such a rhythm against Suljovic then few would doubt he'd win but as we saw at the Champions League of Darts - he's not!
The popular Austrian is definitely Anderson's bogey player having beaten him four times in their six previous meetings dating back to 2015, when Suljovic caused a huge shock at the World Matchplay with a 13-9 triumph.
Their only other two longer format matches on the televised stage also went the way of the Gentle - and both occurred on the same weekend at the aforementioned Champions League event in Cardiff back in September.
After being turned over 11-3 in the group stages, many expected Anderson to gain revenge in the final with a title on the line. But while it was a much closer affair, Suljovic held his nerve to win 11-9 and claim an unforgettable 11-9 victory and his first maiden TV crown, defying pre-tournament odds of 40/1 in the process.
Suljovic also heads into this clash on top form having posted his career best televised average of 105.84 in the previous round although the lack of pressure he was put under by the brave yet troubled Berry van Peer has to be taken into account.
Although I'm going to give the edge to Anderson, who has a proven record of hitting his best form at this time of year, you'll see from my suggested bet below that has a great chance of coming in if the match is a close one.
Prediction: Suljovic 13-16 Anderson
Friday's suggested darts bets
- Wright to win, hit the highest checkout & Durrant to hit most 180s at 6/1
- Suljovic v Anderson to have over 25.5 legs, a checkout of over 124.5 and more than 12.5 180s at 11/10