2023 Saturday Grand Slam of Darts Preview – JP
2023 Saturday Grand Slam of Darts Preview
James Punt has already penned a must read outright preview for the Grand Slam of Darts. Read it here. He has also previewed a selection of first round matches on Day 1, get his 2023 Saturday Grand Slam of Darts tips below.
Damon Heta vs. Ricardo Pietreczko
Both players are in good form and both their previous two matches have required a deciding leg. Another close match looks logical.
2023 Saturday Grand Slam of Darts Tip: 1 point over 7.5 legs @ 1.75 with Boylesports
Nathan Aspinall vs. Beau Greaves
The Asp has lost eight of his last nine matches. His scoring hasn’t been that bad but that kind of run is not going to do his confidence any good. He is up against Beau Greaves, a player for whom losing is a rarity.
Beau has a seasonal win rate of 93% but she is not playing players the calibre of Aspinall. Unlike Fallon Sherrock, Greaves has very little experience of these big TV events so she is up against it. That said she is the 6.00 outsider which is very dismissive in a first to five match. Aspinall will not be feeling ultra confident himself and he won’t be looking forward to this.
Greaves To Make A Match
We have had two women players in the Grand Slam for the last three years. They have played a total of 18 matches in the group phase. They have won two, both Fallon Sherrock in 2021. 72% of the matches required less than eight legs and the wise thing is to back under 7.5 legs @ 1.54. However, I’ll go with Greaves to make a better match of it.
She is a better player than Ashton, Sherrock and Suzuki and so long as nerves don’t get the better of her, she can put it up to an out of form Aspinall. You could back Beau with a +2.5 leg handicap, but better to back total legs, just in case she wins.
2023 Saturday Grand Slam of Darts Tip: 1 point over 7.5 legs @ 2.63 with BET365
Jonny Clayton vs. Berry van Peer
Neither player is in good form, which isn’t great for betting purposes, but there may be an angle here. Clayton is 6-1 against van Peer. The have met three times in 2023 and Clayton has won two, with Van Peer winning their last match 6-5 on the euro tour in April.
All three matches this year were close, 6-5, 6-4 and 6-5. However all three matches were played in the space of two weeks in April and Van Peer averaged 97, 96 and 97 in those matches. He was in good form back then. Now? Seven of his last ten matches saw sub 90 averages and five sub 86.
Clayton has lost five of his last ten matches and had three sub 90s but his scoring should be heavy enough to see off Van Peer easily enough.
2023 Saturday Grand Slam of Darts Tip: 1 point Jonny Clayton to win -1.5 legs @ 1.83 with Betfair, Betvictor
James Wade vs. Krzysztof Ratajski
Wade is 5-3 with Ratajski, but it is the Polish Eagle who has won their last three, including their only TV match at last month’s Grand Prix. Ratajski has lost five of his last ten matches but he averaged over 94 in nine of them. He isn’t going to get blown away by Wade.
Wade is in better form, winning seven of his last ten matches, and his tail will be up after reaching the final of the European Championship.
I was considering Ratajski to continue his good run against Wade, but he is just 2.20 to do so and there is enough meat on that bone. No bet.
2023 Saturday Grand Slam of Darts Tip: No Bet
Rob Cross vs. Martijn Kleermaker
It is 3-2 to Rob Cross and these two have never had a close match, all best of eleven leg matches and none requiring more than nine legs. Rob Cross is in good form, winning eight of his last ten matches.
Kleermaker has lost five of his last ten and his scoring has been poor, with just one 93+ average and six sub 90s. This could be another brief match, in Cross’ favour.
2023 Saturday Grand Slam of Darts Tip: 1 point Rob Cross to win -2.5 legs @ 2.20 with Betvictor, BET365
Michael van Gerwen vs. Fallon Sherrock
MVG has only played against one woman in the Grand Slam and that saw a 5-0 defeat of Lisa Ashton in 2021. He averaged 105 in that match, so there was no question of going a bit easy on the lady.
He has won six of his last ten matches and he isn’t in top form, but seven of those matches saw 96+ averages and three ton plus.
Sherrock has prepared for this by playing against the men at the Modus Super Series. Obviously, she was not playing the likes of MVG, the highest averaging player of the last 12 months, but it is a step up from the Women’s Series. She has played 23 matches and won 11.
Sherrock has played six Grand Slam group matches and won two, both in 2021, and she played well that year. There was a 101 average against De Decker in a 5-0 win and she went all the way to the quarter-finals. Last year she lost all three matches, winning just four legs.
These two have not met in anger but they will have played exhibition matches so the novelty factor isn’t there. I don’t expect a whitewash this time but Sherrock has lost half her group matches here 1-5.
