World Grand Prix Darts final: Daryl Gurney v Simon Whitlock predictions, odds, betting tips, TV channel & time

After a week of drama, tension and many shocks at the PDC's unique double-start tournament, a field of 32 has now been whittled down to just two as Daryl Gurney and Simon Whitlock battle it out for the biggest prize of their respective careers.

Gurney finds himself as Sky Bet's 8/13 favourite to land his maiden televised major in his first final at this level but Whitlock (5/4) should not be underestimated as he desperately seeks his second having become European champion way back in 2012.

Here's everything you need ahead of the Dublin showpiece including our darts expert Chris Hammer's prediction & best bet!

World Grand Prix Darts: Saturday October 7

• Final: Best of nine sets sets
• TV Coverage: Sky Sports Main Event (2000 BST)

Daryl Gurney (8/13) v Simon Whitlock (5/4)

Player Bios

Simon Whitlock

• Nickname: The Wizard
• Date of Birth: 03/03/1969
• Nationality: Australian
• World Ranking (September 25): 16
• Walk-on music: Down Under, Men at Work
• Sky Bet's pre-tournament odds: 80/1
• Career highlights: European champion (2012), World Championship runner-up (2010), Premier League runner-up (2012), winner of 16 non-televised TV titles

Daryl Gurney

• Nickname: SuperChin
• Date of Birth: 22/03/1986
• Nationality: Northern Irish
• World Ranking (September 25): 12
• Walk-on music: Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond
• Sky Bet pre-tournament odds: 33/1
• Career highlights: World Matchplay semi-finalist (2017), World Championship quarter-finalist (2017), UK Open semi-finalist (2017), winner of one non-televised PDC title

Head-to-head record

Overall
Daryl Gurney 9 wins, Simon Whitlock 2 wins

2017 meetings

• Gurney 6-1 Whitlock (Players Championship 11, May)
• Gurney 6-4 Whitlock (Gibraltar Darts Trophy, May)
• Gurney 6-3 Whitlock (Players Championship 7, April)
• Gurney 10-9 Whitlock (UK Open, March)
• Gurney 5-6 Whitlock (Players Championship 1, February)

World Grand Prix 2017: Routes to the final & stats

Simon Whitlock

• Rd 1: 2-1 v Christian Kist
  (Ave: 89.31, 180s: 5, Doubles: 8/18)
• Rd 2: 3-0 v Richard North
  (Ave: 86.1, 180s: 3, Doubles: 9/17)
• QF: 3-0 v Benito van de Pas
  (Ave: 86.98, 180s: 1, Doubles: 9/23)
• SF: 4-3 v Mensur Suljovic
  (Ave: 86.03 , 180s: 7, Doubles: 15/28)

Whitlock's Key Stats

• Sets won-lost: 12-4
• Legs won-lost: 41-25
• Average: 86.90
• 180s: 16
• Double in: 66/176
• Double out: 41/86

Daryl Gurney

• Rd 1: 2-1 v Adrian Lewis
  (Ave: 90.09, 180s: 5, Doubles: 8/29)
• Rd 2: 3-1 v Joe Cullen
  (Ave: 89.13, 180s: 2, Doubles: 9/12)
• QF: 3-2 v Robert Thornton
  (Ave: 86.47, 180s: 4, Doubles: 13/38)
• SF: 4-1 v John Henderson
  (Ave: 83.88, 180s: 3, Doubles: 7/27)

Gurney's Key Stats

• Sets won-lost: 12-5
• Legs won-lost: 42-28
• Average: 86.73
• 180s: 14
• Double in: 70/125
• Double out: 42/117

Betting preview & best bet

Who would have thought we'd have a final between two players who came into the tournament priced up at 33/1 and 80/1?! That said, I guess it 'only' takes MVG to get knocked out and there's a good chance you'll have a big-priced outsider in the mix while Gary Anderson's withdrawal at the 11th hour also blew the event wide open.

We could have even had a player previously written off as a 500/1 'no-hoper' in the final had MVG's shock conqueror John Henderson managed to claim a fourth successive scalp as an underdog by beating Daryl Gurney on Friday night

Rising star Gurney dashed those dreams with a 4-1 victory and he now finds himself odds-on favourite to fulfil his own and become the Dublin event's first winner from across the Irish sea.

