Our guide for Sunday's action at the Boylesports Grand Slam of Darts includes the order of play, match-by-match predictions, Sky Bet odds and a suggested acca.
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The second batch of group games take place today, with Saturday's winners from each group facing off in a bid to put one foot - or potentially more - in the knockout stages while the losers come up against each other.
All 32 players, including eight from the BDO, are in action throughout the afternoon and evening sessions so here's my quick fire match predictions...
Grand Slam of Darts: Sunday November 10
SUGGESTED ACCAS
- Dolan, Noppert, Smith & Chisnall at 5.31/1
- Lennon, White & Williams at 5.87/1
- Lennon, White & Williams & O'Connor at 20/1
- Click here to build your acca at Sky Bet
AFTERNOON SESSION
- TV Coverage: Sky Sports (1300 GMT)
- Groups E-H opening games: Best of 9 legs
Brendan Dolan (4/6) v Richard Veenstra (BDO) (6/5)
Group G Position: 3-4
Head-to-head: 0-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
Titles this season: 2-3
It was a nightmare start to my highly speculative 200/1 each-way tip as Brendan Dolan crashed to a 5-1 defeat against the talented German Gabriel Clemens yesterday.
He averaged 93 and managed just three darts at doubles in a one-sided affair but I'm not giving up complete hope of him at least getting himself through the group.
Richard Veenstra was thrashed 5-0 by Daryl Gurney and only averaged 75.69 so Dolan will feel he can bounce back with a big win of his own.
Prediction: 5-2
Danny Noppert (4/11) v Wayne Warren (BDO) (11/5)
Group F Position: 3-4
Head-to-head: 0-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
Titles this season: 0-1
Few would have expected Danny Noppert to lose his opening game to world number 95 Ryan Harrington, especially with an average of 95.34 and hitting 44.44% of his doubles - both figures higher than his opponent.
But his 5-4 defeat highlights the danger of this short format and he can't afford another slip up against Wayne Warren.
The BDO's representative in this group was soundly beaten 5-2 by Peter Wright and his average was only as high as 88.65 because he only missed one dart at double and made a 129 checkout.
Prediction: 5-2
Daryl Gurney (4/7) v Gabriel Clemens (11/8)
Group G Position: 1-2
Head-to-head: 0-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
Titles this season: 2-0
Daryl Gurney may well be sitting pretty in top spot after a 5-0 drubbing of Richard Veenstra but his performance wasn't as impressive as Gabriel Clemens' against Brendan Dolan.
Gurney averaged just 91.65 in a match in which his opponent only managed one dart at a double and that stat tells its own story.
Clemens by contrast fired in a mark of 99.4 against the in form Irishman and if he maintains similar standards today - and brushes up on his doubles a bit - then he could well claim a mini upset.
Prediction: 3-5
Jamie Hughes (1/10) v Lisa Ashton (BDO) (6/1)
Group E Position: 3-4
Head-to-head: 0-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
Titles this season: 1-4
Jamie Hughes was unable to thrill his home fans in a crucial opening clash thanks to Dave Chisnall's ruthless finishing but should have too much quality for Lisa Ashton.
The Tipton favourite averaged a respectable 95.75 against Chizzy, who pinned five of his six attempts at doubles, and while the Lancashire Rose did take two legs off Rob Cross, her average was down at 81.
Prediction: 5-1
Martin Schindler (2/1) v Glen Durrant (4/11)
Group H Position: 4-3
Head-to-head: 0-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
Titles this season: 0-2
Glen Durrant was well below his best in a 5-3 defeat to Michael Smith as he averaged 93 and only had five attempts at doubles.
Martin Schindler managed one more but missed the lot against Nathan Aspinall so you won't get many darts fans predicting an upset here.
That said, Duzza needs to up his game because the young German surely won't be as wasteful again.
Prediction: 3-5
Michael Smith (4/5) v Nathan Aspinall (1/1)
Group H Position: 2-1
Head-to-head: 5-3
2019 Meetings: 1-2
Titles this season: 0-2
This should be a little belter and hopefully a taster for a potential quarter-final cracker later down the line.
Since their enthralling World Championship semi-final last year, UK Open king Aspinall has gained a measure of revenge with two wins out of three including the final of the US Darts Masters which saw him claim his second TV title of 2019.
The Stockport man averaged 98 in a 5-0 thrashing of Martin Schindler yesterday - albeit aided by his opponent's double woes - while Smith was impressive on the scoring front during his 5-3 triumph over Glen Durrant in this group of death.
Smith averaged 99 and threw four 180s but missed 13 darts at doubles, with Duzza only managing five attempts.
Expect this one to go right down to the wire.
Prediction: 5-4
Peter Wright (1/5) v Ryan Harrington (7/2)
Group F Position: 1-2
Head-to-head: 0-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
Titles this season: 4-0
This time last week, Ryan Harrington won't have been expecting to be in the Grand Slam of Darts, let alone preparing to play Peter Wright after winning his debut match on this stage.
He held his nerve fantastically to defeat Danny Noppert in a deciding leg but he'll surely meet his match in Peter Wright, who averaged 98.16 in a 5-2 victory over Wayne Warren despite missing 14 darts at doubles.
Prediction: 5-2
Rob Cross (4/5) v Dave Chisnall (1/1)
Group E Position: 2-1
Head-to-head: 4-6
2019 Meetings: 0-5
Titles this season: 2-3
Dave Chisnall is marginal underdog to win this crunch clash but should he be?
Chizzy has won all five of his 2019 meetings with the World Matchplay and European champion this year, including last week at the World Series of Darts Finals, and that's as good a reason as any to back him at even-money.
