Phil Taylor And Michael Van Gerwen Into The Grand Slam Quarter Finals

The Grand Slam of Darts has provided a week of great darts entertainment leaving us with our final 8.

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Despite losing 5-0 in what is possibly the shock result of the tournament so far, Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor is into the quarter-finals and will step back up to the oche tonight in the stand out match of the round against Peter ‘Snakebite’ Wright.

It is the second of tonight’s two games, following a brilliant week at the Wolverhampton where almost everything has gone to plan for the big names, Adrian Lewis aside.

A win for Taylor here in game two will likely see him face MVG, who plays in tonight’s first game against Brendan Dolan which could in turn, lead to a thumping semi-final on Sunday.

In the second stream, whose matches play tomorrow, Gary Anderson will meet Barney first up after just about overcoming Danny Noppert, while James Wade will need to see off the challenge from Chris Dobey, who beat Jamie Hughes last night.

In a week that began with the world’s top players doing their own version of the Mannequin Challenge, the action has been brilliant, not least the 5-0 drubbing Phil Taylor suffered at the hands of Darren Webster, even if The Power had already qualified by then.

Unfortunately, the table topper bet I placed last week didn’t hold up, even though I opted for Raymond Van Barneveld over Mensur Suljovic to top Group F, which he did. Indeed, Michael Van Gerwen, Robert Thornton, Peter Wright, Phil Taylor, Gary Anderson, Raymond van Barneveld and James Wade all won their groups as they were expected to. Then, the round robin stage’s last group, Adrian Lewis incredibly came bottom, winning no matches and shooting down mine and everyone else’s otherwise decent bet. Thanks Jackpot!

Robert Thornton was gone by the second round, however, as he met MVG straight out of the groups and was promptly dismissed 10-5. James Wade who topped his group, which included Dave Chisnall, swiftly saw off Benito van de Pas 2-10 while in the last tie of round 2 Raymond van Barneveld dispatched the last remaining BDO representative Glen Durrant 10-7.

Darts Betting Tips

MVG is first out tonight and it really shouldn’t take him too long to move Brendan Dolan aside who is 14/1 at Bet365 just to come through this evening’s match. It’s game two that should provide the best action of the night as Peter Wright and Phil Taylor face off for the right to play, in all likeliness, Van Gerwen on Sunday. Taylor is odds on across the board, while Wright can be picked up at 7/4 for a win tonight, which I am toying with.

Both Bet365 and Betway are laying odds of 7/1 for The Power to take the crown and there is every possibility that the overall winner will come from his predicted semi-final face off on Sunday. The second batch of matches, to be played on Saturday, sees both James Wade and Gary Anderson odds on to emerge from their respective games and meet up in the second of Sunday’s semis. For the outright winner, I’m sticking with Anderson, MVG aside, and the Scotsman is 4/1 in all of our partner rooms.

Friday November 18 (7pm)

Quarter-Finals (Best of 31 legs)

  • Michael van Gerwen v Brendan Dolan (QF1)
  • Peter Wright v Phil Taylor (QF2)

Saturday November 19 (8pm)

Quarter-Finals (Best of 31 legs)

  • Chris Dobey v James Wade (QF4)
  • Gary Anderson v Raymond van Barneveld (QF3)

Sunday November 20

Afternoon Session (1pm)

Semi-Finals (Best of 31 legs)

  • Van Gerwen/Dolan v Wright/Taylor (SF1)
  • Anderson/van Barneveld v Dobey/Wade (SF2)

Evening Session (7pm)

  • Final (Best of 31 legs)
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Van Gerwen Cleans Up In Glasgow Ahead Of Grand Slam Defence

Another week, another title for Michael Van Gerwen as his impressive 2016 form continued with yet another tournament win, this time in the World Series. Yep, last Sunday at Glasgow’s Braehead Arena, the Dutch master took down his 23rd tournament victory of the year as he retained the World Series of Darts.

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MVG took on Peter ‘Snakebite’ Wright in a repeat of the 2015 final where the Dutchman won 11-10, this time winning 11-9 and claiming the £30,000 first prize. It was a tight affair, however, as Wright, who had defeated Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor in the previous rounds, saved his best for his home crowd, taking an early 4-3 advantage. The lead didn’t last long though, as Van Gerwen claimed seven out of the next nine legs, putting himself 10-8 ahead.