He's obviously enjoyed strong support this week and that's really helped spur him across the finishing line before breaking down in tears at the sheer emotion of it all.

You could say he perhaps wants it too much but fortunately for him, Simon Whitlock also has an air of desperation about him to end his long wait for another major (and a first proper big one) but we'll get to the Aussie in a moment.

Anyone who has regularly followed by betting previews in recent times will know I've been a backer of this talented Northern Irishman so it does rankle a little (to say the least) that I opted for another of the game's bright prospects - Joe Cullen - instead this time!

Gurney was fantastic on his finishing doubles that night in what was a fabulous match that could have easily gone Cullen's way but apart from that his checkout percentages have been poor and he so nearly allowed Robert Thornton to pick his pocket in the quarter-finals.

The scoreline of his semi-final flattered his performance as Hendo only really turned it on in one set but all he cared about was doing what he needed to win and reach his first major TV final having just missed out at the UK Open and World Matchplay this season.

He subsequently said: "I've been knocking on the door in the UK Open and World Matchplay and eventually I've got over the finishing line. I've been trying my very best since I joined the PDC five years ago and I'm starting to reap the rewards now.

"I've got a chance to win this title now, and if I can get in front and stay in front I don't care what my average is as long as I get to the winning post before Simon does."

And that's key isn't it? It's never been a tournament about high averages apart from those stunning Taylor and MVG displays in years gone by. You need to stay mentally strong and composed when the doubles desert you but also possess that killer instinct to make your opponent pay for their missed opportunities.

This is why Gurney finds himself in the final and he's a worthy favourite.

As you can see from the head-to-head records above, he holds the psychological advantage having won the last four meetings including that thrilling clash in the UK Open quarter-finals.

That too was a tournament which had been blown wide open, with both men sensing a big opportunity and as far as that match was concerned it was Gurney who prevailed 10-9 having stormed back from 7-4 down, averaging well over 100 in the process.

In the World Matchplay he displayed that same battling spirit on the big stage to win a titanic tussle with Mensur Suljovic in the quarter-finals and so nearly fought back from the brink against Peter Wright.

I expect him to hold it together better than the experienced Aussie, who has shown mental fragility at crunch times on the televised stage in years gone by, especially if it gets tight.

That said, the character Whitlock showed to repel Suljovic's comeback from 3-1 down in that epic semi-final was impressive considering how difficult the Austrian is to stop right now while his four 100+ checkouts underlined his class.

However, afterwards he said: "I did choke - I lost my way a bit to be fair and somehow when I was a leg down in the final set I found it again. I didn't give up - Mensur's so good but I dug deep to win the match and found some good darts in that last set.

"I've been working so hard on everything, practising for three hours a day and especially on my doubles and checkouts, and it's paying off finally."

He shouldn't be thinking about the word 'choke', let alone saying it! I'm surprised Suljovic let him off the hook when he had the momentum but if he chokes in the pressure of a final, the amount of practice he's put in could well prove irrelevant.

I'm going with Gurney here but to bump up the price I'm going to throw in the 180s as well for a 15/8 double. Sure, he's hit two fewer than Whitlock but that stat is aided by the Aussie managing seven maximums in his semi-final that had 10 more legs than Gurney's. He's generally a much more prolific 180 scorer than Whitlock on tour and only MVG, Peter Wright and Dave Chisnall have scored more in 2017.

For those who want a bigger price, how about Gurney to win, hit the most 180s but Whitlock have the highest checkout at 6/1. You just need to look at the clip above for a reminder of the Aussie's deadly high finishing.

Prediction: Gurney 5-3 Whitlock (5/1)

Final best bets

Gurney to win and hit most 180s at 15/8

Gurney to win, hit most 180s & Whitlock hit highest checkout at 6/1

Related darts links

• Sky Bet's World Grand Prix odds
• World Grand Prix day-by-day results
• World Grand Prix: Player-by-player guide
• PDC tournament calendar & results for 2017
• World Grand Prix: Nine-darters