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Luke Humphries (Picture: PDC Europe)

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

By Chris Hammer

Darts

Fri October 07, 2023 · 1y ago

The quarter-finals of the Boylesports World Grand Prix take place in Leicester on Friday night so here's our match-by-match preview and best bets.

Just eight players remain in the hunt for double-start glory including Michael Smith, Gerwyn Price and Andrew Gilding.

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

Darts betting tips: World Grand Prix day five

1pt three or more 100+ checkouts and 6+ 180s in Price v Schindler at 9/4 (Sky Bet)

2pts Smith v Gilding to have a 180 in each set at 4/5 (Sky Bet)

1pt Wright v Humphries to have 3+ 100+ checkouts and 7+ 180s at 3/1 (Sky Bet)

SL Acca: Price, Wright, Dobey & Smith all to win at 13/2 with Sky Bet

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

World Grand Prix: Friday October 6

TV Coverage: Sky Sports (1900 GMT)
Quarter-Final Format: Best of 5 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.

Gerwyn Price (1/4) v Martin Schindler (11/4)

Overall H2H: 10-4 (TV: 3-1)
2023: 1-0 (TV: 0-0)
Seasonal Average
Price: 98.84
Schindler: 94.24
180s per leg in 2022
Price: 0.33
Schindler: 0.30
Checkout % in 2023 (Stage events only)
Price: 36.41%
Schindler: 38.12%
100+ checkouts per leg won
Price: 11.58%
Schindler: 9.85%
Match Treble % (Win, most 180s, highest checkout)
Price: 34.69%
Schindler: 22.58%

Gerwyn Price maintained his pursuit of a second World Grand Prix title with a 3-0 victory over Krzysztof Ratajski but it would be an overreaction to say it was an ominous warning for his rivals considering every set went the distance and his average was 'only' 85.

The Iceman admitted he struggled with the pace of the game but he tends to find Martin Schindler much more to his liking having won their last three televised meetings including at this very event 12 months ago.

However, Schindler did edge their only clash this season at a European Tour event back in May that snapped a five-game losing streak so any mental block he did have should be a thing of the past.

The Wall, who is the only German to get this far in World Grand Prix history, has averaged 83 and 88 in his two matches so far and if he can up those levels a little then there's no reason why he can't pinch a set or two off Price.

If we do see four or five sets then there should be a fair few 100+ checkouts considering the pair have combined equally for eight across their last two matches.

Price has been firing in 180s at a rate of 0.33 per leg which is extremely high for double-start format so anyone who prefers the maximum markets should bare that in mind.

Scoreline verdict: 3-1

Michael Smith (1/4) v Andrew Gilding (11/4)

Overall H2H: 5-8 (TV: 3-1)
2023: 0-1 (TV: 0-0)
Seasonal Average
Smith: 95.50
Gilding: 93.73
180s per leg in 2022
Smith: 0.32
Gilding: 0.18
Checkout % in 2023 (Stage events only)
Smith: 39.72%
Gilding: 40.29%
100+ checkouts per leg won
Smith: 11.92%
Gilding: 15.53%
Match Treble % (Win, most 180s, highest checkout)
Smith: 27.73%
Gilding: 17.12%

Michael Smith is well on the way to banishing his World Grand Prix hoodoo by reaching the quarter-finals for the first time at the 11th attempt and he's only dropped three legs so far and averaged over 90 twice.

He would never admit this, but I think it's fair to say he's probably pleased to be facing Andrew Gilding next rather than Gary Anderson, who had been playing so well this season and was many pundits' pick to mount a title challenge.

This is no disrespect to Goldfinger, who of course defied the odds to win the UK Open back in March, but he will need Smith to be below par in the same way Anderson was on Wednesday night if he's to pull off another scalp.

The clamour among the darting purists for Gilding to be in the Premier League line-up next year will certainly intensify if he does go far in yet another major but I think that dream will die - for now - tonight.

One bet I like the look of is Smith and Gilding to combine for one maximum in each completed set at a shade shorter than evens. Smith is managing 0.33 per leg so far while the less prolific Goldfinger has chipped in with three and hopefully any he does manage in this fixture will come in a set where Bully Boy fires blanks.

Scoreline verdict: 3-1

Chris Dobey (4/5) v Joe Cullen (10/11)

Overall H2H: 3-8 (TV: 1-1)
2023: 1-0 (TV: 1-0)
Seasonal Average
Dobey: 95.93
Cullen: 94.80
180s per leg in 2022
Dobey: 0.32
Cullen: 0.33
Checkout % in 2023 (Stage events only)
Dobey: 37.87%
Cullen: 38.72%
100+ checkouts per leg won
Dobey: 13.67%
Cullen: 13.52%
Match Treble % (Win, most 180s, highest checkout)
Dobey: 22.22%
Cullen: 34.34%

Joe Cullen was not afraid to admit he was happy to be playing Chris Dobey than Michael van Gerwen in the quarter-finals following his 180-laden victory over Ross Smith last night - but that could well give the Northumberland ace a little extra fire in his belly.

Statistically it's fair to say Cullen would have a better chance of defeating Dobey - he's done so in eight of their 11 meetings while he's lost six of his last eight matches with MVG since the start of 2022 - but the only time they met on TV this season was back in the Masters in January and look what happened then.

Dobey went on to lift his first major title and earn a Premier League spot at the expense of Cullen and since then his stock and belief has continued to climb.

Obviously I'm rooting for the Newcastle fan given I tipped him outright at 80/1 and also to win this quarter of the draw at 14/1 so having done the hard work of dethroning MVG, let's hope he can do the relatively 'easier' task of silencing the Rockstar's tune.

Scoreline verdict: 3-1

Peter Wright (13/8) v Luke Humphries (4/9)

Overall H2H: 5-2 (TV: 1-0)
2023: 2-0 (TV: 0-0)
Seasonal Average
Wright: 92.99
Humphries: 98.17
180s per leg in 2022
Wright: 0.24
Humphries: 0.34
Checkout % in 2023 (Stage events only)
Wright: 37.87%
Humphries: 41.21%
100+ checkouts per leg won
Wright: 12.45%
Humphries: 10.43%
Match Treble % (Win, most 180s, highest checkout)
Wright: 10.34%
Humphries: 25.95%

There won't be many players that Luke Humphries has a winless record against after two more games this season but Peter Wright is surprisingly one of them having beaten him twice in 2023.

I say 'surprisingly' purely because of their contrasting fortunes and statistics throughout the year and Snakebite shouldn't be ruled out making it three out of three - and four in a row overall if you go back to last October - considering how clinical he's played over the past week.

He's averaged in the high 80s in both of his comfortable wins over Gabriel Clemens and Ryan Searle respectively and during the latter contest he threw three 100+ checkouts including a brilliant 167.

Humphries has yet to fire on all cylinders with a couple of averages in the mid-80s although his 180 per leg ratio of 0.24 is pretty handed for double-start despite his performances being below par.

While I think Wright could be a spot of value to win the match, I think there's reason to expect at least four sets and a decent number of 100+ checkouts and maximums.

Scoreline verdict: 3-2