Gerwyn Price (Picture: Nandor Voros/PDC Europe)

World Grand Prix darts: Day one predictions, odds, betting tips, accas, order of play & TV times

By Chris Hammer

Darts

Mon October 02, 2023 · 1y ago

The 26th staging of the Boylesports World Grand Prix gets under way in Leicester on Monday night so here's our match-by-match preview and best bets.

Gerwyn Price takes to the oche at the Morningside Arena while Michael Smith, Nathan Aspinall and Rob Cross are also in action.

Here, we look ahead to all eight matches with seasonal statistics, predictions, best bets and an acca...

Darts betting tips: World Grand Prix day one

0.5pts Dirk van Duijvenbode to hit 2+ 180s in each set against Brendan Dolan at 11/1 (Sky Bet)

1pt 2+ 180s in each completed set in Aspinall v Bunting at 3/1 (Sky Bet)

1pt Danny Noppert to beat Gerwyn Price at 9/4 (Boylesports)

1pt Andrew Gilding to beat Rob Cross at 7/4 (General)

SL Acca: Van Duijvenbode, Ratajski, Aspinal and Anderson all to win at 5/1 with Sky Bet

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

World Grand Prix: Monday October 2

TV Coverage: Sky Sports (1800 GMT)
First-Round Format: Best of 3 sets. All sets are the best of five legs. There will be no tie-break in any set. 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.

Dirk van Duijvenbode (4/11) v Brendan Dolan (2/1)

Overall H2H: 3-4 (TV: 0-2)
2023: 0-0 (TV: 0-0)
Seasonal Average
DVD: 96.15
Dolan: 92.75
180s per leg in 2022
DVD: 0.38
Dolan: 0.16
Checkout % in 2023 (Stage events only)
DVD: 41.11%
Dolan: 39.87%
100+ checkouts per leg won
DVD: 11.86%
Dolan: 9.49%
Match Treble % (Win, most 180s, highest checkout)
DVD: 36.36%
Dolan: 13.76%

Dirk van Duijvenbode is one of my each-way outright tips so obviously I'm hopeful of his chances in a tricky opener against Brendan Dolan.

Aubergenius bosses all the seasonal stats and given his rate of hitting 180s this season of 0.38 per leg, I quite like the look of the 11/1 for him to hit two maximums in each set.

Obviously a 2-0 victory with each set going 3-2 would give him the best chance of achieving this but I think it's worth a small play given how explosive he can be on the treble 20.

Scoreline prediction: 2-0

ALSO READ: CHRIS HAMMER'S WORLD GRAND PRIX OUTRIGHT TIPS

Click on the image for our outright tips

Jose de Sousa (6/4) v Gary Anderson (1/2)

Overall H2H: 2-2 (TV: 1-1)
2023: 0-0 (TV: 0-0)
Seasonal Average
De Sousa: 93.36
Anderson: 98.84
180s per leg in 2022
De Sousa: 0.31
Anderson: 0.33
Checkout % in 2023 (Stage events only)
De Sousa: 34.6%
Anderson: 36.41%
100+ checkouts per leg won
De Sousa: 10.49%
Anderson: 11.58%
Match Treble % (Win, most 180s, highest checkout)
De Sousa: 24.75%
Anderson: 34.69%

Gary Anderson's resurgence this year means he's one of the most popular picks to win the World Grand Prix for the first time in his career.

The Flying Scotsman's seasonal average of 98.84 is the highest out of anyone this year and he heads to Leicester on the back of winning his second Players Championship title of the season.

Jose de Sousa's stats are vastly inferior to Anderson so the only danger to the 'obvious' result here is if the favourite has a nightmare on his doubles.

Scoreline prediction: 1-2

Krzysztof Ratajski (10/11) v James Wade (4/5)

Overall H2H: 2-5 (TV: 0-0)
2023: 0-0 (TV: 0-0)
Seasonal Average
Ratajski: 95.00
Wade: 94.80
180s per leg in 2022
Ratajski: 0.17
Wade: 0.22
Checkout % in 2023 (Stage events only)
Ratajski: 34.23%
Wade: 42.23%
100+ checkouts per leg won
Ratajski: 10.91%
Wade: 13.80%
Match Treble % (Win, most 180s, highest checkout)
Ratajski: 19.23%
Wade: 19.30%

I saw a stat that out of the entire World Grand Prix field, James Wade is the most reliable finisher this season with three darts in hand.

That implies he's going to be getting away in his first visit more regularly than his opponents but it's important to remember the aforementioned stat isn't purely about double top - where most players will be starting.

Wade hasn't gone beyond the second round in this competition since reaching the final for the third time in his career back in 2014 while Krzysztof Ratajski made it to the quarter-finals a couple of years ago.

More importantly, the Polish Eagle has enjoyed the better season and recently won his second title of the year at the German Darts Open.

It could be a tense one that goes the distance but I'm picking Ratajski to come through.

Scoreline prediction: 2-1

Martin Schindler (4/5) v Raymond van Barneveld (10/11)

Overall H2H: 3-4 (TV: 0-0)
2023: 0-0 (TV: 0-0)
Seasonal Average
Schindler: 94.24
Van Barneveld: 93.43
180s per leg in 2022
Schindler: 0.30
Van Barneveld: 0.25
Checkout % in 2023 (Stage events only)
Schindler: 38.12%
Van Barneveld: 40.00%
100+ checkouts per leg won
Schindler: 9.85%
Van Barneveld: 12.92%
Match Treble % (Win, most 180s, highest checkout)
Schindler: 22.58%
Van Barneveld: 20.59%

Raymond van Barneveld makes his World Grand Prix return for the first time since 2018 and it's fair to say he enjoyed a pretty good double-start record having reached two finals and three semi-finals back in his heyday.

The veteran Dutchman has been handed a relatively kind draw against Martin Schindler in the sense that the German only picked up one leg on his debut 12 months ago during his defeat to Gerwyn Price while he's yet to really shine on the biggest stages.

Statistically they are both pretty similar this year and for that reason it's very tricky to call.

Scoreline prediction: 1-2

Nathan Aspinall (4/7) v Stephen Bunting (5/4)

Overall H2H: 4-4 (TV: 0-1)
2023: 0-1 (TV: 0-1)
Seasonal Average
Aspinall: 95.97
Bunting: 95.33
180s per leg in 2022
Aspinall: 0.31
Bunting: 0.29
Checkout % in 2023 (Stage events only)
Aspinall: 37.81%
Bunting: 36.29%
100+ checkouts per leg won
Aspinall: 11.05%
Bunting: 10.71%
Match Treble % (Win, most 180s, highest checkout)
Aspinall: 20.19%
Bunting: 29.75%

Nathan Aspinall is another of my each-way title tips and he'll be coming into this with a lot of confidence as the World Matchplay champion.

There'll be no shortage of fans expecting a minor upset here due to Stephen Bunting producing much better darts over the three Players Championship events last week, averaging over 100 nine times in his 13 matches while he didn't drop lower than 94.41.

The Bullet has also reached the semi-finals of this event twice while Aspinall was of course last year's runner-up - so both players have double start pedigree.

It could well be one of the more entertaining first round games and I like the look of two 180s in each completed set at 3/1. They both have pretty high 180 per leg stats this season and hopefully all the sets played will go at least four legs apiece.

Scoreline prediction: 2-1

Gerwyn Price (4/11) v Danny Noppert (2/1)

Overall H2H: 9-3 (TV: 5-1)
2023: 3-0 (TV: 1-0)
Seasonal Average
Price: 98.84
Noppert: 94.38
180s per leg in 2022
Price: 0.33
Noppert: 0.25
Checkout % in 2023 (Stage events only)
Price: 36.41%
Noppert: 39.93%
100+ checkouts per leg won
Price: 11.58%
Noppert: 10.34%
Match Treble % (Win, most 180s, highest checkout)
Price: 34.69%
Noppert: 22.22%

Gerwyn Price heads to Leicester feeling refreshed having missed last week's three Players Championship events whereas Danny Noppert is finding a rich vein of form at just the right time having won the first of those on Wednesday.

The Dutchman averaged 98 over his seven matches and defeated the likes of Chris Dobey, James Wade and Michael Smith along the way to his second title of the season.

Noppert is a canny operator and if Price gets off to a sluggish start then he could end up in real bother. This format does create early-round shocks and I feel the world number nine is too big a price to cause one.

Scoreline prediction: 1-2

ALSO READ: PAUL NICHOLSON'S WORLD GRAND PRIX COLUMN

Sporting Life columnist Paul Nicholson

Michael Smith (1/3) v Callan Rydz (9/4)

Overall H2H: 3-0 (TV: 0-0)
2023: 0-0 (TV: 0-0)
Seasonal Average
Smith: 95.50
Rydz: 93.30
180s per leg in 2022
Smith: 0.32
Rydz: 0.22
Checkout % in 2023 (Stage events only)
Smith: 39.72%
Rydz: 31.25%
100+ checkouts per leg won
Smith: 11.92%
Rydz: 11.48 %
Match Treble % (Win, most 180s, highest checkout)
Smith: 27.73%
Rydz: 22.37%

Michael Smith will only find this match easy if Callan 'Rydz has two darts in his hands again tonight!

Bully Boy hasn't had the season everyone expected after winning the world title but to be fair, this is the time of year you want to be peaking for and what success is largely based on.

Anyone around the 2/1 mark should be strongly considered in the first round but I do sense Smith will have enough in the tank and has a point to prove.

Scoreline prediction: 2-1

Rob Cross (2/5) v Andrew Gilding (7/4)

Overall H2H: 1-1 (TV: 0-1)
2023: 0-0 (TV: 0-0)
Seasonal Average
Cross: 95.76
Gilding: 93.73
180s per leg in 2022
Cross: 0.22
Gilding: 0.18
Checkout % in 2023 (Stage events only)
Cross: 41.51%
Gilding: 40.29%
100+ checkouts per leg won
Cross: 13.71%
Gilding: 15.53%
Match Treble % (Win, most 180s, highest checkout)
Cross: 25.23%
Gilding: 17.12%

Rob Cross would be the obvious pick here to come through but he has an awful double-start record, losing in the first round in four of his six appearances.

He's never gone beyond the second round at the World Grand Prix and I'm not sure Andrew Gilding's methodical rhythm will make this format any more comfortable for him tonight.

Gilding will obviously have more big stage confidence than ever before considering his UK Open heroics back in March and even during last week's Players Championship events, he managed a couple of welcome chunky 100+ averages.

Voltage opted to miss last week's three tournaments off the back of some disappointing results in the World Series of Darts Finals and on the European Tour. A mini shock is on the cards.

Scoreline prediction: 1-2