On top of that he was lethal on his finishing in a 5-3 victory over Jamie Hughes yesterday, averaging four 180s, averaging 97.19 and missing just one dart at a double.
Prediction: 3-5
EVENING SESSION
- TV Coverage: Sky Sports (1900 GMT)
- Groups A-D opening games: Best of 9 legs
Steve Lennon (4/5) v Wesley Harms (BDO) (1/1)
Group B Position: 3=
Head-to-head: 0-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
Titles this season: 0-7
Saturday's 5-2 scorelines in Group B suggest Steve Lennon and Wesley Harms were both outplayed but really their demise was down to sloppy finishing.
Lennon actually averaged higher than Ian White with a far from sparkling 90 that was brought down by eight spurned doubles while the Dutchman from the BDO missed nine of his 11 attempts.
I'd originally predicted Lennon would sneak second place in this group and if he brushes up a bit at the business end of the leg he should at least keep his hopes alive.
Prediction: 5-3
Darren Webster (1/2) v Dave Parletti (BDO) (13/8)
Group D Position: 3=
Head-to-head: 0-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
Titles this season: 0-2
Darren Webster will feel a tad unfortunate to have lost his opening game despite averaging almost 97 and only missing two darts at doubles in a 5-3 defeat - but William O'Connor was even more clinical.
You've got to fancy the Demolition Man to bounce back against Dave Parletti although the BDO man could have made the 5-1 scoreline against Gary Anderson much closer had he not missed five double attempts.
The Flying Scotsman hit five of his six which gave Parletti pretty much zero chance on a baptism of fire so tonight he'll fancy giving Webster a closer game.
Prediction: 5-3
Ross Smith (10/11) v Jim Williams (BDO) (10/11)
Group A Position: 3-4
Head-to-head: 0-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
Titles this season: 0-2
I still think Jim Williams will qualify from this group despite his defeat to MVG last night although he'll need to improve from a fairly intimidated performance.
He takes on Ross Smith, who'll be devastated to lose to Adrian Lewis 5-2 in a shoddy match in which both players averaged in the 80s and missed a hatful of doubles each.
Mentally, he'll be still kicking himself while Williams is in a position he expected to be in so this could give him a slight edge.
Prediction: 3-5
Dimitri Van den Bergh (1/12) v Mikuru Suzuki (13/2)
Group C Position: 3-4
Head-to-head: 0-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
Titles this season: 0-3
Mikuru Suzuki gave a decent account of herself against defending champion Gerwyn Price and it could have been even closer than 5-3 had she not missed as many as eight doubles.
Price of course could have made it more resounding - he spurned 15 - but the match showed that even the very best male players in the world do get anxious about the prospect of the inevitable headlines they'd face if they lost to a female.
The better the women become, it's going to happen sooner than later and more regularly and at that point nobody would really bat an eyelid.
But in this current era where it'd be a big shock, a mid 80s average performance from Suzuki may well be enough to pick up a win in a short format against anyone.
Prediction: 4-5
Gerwyn Price (2/7) v Robert Thornton (13/5)
Group C Position: 1-2
Head-to-head: 4-2
2019 Meetings: 0-0
Titles this season: 4-0
As mentioned above, Gerwyn Price didn't handle the pressure of potentially using to a woman - albeit the world's best - particularly very well but after getting the job done, we can expect to see a more explosive display.
Although 13/5 about any of the world's top darts players winning a best of nine legs clash has a certain degree of appeal, I don't think Robert Thornton will stop the Welshman in his tracks.
Prediction: 5-2
James Wade (4/5) v Ian White (1/1)
Group B Position: 1=
Head-to-head: 12-7
2019 Meetings: 1-1
Titles this season: 5-2
Ian White will probably be wondering how an average of 89, one maximum and 10 missed darts at doubles translated into a 5-2 victory over Steve Lennon, but it did, and now he can relax a little and show us his best.
Diamond has never got out of the group stages in four previous appearances in Wolverhampton and for such a nervy player, it probably explains why he seemed so jittery in one of his more winnable matches.
I think we'll see a different White tonight and even-money seems pretty good value against James Wade, who isn't in great form of late and didn't impress against the sloppy Wesley Harms.
Prediction: 3-5
Gary Anderson (2/5) v William O'Connor (2/1)
Group D Position: 1-2
Head-to-head: 8-0
2019 Meetings: 1-0
Individual Titles this season: 0-1
As good as it was to see Gary Anderson look more like his usual self compared to his horror show at the World Series of Darts Finals last week, he's still some way short of the levels needed to challenge for top honours.
He averaged 94.75 but bare in mind that includes three maximums and just one missed double, while his opponent Dave Parletti blew five of his six chances.
William O'Connor was impressive in beating Darren Webster in a much higher standard match, averaging 99 and only spurning two double attempts, so I reckon he smacks of value at 2/1.
Prediction: 3-5
Michael van Gerwen (1/6) v Adrian Lewis (4/1)
Group A Position: 1-2
Head-to-head: 39-14 (3 draws)
2019 Meetings: 0-0
Titles this season: 13-1
Michael van Gerwen v Adrian Lewis is a match that will hopefully grace the latter stages of a big major in the not too distant future - like the 'good old days' - but right now Jackpot still has plenty of work to do if he's to reclaim his spot among the elite.
His pumped up reactions to taking out modest checkouts against Ross Smith last night underlines how much desire he has to make a lengthy run this week but ultimately he still averaged in the high 80s and missed over 60% of his doubles.
MVG is one of the most unsympathetic winners in sporting history - let alone darts - so give him the chance to claim a brutal win and flatten someone's confidence, he'll take it.
Prediction: 5-1
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