World Grand Prix Darts Final: Michael van Gerwen v Peter Wright predictions, odds, statistics, records & TV time

After five action-packed nights at the unique double-start major in Dublin, the world numbers one and two will battle it out for glory.

Van Gerwen is appearing in his fifth final here in the past seven years as he bids to lift this trophy for a fourth time while this is Snakebite's best ever run on this stage as he seeks just the second big major of his career.

Our darts expert Chris Hammer brings you all the statistics, head-to-head records and analysis you need before picking out his best bets for the clash, which starts at 8pm live on Sky Sports.

Michael van Gerwen (2/9) v Peter Wright (10/3)

• Click here for all the Sky Bet odds & Price Boosts
• Format: Best of 9 sets, players must start and finish each leg on a double

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD

• Overall: 52-15 (2 draws)
• 2018 meetings: 5-4
  MVG 9-11 Wright - Champions League, Sept
  MVG 7-11 Wright - Melbourne Masters, Aug
  MVG 10-3 Wright - Auckland Masters, Aug
  MVG 4-2 Wright - World Cup, June
  MVG 5-7 Wright - Premier League, April
  MVG 8-5 Wright - German Grand Prix, April
  MVG 8-7 Wright - European Darts Open, Mar
  MVG 5-7 Wright - Premier League, Feb
  MVG 6-4 Wright - UK Open Qualifier, Feb

Scroll down for tournament stats, routes to the final & best bets

TOURNAMENT STATISTICS (MVG left, Wright right)

• Sets Won/Lost: 12/2 - 12/5
• Legs Won/Lost: 37/16 - 41/24
• 3-dart Average: 96.77 - 91.61
• 180s: 13 - 20
• 100+ checkouts: 3 - 5
• Highest checkout: 115 - 130
• Checkout %: 50% (37/74) - 41.41% (41/99)

ROUTES TO THE SEMI-FINALS

(Click here for full tournament results)

Michael van Gerwen

• First round: 2-0 v Steve Lennon
  (Ave: 92.97, 180s: 1, Doubles: 6/7)
• Second round: 3-0 v Darren Webster
  (Ave: 91.84, 180s: 5, Doubles: 9/22)
• Quarter-finals: 3-1 v Dave Chisnall
  (Ave: 101.54, 180s: 1, Doubles: 10/20)
• Semi-finals: 4-1 v Daryl Gurney
  (Ave: 97.06, 180s: 6, Doubles: 12/25)

Peter Wright

• First round: 2-0 v Steve West
  (Ave: 98.02, 180s: 1, Doubles: 6/10)
• Second round: 3-0 v Jermaine Wattimena
  (Ave: 91.64, 180s: 2, Doubles: 9/24)
• Quarter-finals: 3-2 v James Wilson
  (Ave: 87.64, 180s: 10, Doubles: 12/25)
• Semi-finals: 4-3 v Mensur Suljovic
  (Ave: 93.38, 180s: 7, Doubles: 14/40)

Michael van Gerwen's response to the growing opinion that he's losing his swagger has been emphatic.

After demolishing Steve Lennon and Darren Webster without breaking sweat, he averaged over 100 in a stunning display of double-starting darts against Dave Chisnall before putting defending champion Daryl Gurney to the sharpest of swords.

Even when Gurney managed to get two sets to deciding legs, MVG kicked them both off with 160 visits, showing he's in no mood to let matches get close.

On this form it seems daft that we were all questioning him, even with 16 titles to his name this season, although I for one don't think he's immune to another sting in the tail on Saturday night.

He comes up against Peter Wright, who doesn't have a mental block against him anymore and is instead full of real belief.

There was a time between June 2015 and November 2016 when he just couldn't beat the Dutchman anywhere on any stage, but a long-awaited victory in a UK Open qualifier in February 2017 ended a run of 16 straight defeats.

Including that occasion, Wright has won seven of their last 18 meetings which isn't too shabby at all considering MVG's dominance of the game.

Perhaps more significantly, his 7-5 triumph in week two of this season's Premier League marked the first time he'd got the better of MVG on a televised stage in the UK (and the second on TV anywhere having also done so at the Japan Masters in 2015) while he then completed the double over him in front of the Dutch fans in Rotterdam.

Between those nights he suffered two defeats in European Tour finals to van Gerwen but on very recent form he's won their last two meetings, including that unforgettable Champions League of Darts semi-final in which he sensationally hit almost every double he aimed at.

Crucially he's carried that finishing form into this double-start major in Dublin and his only proper scare came in the semi-finals when falling 3-0 down in sets to an on fire Mensur Suljovic.

He'd only won two legs by this point but never gave up as he launched a stirring comeback to demoralise the Austrian and reach the final here for the first time.

All week he promised to 'gatecrash' the final having expressed his disappointment that all the hype continues to be around MVG and Gary Anderson, so hats off to him for both delivering and entertaining.

The 2016 UK Open champion badly needs a second big TV major of his career and although he's understandably underdog, I believe he can do it.

I was there to witness first hand his incredible comeback against MVG in Brighton, which added fuel to the pre-Dublin talk that the Dutchman's powers were on the wane, and those memories will be drawn upon, especially if things get tight.

It's obviously much harder to cause MVG continued problems in such a long format rather than the shorter early-round matches in which he was foiled at the UK Open and the World Matchplay - but Rob Cross did of course manage it as recently as last December.

Prediction: 4-5

Saturday's suggested darts bets

• Wright (+1.5 sets) to beat MVG at 2/1
• Both players to hit 7+ 180s each
• Match to have 29+ legs, a high checkout of 142+ & 15+ 180s at 4/1
• Over 7.5 sets at 7/4
• Click here to place your bets

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