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Well, we’re at the final and who would have thought Adrian “Jackpot” Lewis would have made it? He beat Phil Taylor in an epic encounter last night, taking it all the way down to the final leg of the match, recording his first win over the world number one on television. It now takes his lifetime wins of Phil Taylor to 3, but this is perhaps the most significant. In the other match, James Wade demolished Raymond van Barneveld in front of a very partisan crowd, but Wade managed to shrug it off, get down to business and make the final in this event, which he obviously loves.
So, the final of the World Grand Prix, the final chance for me to throw some tips your way until the Grand Slam of Darts on ITV4 in November. How time flies when you’re having fun, eh? Still, it’s been a great week, it built up to the big crescendo of Lewis beating Taylor and now all that’s left is for these two “warriors” to break out the tungsten and crown the 2010 World Grand Prix Champion. But spare a thought for the Phil Taylor backers, who have had their fingers burnt at 1/2! Well, maybe don’t spare a thought for them if you managed to pick out James Wade, or even better, Adrian Lewis, for the outright win.
I want to mention the bookmakers that will give you some free money for depositing there. Is there anything better than free money? Well, more free money. So, use my tips along with these free sign-up offers and we’ll keep the great run going!
First off, Betfair. If you’ve not got an account with Betfair, why not? More often than not, they have the best prices and, thanks to the ability to back or lay a selection, you can bet in-play with ease and also lay your bet back should you think the tide is about to turn for your player. It’s where serious bettors bet and if you’re serious about darts betting, you NEED an account here. Plus you get a free bet up to £25, which is always nice.
I want to introduce our friends at Paddy Power They’re big supporters of darts and they’ll give you a £10 bet when you sign up through Darts Betting Tips. They have great money-back specials on all sorts of markets and are perhaps the most fun bookmaker out there.
Victor Chandler as a well established name in sports betting and they really get behind the great sport of darts. They’ll give you up to a £100 free sports bet, as well as casino chips is you sign up there. There’s not a better offer available and I’ve taken advantage of this for tonight’s tips, and I think you should too. Hey, if the tips win, great, but if, for some strange reason, they don’t, you’ve lost nothing!
Boylesportsare another great bookmaker for darts. They have a huge variety of markets and they have a nice £20 deposit bonus. You deposit and bet £20, they match it. Simples!
are big supporters of darts. We find their markets to be amongst the best when it comes to darts betting, which is why we proudly support them. Plus, their £25 match bet is a fantastic offer, probably the best out there at the moment. So, why not sign up, deposit and have a nibble on our first tip of the night and Stan James will match it:
Seriously, if you don’t have accounts at any of these bookmakers, sign up, deposit and use your free bet to have a dabble on tonight’s tips. Now that that’s out of the way and you’ve got your free bets, let’s get the tips going.
The Final: Adrian Lewis Vs James Wade:
Adrian Lewis:
Tournament:
Average: 87.07
Total 180s: 25
Highest checkout: 161
Total legs: 88
James Wade:
Tournament:
Average: 85.36
Total 180s: 8
Highest checkout: 154
Total legs: 70
I know I mentioned it above, but did anyone predict this final? I’m excited to see if Adrian Lewis can shake off this tag of the youngster who failed to live up to the lofty expectations laid upon him, simply because he came from the same neck of the woods as Phil Taylor. He’s got the chance to prove himself now, after that amazing victory over “the greatest darts player who has ever lived”, in a match that will live on long in the memories of everyone that watched it, myself included.
James Wade, well, he’s been there and done that, he’s a former World Grand Prix champion and knows what is needed to get the job done here. But he’s been playing well within himself all week, until he took on Raymond van Barneveld, where he managed to find a new gear that he hasn’t shown on TV for a while and took out the multi-time World Champion.
The head-to-head is 13-7 in favour of James Wade, with honours being relatively even over the past few events. The other thing to consider is both men have had pretty average 2010s by their standards, so this year’s form needs to be thrown out of the window and just look at this tournament for a guide to the likely outcome.
Lewis has been the one involved with the close matches this week, being taken all the way by Terry Jenkins and Phil Taylor, while Wade has looked in decent enough form all week, not having much in the way of a challenge. Looking at the calibre both men have faced, Lewis seems to have had the much harder route to the final, so it’s not surprise he’s played more legs and been involved in closer games. That being said, you can only beat who is in front of you, so you can’t hold it against Wade.
Their averages are worryingly similar and their highest checkouts don’t differ greatly, either. However, what is worthy of noting is the number of 180s scored by Wade and Lewis. Lewis’ high scoring might just keep him in this, even if his doubling starts to let him down. However, his exhibition finish on 80 (D20, D20), which left Taylor visibly rattled, proved he can fire in the doubles with the greatest of ease. Plus, if he can keep a higher average of more legs than Wade, he must be in with a real shout. As long as the Lewis we saw at the start of the year doesn’t show up, we’re in with a real chance.
Adrian Lewis to beat James Wade: 5/4 @
Boylesports.
Recommend: 4 units @ 5/4
Also, looking at the stats, Lewis has the higher checkout of the week between the two, he fired in several 100+ finishes against Phil Taylor, so for him to be slight outsider of the two to score the highest checkout is a little bit of value. Lewis has proved he can finish big, so why not again in the final?
Adrian Lewis to score the highest checkout of the final: Evens @
Boylesports.
Paddy Power
Recommend: 3 units @ Evens.
Well, that’s it for another tournament. I hope you’ve made some money as well as enjoyed the darts. I’m still excited that we’re back into darts season and next up is the Grand Slam of Darts from Wolverhampton, so we’ll be back for that, dispensing all the tips I can come up with for you.
Remember, if you don’t have an account at Betfair, you really should sign up for one, not only for the free bet, but the ability to bet on sports in running. Darts in-running betting is the most exhilarating thing imaginable, as the prices can go wild with the throw of a dart, one double being missed, or one maximum. It’s brilliant!
So, get yourself over to Betfair, enjoy the darts and, most importantly, happy betting and we’ll meet again next month.