Surprisingly, MVG then stuttered and allowed Wright to get back into a match which had already seen the lead change hands three times. While Wright brought himself level for what would have been his first ever championship title, Mighty Mike dug deep, like the best champions always do, and closed out the match with his ninth 180 before sealing the win on a magnificent double two.

For the Dutch master, this meant his third successive televised title following back to back wins in the World Grand Prix and European Championship. He will be looking to add a fourth this weekend when the Grand Slam of Darts rolls into the Wolverhampton Civic Hall.

Grand Slam of Darts 2016 schedule

Running for nine days from November 12 until November 20, the Grand Slam of Darts is a unique event that recruits 32 players from both the PDC and the BDO. The PDC players qualify through their annual performance in televised events which has led to the inclusion of the following ten stars; Michael Van Gerwen, Phil Taylor, Gary Anderson, Adrian Lewis, Peter Wright, Dave Chisnall, Raymond Van Barneveld, Mensur Suljovic, Max Hopp and Nathan Aspinall.

These are all joined by former Grand Slam finalist James Wade as well as Alan Norris, Benito Van de Pas, Ian White, Simon Whitlock and Gerwyn Price. Then, places are allotted to those players on the BDO circuit that won their qualification through a special PDC Qualifier in Barnsley last month. From there, we have the following players; reigning Lakeside Champion Scott Waites, Robert Thornton, Brendan Dolan, Darren Webster, James Wilson, Dimitri Van den Bergh, Chris Dobey, Nathan Derry and Ted Evetts.

Other BDO competitors will include Scott Mitchell, Darryl Fitton, Jamie Hughes, Glen Durrant, Jeff Smith, Danny Noppert and Martin Adams who faces a daunting first match against Michael Van Gerwen.

The opening four days splits the players up into eight groups for a round-robin style opening round where players will score two points for a win and the top two from each group will progress to the knockout stage from the last 16 onwards.

The full draw, groups and schedule have now been drawn up so we can begin to take a look at where the value lies.

Grand Slam of Darts betting tips

It goes without saying that Michael Van Gerwen is the favourite, at 5/6, to defend his Grand Slam of Darts title so let’s leave this one there. Six-time Grand Slam winner Phil Taylor is a tempting 6/1 with Betway while my pick, Gary Anderson, is 7/1 with the same bookmaker.

For the opening day, SkyBet are running an enhanced accumulator on Saturday big shots Phil Taylor, Gary Anderson, Michael Van Gerwen & Adrian Lewis all to win for 11/8. Or, there is the following sweetener based on the afternoon session: James Wade, Peter Wright, Mensur Suljovic, Raymond Van Barneveld & Dave Chisnall all to win at 100/30. Providing you can choose between Suljovic and Van Barneveld, both evens, simply picking the group winners from the favourites will pay around £78 a line at Betway .

With MVG in this kind of form, it really is worth looking at each way bets. We proved this last week when we plumped for Peter Wright at 25/1, who paid out at half the odds for a second place finish. Bear this in mind with Adrian Lewis available at a 22/1 with Bet365 and Peter Wright at 20/1 across the rooms.

Oh, and from the BDO camp, Glen Durrant at 50/1 is the shortest price and can be taken at SkyBet, Bet365 and Betway should you feel an upset is on the cards.

GROUP A

  • Michael Van Gerwen (1)
  • Brendan Dolan
  • Max Hopp
  • Martin Adams

GROUP B

  • Robert Thornton (8)
  • Gerwyn Price
  • Dimitri Van den Bergh
  • Scott Waites

GROUP C

  • Peter Wright (5)
  • Simon Whitlock
  • Ted Evetts
  • Jeff Smith

GROUP D

  • Phil Taylor (4)
  • Ian White
  • Darren Webster
  • Darryl Fitton

GROUP E

  • Gary Anderson (2)
  • Alan Norris
  • Nathan Derry
  • Glen Durrant

GROUP F

  • Mensur Suljovic (7)
  • Raymond Van Barneveld
  • Nathan Aspinall
  • Danny Noppert

