PDC World Grand Prix betting tips
Monday, Oct 7, 18:10: Josh Rock v Ryan Joyce – Joyce to win
Monday, Oct 7, 21:40: Gian van Veen v Ross Smith – Van Veen to win
Tuesday, Oct 8, 20:10: Gerwyn Price v Danny Noppert – Noppert to win
2024 PDC World Grand Prix, Leicester
TV: Sky Sports
Josh Rock v Ryan Joyce – Joyce to win
I do not doubt that Josh Rock will eventually become a regular contender at majors, but until he does, he has no business being as short as he is to beat Ryan Joyce in the opening match of the World Grand Prix.
The Northern Irishman reached the last 16 of the 2023 World Championship and also has a Grand Slam quarter-final berth to his name, but aside from that, he has struggled to impact the biggest stage since he burst onto the scene in 2022.
Joyce’s checkout percentage is the best in the PDC over the last 12 months, so if he can replicate that outer ring accuracy in the double-in-double-out format, he will offer a stern test to the world number 16.
Gian van Veen v Ross Smith – van Veen to win
Ross Smith’s European Championship victory in 2022 was an outlier on an otherwise underwhelming major tournament CV. However, he threatened to change that in Blackpool as he hit 13 180s when beating Gerwyn Price 11-9 to reach the World Matchplay quarter-finals.
Smudger was emerging as a serious contender to lift that title heading into his last-eight encounter with James Wade, but after suffering a surprise defeat at the hands of The Machine, his form has stuttered, and he has given some uncharacteristically poor performances.
Gian van Veen lost a first-round classic in a final leg decider versus Rob Cross at the Winter Gardens and is looking to make his mark on a PDC premier event for the first time this year. Based on pure numbers, there is almost nothing to choose between him and Smith since the Matchplay, with Smudger’s average less than a point better and the Dutchman having the edge in the doubles department.
Van Veen came within a leg of winning his first European Tour title in September and looks to have more momentum on his side, so we’ll take a chance on him as the underdog.
Gerwyn Price v Danny Noppert – Noppert to win
After a nightmare Premier League campaign, Price has lacked consistency. His better darts come in short bursts and mostly in World Series events, away from English crowds, which often bother him.
Since his latest triumph in New Zealand in August, Price has been eliminated early in several competitions. He has a first-round opponent in Danny Noppert who is capable of continuing that trend.
Noppert’s scoring has been better than the Iceman’s since the Premier League concluded. His inability to win more than one match at a major this year has been unusual for the 2022 UK Open winner, who has reached at least one quarter-final every year since earning his PDC Tour Card in 2018.
The 33-year-old’s head-to-head record against Price was shocking, but he has won their last two matches, including a European Championship quarter-final.
Darts betting tips
Monday, Oct 7, 18:10: Josh Rock v Ryan Joyce – Joyce to win
Monday, Oct 7, 21:40: Gian van Veen v Ross Smith – Van Veen to win
Tuesday, Oct 8, 20:10: Gerwyn Price v Danny Noppert – Noppert to win
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
READ MORE
- Check out Darts betting tips and previews at Paddy Power News
- Paddy confirms £1m donation to Prostate Cancer UK as over 100,000 take risk assessment
The Paddy Power Guide To Safer Gambling – Everything You Need To Know
