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I won’t lie, last night was disappointing, especially Scott Waites and Michael van Gerwen. “Mighty” Mike went back to his old haibts and proved how wrong I was for thinking he had turned a corner. Lesson learnt!
So, we went -2.4 units last night, taking us to +1.35 units after two days, with a record of 6-7 after two days’ play. And what a two days it’s been! Ted Hankey with the performance of the night. I don’t mean on the oche, I mean asking the entire crowd out for a scrap in the car park.
But The Count’s antics aside, a great day of darts, so let’s hope for more of the same tonight, as we head into day three of the Grand Slam of Darts with some more free darts betting tips.
The markets at Betfair’s are always great during the big darts tournaments. Betfair is traditionally the best value around and the ability to trade your position during a match is great. And add in the free bet promotions, you’re onto a winner.
Barrie Bates versus Magnus Caris.
Is this a battle for the wooden spoon in Group F? No doubt about it. Bates was absolutely shocking in his defeat at the hands of Paul Nicholson. An average of 71.30 sums up the trouble Bates is going through. Caris averaged 87.86, even though he struggled on his doubles.
Looking at the stats, Caris has this in the bag. There’s just something totally gone with Bates and I can’t look past the experienced Swede.
Magnus Caris to beat Barrie Bates: 1/2 @ 888.com
Recommend: 3 units.
Mervyn King versus James Hubbard.
Not a great night last night for both men, both will be looking to bounce back. But I think King just has the edge here, just through experience. While Hubbard didn’t disgrace himself against Phil Taylor, the gulf in class was evident. King knows he needs a win here, so he should get it comfortably. Sadly, the bookies think so, too and 1/6 is no price for someone who’s been in-and-out of form this year. I can see him taking this, but he might not get it all his own way.
Recommend: No bet.
Jan Dekker versus Arron Monk.
A battle of the young guns. Dekker put in the performance I expected, with an average of Barrie Bates-like proportions. Anything in the 70s is just not good enough and 73 is just shocking at this level. While Monk’s average of 84.40 won’t win a lot of matches, it would be more than enough to beat the young Dutchman, especially if he doubled at 50%, like he did last night.
Monk’s not going to be troubled by the crowd and I think he’s good thing here, as Dekker will hopefully get found out, just like he did last night. I stick by my assertion his run at the BDO World Championships with a fluke, so we just have to back Monk at the prices.
Arron Monk to beat Jan Dekker: 8/13 @ 888.com
Recommend: 3.5 units.
Vincent van der Voort versus Martin Phillips.
I was annoyed that Adrian Lewis scraped to a win over Martin Phillips last night. I like the Welshman a lot. Of course, Vincent van der Voort frustrated me last night, too. The fact is, both men put in good averages, the Dutchman was hitting the doubles well, so it’s got the makings of a classic.
Personally, I think Phillips has the edge here, but the bookies give VDV just the slightest of edges. Phillips is nothing if not consistent, which is what you need in the short format against VDV. With the consistency behind him, Phillips could easily canter away with it. An average of 97 like he did last night would also help.
Martin Phillips to beat Vincent van der Voort: 10/11 @ 888.com
Recommend: 2.5 units.
Mark Webster versus John Part.
Mark Webster and John Part both impressed me last night. They weren’t flashy in their wins, but they got the job done. Part’s average of 80.90 would get turned over in most PDC matches, but he was professional about his job over a lacklustre opponent. Webster’s 95.42 was what we’ve come to expect from the left-hander and it should see him take a win over the Canadian.
The price isn’t there for us, however, just because Part will relish this opportunity and both men know the win here is vital. This could be nip-and-tuck, so just enjoy it with your favourite tipple.
Recommend: No bet.
Phil Taylor versus Steve Beaton.
A rematch of the 2010 Grand Slam of Darts quarter-final, which Steve Beaton won in spectacular fashion. Beaton’s been somewhat resurgent over the past few years, but Phil Taylor just seems to be hanging on at the top, even if he’s been somewhat unspectacular compared to his form of old.
Taylor won his first match with ease against Grand Slam of Darts new boy James Hubbard and Beaton will be more of a test. However, Taylor’s average of 94.67 without being under any pressure would, in theory, be more than enough to take out Beaton, who averaged 86.65 in a hard-fought win over Mervyn King.
Yes, over the short format, anything can happen, but I think Taylor will want revenge here, and it’s safe to say that at the prices on offer, we’ll give this match a miss.
Recommend: No bet.
Paul Nicholson versus Wes Newton.
Match of the night? Oh, probably. Both men are the future of the PDC and have been two of the form players over the past two years. Both men will want to follow up opening wins with a win over their biggest competitor in the group, so it should be a cracking match.
Nicholson averaged 92.78 against an unbelievably bad Barrie Bates, even though he struggled with his doubles. Newton got over an early scare against Magnus Caris to win 5-2 with an average of 85.07 and a 50% doubling record.
So, while Nicholson should out-score Newton, it could come down to the doubles and Nicholson can be hit-or-miss, but I think he knows how big this match is for him, so he’ll have his sensible head screwed on. It’s going to be close, but I can see Nicholson scraping the win here.
Paul Nicholson to beat Wes Newton: 5/6 @ 888.com
Adrian Lewis versus Co Stompe.
They’re teasing me by putting Co Stompe on last. Will I see the match before I have to call it a night? Of course! The Matchstick put in somewhat of a shock performance in beating Vincent van der Voort, but the signs are there that he’s on the comeback trail. An average of 91.63 isn’s sloppy at all, and 42% on the doubles is good enough.
Adrian Lewis put in just below 90 with identical checkout figures, so this points to another classic.
The fact is, both men have been out of form for a bit and it’s a bit of a coin flip for me. That’s why Stompe is the play here, as I really do see this 50-50. Both men will fight hard for the win, but Lewis can sometimes give up the ghost if things don’t start going right for him. Over the best of nine format, that’s dangerous.
So, let’s get chanting “Play up, Stompe! Stompe play up!” as we get our last bet on for the night.
Co Stompe to beat Adrian Lewis: 13/8 @ 888.com .
Recommend: 1.5 units.
That’s it for the third day of the Grand Slam of Darts. A lot of tasty encounters and if anyone can recreate the passion and atmosphere Ted Hankey managed to generate last night, we’re in for a right treat.
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