GROUP G

  • James Wade (6)
  • Dave Chisnall
  • James Wilson
  • Jamie Hughes

GROUP H

  • Adrian Lewis (3)
  • Benito Van de Pas
  • Chris Dobey
  • Scott Mitchell

Saturday November 12, Afternoon Session (1pm)

Groups B-C-F-G Matches (Best of 9 legs)

  • Gerwyn Price v Dimitri Van den Bergh (B)
  • Simon Whitlock v Ted Evetts (C)
  • Dave Chisnall v James Wilson (G)
  • Mensur Suljovic v Danny Noppert (F)
  • Robert Thornton v Scott Waites (B)
  • Raymond Van Barneveld v Nathan Aspinall (F)
  • James Wade v Jamie Hughes (G)
  • Peter Wright v Jeff Smith (C)

Saturday November 12, Evening Session (7.30pm)

Groups A-D-E-H Matches (Best of 9 legs)

  • Brendan Dolan v Max Hopp (A)
  • Alan Norris v Nathan Derry (E)
  • Ian White v Darren Webster (D)
  • Benito Van de Pas v Chris Dobey (H)
  • Phil Taylor v Darryl Fitton (D)
  • Gary Anderson v Glen Durrant (E)
  • Michael Van Gerwen v Martin Adams (A)
  • Adrian Lewis v Scott Mitchell (H)

Sunday November 13, Afternoon Session (1pm)

Groups B-C-F-G Matches (Best of 9 legs)

*Order of play still to be confirmed

  • Saturday’s Loser v Loser
  • Saturday’s Winner v Winner

Sunday November 13, Evening Session (7pm)

Groups A-D-E-H Matches (Best of 9 legs)

  • Saturday’s Loser v Loser
  • Saturday’s Winner v Winner

Monday November 14 (7pm)

  • Groups A-D-E-H Matches (Best of 9 legs)

Tuesday November 15 (7pm)

  • Groups B-C-F-G Final Games (Best of 9 legs)

Wednesday November 16 (7pm)

Second Round (Best of 19 legs)

  • ​Winner Group A v Runner-Up Group B
  • Winner Group B v Runner-Up Group A
  • Winner Group C v Runner-Up Group D
  • Winner Group D v Runner-Up Group C

Thursday November 17 (7pm)

Second Round (Best of 19 legs)

  • Winner Group E v Runner-Up Group F
  • Winner Group F v Runner-Up Group E
  • Winner Group G v Runner-Up Group H
  • Winner Group H v Runner-Up Group G

Friday November 18 (7pm)

  • 2x Quarter-Finals (Best of 31 legs)

Saturday November 19 (8pm)

  • 2x Quarter-Finals (Best of 31 legs)

​​​​Sunday November 20, Afternoon Session (1pm)

  • 2x Semi-Finals (Best of 31 legs)

​​​​​​​ Sunday November 20, Evening Session (7pm)

  • Final (Best of 31 legs)
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Michael Van Gerwen Makes It Three In A Row

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Michael Van Gerwen chalked up a hat-trick of European Championship victories with a thumping 11-1 win against Austria’s Mensur Suljovic at the Ethias Arena in Hasselt, Belgium on Sunday.

Taking just over 30 minutes to do the job, Van Gerwen’s 111.62 average was the highest in a televised final and a record in a European Championship decider.

Suljovic put on an impressive performance in his first televised final. Despite having seen off Peter Wright in the semi-finals as well as Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor in the quarter-finals, he was no match for a dominant MVG who took the £100,000 first prize as well as the ranking points he does not need.

Suljovic, on the other hand, moves up to seventh in the PDC Order of Merit after winning £40,000 in prize money, his best-ever scoop.

Van Gerwen vs Suljovic: as it happened

Mighty Mike opened with 174, taking the opening two legs before Suljovic claimed a solitary leg back, leaving the Dutchman to pull clear. He began to run away with the match after breaking Suljovic twice with 12-dart finishes, including two 180s in one leg, before striking a 157 checkout to lead 7-1.

