The group stage of the Grand Slam of Darts concludes in Wolverhampton on Tuesday evening when the last games in Groups E to H are played out before we confirm the identity of the 16 players going into the knockout phase.
The way the groups have worked out in the bottom half of the draw we have a knockout match in all four of them so we should be guaranteed a nervy and dramatic night of darts as some big names look to make it through to the last 16.
First Four Matches
The opening half of the evening are all dead rubbers with the exception of players playing to guarantee top spot. Gary Anderson will be looking to do that in the first match of the evening when he takes on Noa-Lynn van Leuven before the attention will turn to Group E to see if Jermaine Wattimena can wrap up top spot when he faces Mensur Suljovic. Luke Littler will be out to secure the leading place in Group F on his debut in the competition in the third match of the night. Lourance Ilagan is his opponent. Two Dutch rising stars meet to take us to the halfway point of the evening when Gian van Veen aims to top Group H when he meets Wessel Nijman.
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Later Four Matches
It is knockout darts all the way in the second half of the evening and the first do or die clash see the UK Open champion Dimitri Van den Bergh facing the young gun Keane Barry. When they are done we will see if the former winner Michael van Gerwen can escape Group G when he takes on Ryan Joyce for a spot in the last 16. The penultimate game of the group stage will see another former champion looking to progress as Michael Smith meets the World Grand Prix winner Mike De Decker before the show closes out with a really good looking match between The Masters champion Stephen Bunting and Josh Rock.
Betting
I came very close to pulling the trigger on a couple more bets than the one that I am taking on Tuesday night. Wessel Nijman and Keane Barry interested me but I think the best bet on the evening is for the World Grand Prix winner Mike De Decker to get the better of a Michael Smith who is coming under a bit of pressure and really could do with winning this match given that he’s defending the money he won when he won this title a couple of years ago.
Both these men have beaten Mensur Suljovic and lost to Jermaine Wattimena in this tournament so far but the way Smith capsized against the Dutchman was a concern. He was 1/8 on the doubles and in a best of nine you’ve no chance if you are coughing up that level of opportunity against a seasoned opponent. The other reason to like De Decker in this match is that he has won the past four meetings between the two so there is clearly something that he likes when it comes to facing Smith. There can be a bit more freedom about the Belgian here so the even money on him to win feels perfectly acceptable.
Tips
Back M.De Decker to beat M.Smith for a 3/10 stake at 2.00 with William Hill
Back him here:
