The 20th edition of the World Grand Prix Darts starts this Sunday and it comes as no surprise to see Michael van Gerwen out to defend his title. Known as the “double in, double out” tournament, players must start the leg with a double and that creates plenty of excitement. Every player has their own favorite double and the crowd rides every dart until a double is scoring. It’s a real leveler for players that aren’t good at hitting the doubles and upsets are common during the knockout tournament.
32 of the best players from the PDC and Pro Tour do battle in Dublin, Ireland this week and there are some exciting games in the first round. Raymond van Barneveld takes on Kyle Anderson, Adrian Lewis faces Daryl Gurney and Michael Smith takes on Gerwyn Price. That shows just how open this tournament is and van Gerwen’s reign could be under threat.
Tournament winner tip: Gary Anderson
Gary Anderson was a beaten finalist last year when he succumbed to Michael van Gerwen, but he could turn the tables this year. The Scottish player has always had troubles hitting his doubles, but he’s more than capable of hitting double tops when he’s on form. Anderson is coming off a loss to Mensur Suljovic in the Champions League, but despite the upset result, Anderson’s confidence wouldn’t have taken a hit too much.
On his way to the final he defeated David Chisnall, Peter Wright and Phil Taylor – that’s enough to get the confidence sky high and he should get an easy trip to the second round after taking on Richard North in the first round. Anderson is currently 5/1 to win and those odds are sure to drop as the tournament progresses. If Anderson makes it to the final against MvG, expect those odds to be slashed to at least 17/10.
World Grand Prix Darts upset hope: Mensur Suljovic
Mensur Suljovic is at his peak after winning the Champions League and that was no fluke. The world No. 7 won six straight matches before losing to Gerwyn Price on the European Tour earlier in the week, but he’s saving his best play for when it counts. The current 20/1 chance at bet365 faces No.14 Ian White in the first round which could be seen as a possible stumbling block, but Suljovic has won all four of their past match ups. He’s not getting much respect despite winning a major tournament this year and he’s one of the best doubles hitters in the game, which is key to winning the World Grand Prix. He’s definitely worth trading value at the odds.
Grand Prix Darts wild card pick: Kim Huybrechts
Kim Huybrechts has been on a slippery slope down the rankings in 2017, but he’s a fighter and he has shown some recent form. Huybrechts won four consecutive games on the European Tour, which included wins over Christian Kist, Ian White, Gerwyn Price and Joe Cullen, before he lost to Peter Wright 5-6.
It’s that kind of form which could put him back on the world stage and he’s always going to fight for the win, no matter how poorly he’s playing.
His opening round game is against Robert Thornton where he’s the current favorite to win and so he should be. Thornton has been playing horribly and Huybrechts (80/1) should progress through to the second round without much fuss.
Is Michael van Gerwen worth backing at 4/5?
It’s no real shock to see MvG at the head of the betting market, but is he worth betting on at an odds-on price? He’s coming off a Champions League loss to Phil Taylor and he also suffered a loss to countryman Raymond van Barneveld during the tournament, so he’s not in the best form. He’s clearly the best player in the world and no-one doubts that, but bettors will be forced to take a short price for the man in green. There is better value with our three options above and MvG would only be worth backing if his odds drifted to 1/1.