He remained unchallenged, landing a further three 180s and missing just four darts at the double on the way to his record-breaking win. His victory here, his 22nd of the year, follows hot on the back of successes in the UK Open, World Matchplay and World Grand Prix.

Ladbrokes World Series Finals Schedule

This weekend will once more see Michael Van Gerwen defending a title, something he and we have become familiar with, as the World Series of Darts Finals take place at the Braehead Arena in Glasgow. Last time out, MVG defeated Peter Wright 11-10 in the inaugural staging of the tournament.

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Now in its second year, the £155,000 event marks the conclusion of the world tour which has visited Dubai, Auckland, Shanghai, Tokyo, Sydney and Perth. It begins just after midday on Saturday.

MVG, like the other top seeds, won’t begin playing until round two and will face the winner of the Gerwyn Price vs Steve Beaton tie.

Likewise, World Champion Gary Anderson will open against either Joe Cullen or Joe Murnan, while, interestingly, Phil Taylor could face off against his recent vanquisher Mensur Suljovic, should he bypass Robert Thornton.

Adrian ‘Jackpot’ Lewis returns to action having missed out on last weekend’s European Championship and will meet Germany’s Max Hopp or Spain’s Cristo Reyes, while last year’s beaten finalist Peter Wright will meet either Josh Payne or Daryl Gurney.

The last three seeds given a bye into the second round are Dave Chisnall, who faces a tough draw against Dutchman Jelle Klaasen or Belgium’s Kim Huybrechts, Raymond van Barneveld who is most likely to meet Simon Whitlock if he makes his way past Brendan Dolan and James Wade who will step up against one of Benito van de Pas or Michael Smith.

World Series of Darts Betting Tips

We’re long past the point where the bookies need to run a favourite-free book eliminating MVG from the betting, such is his dominance.

I can’t find one, however, so let’s just say that Michael Van Gerwen is odds on everywhere.  Him aside, we’ll look to the two Stoke players with a point to prove to, at the very least, make the final.

With Phil Taylor having been dumped out at the quarter-final stage last week by Mensur Suljovic (40/1 at SkyBet this week), The Power will be a man on a mission this weekend in Glasgow and is a decent 7/1 at SkyBet to do so.

Similarly, Adrian Lewis didn’t qualify for last weekend’s event so also returns with a point to prove and is a best price of 18/1 at Bet365. The only other potential winners will be either Gary Anderson and Peter Wright who, as a Scotsman, will have home advantage and the backing of a hostile crowd to boot.

The best you can get on Anderson is 7/1 at both Bet365 and SkyBet, while Wright can be backed at whopping 25/1, which may be worth considering given the bookmaker involved, SkyBet, are paying half the odds for a runner-up position.

If you are split on the two, then Betway are taking bets on the nationality of the winner with 9/2 on offer should a Scotsman emerge victorious in Glasgow.

The tournament will be broadcast live on ITV4.

2016 Ladbrokes World Series of Darts Finals (Glasgow’s Braehead Arena)

Saturday November 5

First Round, Afternoon Session (12.45pm-5pm) Best of 11 legs

  • Max Hopp v Cristo Reyes
  • Benito van de Pas v Michael Smith
  • Jelle Klaasen v Kim Huybrechts
  • Brendan Dolan v Simon Whitlock
  • Mensur Suljovic v Robert Thornton
  • Joe Murnan v Joe Cullen
  • Gerwyn Price v Steve Beaton
  • Daryl Gurney v Josh Payne

Second Round, Evening Session (7pm-11pm) Best of 11 legs

  • Adrian Lewis (5) v Hopp/Reyes
  • James Wade (6) v van de Pas/Smith
  • Dave Chisnall (4) v Klaasen/Huybrechts
  • Raymond van Barneveld (8) v Dolan/Whitlock
  • Phil Taylor (3) v Suljovic/Thornton
  • Gary Anderson (2) v Murnan/Cullen
  • Michael van Gerwen (1) v Price/Beaton
  • Peter Wright (7) v Gurney/Payne

Sunday November 6

  • Quarter-Finals: Best of 19 legs
  • Semi-Finals: Best of 21 legs
  • Final: Best of 21 legs
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