2024 Grand Slam Darts Thursday Preview

James Punt landed two winners from two bets last night but unfortunately, James Wade crashed out. Our 175/1 outright selection Martin Lukeman marched on with a 10-5 win and will face a tough test against Rob Cross in the quarter finals. Hopefully Smash can keep on rolling. The last 16 concludes tonight, check out James’ 2024 Grand Slam Darts Thursday match previews and tips below.

Jermaine Wattimena vs. Dimitri van den Bergh

A couple of days ago, this would have been an easy two pointer on Wattimena, but Van Den Bergh finally put in a strong performance in his last group match. He beat a poor Keane Barry 5-1 and averaged 104.58.

That was his first ton plus average for months. A flash in the pan, or a sign that he has found his TV scoring boots? One Swallow doesn’t make a summer and all that, but it is hard to ignore, because he is a TV specialist.

Wattimena struggled to beat Suljovic, but given his poor H2H record against him, it was a good result. Wattimena has won seven of his last ten matches and remains in good form.

H2H

Their H2H form is 8-4 to Dimitri, but Wattimena won their only match in 2024, a 6-2 win back in February, ending a run of six straight wins for Van den Bergh. That was a floor match and on TV it is 2-0 to Van den Bergh, a 6-1 World Series win in 2022, and 4-0 in the 2021 World Championship.

This is a dilemma. To back the in-form, confident Wattimena, or go with the TV specialist?

Wattimena is the 1.70 favourite, with Van den Bergh 2.30. I will remain sitting on the fence here and it’s a no bet for me.

2024 Grand Slam Darts Thursday Tip: No Bet

Gian Van Veen vs. Ryan Joyce

Van Veen came through ‘the group of death’ with six points and a 109.70 tournament average. Even Wessel Nijman’s 111.10 average was not enough to beat him. Van Veen has played his A+ game for three matches in a row. The question has to be, can he keep it up? Of course, but he may not have to.

Ryan Joyce put paid to MVG’s hopes, by edging their final group match 5-4. It wasn’t a great scoring match, but Joyce prevailed. His tournament average is just 90.22 and it would seem that Van Veen will not need his A-game tonight.

Joyce has already lost a match, a 1-5 loss to a rampant Gary Anderson in the opening group match and he lost twelve legs across his three matches. Joyce can do a lot better, but outside of a ton average in a qualifying match, he hasn’t been scoring well for a month or so.

First Meeting

They have never met before, never mind on TV. Van Veen is the 1.57 favourite, Joyce 2.75. Clearly, the oddsmakers are still a little reluctant to believe that Van Veen can keep this killer run going, and they are probably right to.

But, as I said, he may not need a ton plus average here. Van Veen must be feeling very confident and that is half the battle. Joyce is the one who needs to find something and his recent form does not suggest that he will.

2024 Grand Slam Darts Thursday Tip: 2 points Gian van Veen to win -1.5 legs @ 2.10 with Betfred, Skybet

Luke Littler vs. Mike de Decker

The tournament favourite, Luke Littler, has won seven of his last ten matches and his tournament average is 107.06. No quite as good as Van Veen, but not too shabby. He has hit seven ton plus averages in his last ten matches, a couple of 95s and an 88. He is another player that can raise his game on the big stage, and he is doing it this week.

Mike de Decker has also won seven of his last ten matches, but he did lose a group match, a 2-5 loss to Wattimena. His tournament average is a healthy 96.01. Healthy, but nowhere near Littler’s. He does possess an A game that can compete with Littler, but the reality is that he probably needs Littler to have a bit of an off night.

Their H2H record extends to just one match. It was a Players Championship match six weeks ago, and Littler won that 6-3. It was a high scoring match, with both players just under the ton, but they both missed a lot of doubles, especially Littler, who missed fifteen.

180 Fest

There were no less than ten 180s hit in that match, which is not a great surprise as they are both ranked top 5 for 180s per leg over the last twelve months. Hopefully, this could be one of those matches where the two players just bounce off eachother, following eachother into the treble 20 bed.

Littler is the 1.29 favourite, De Decker 4.20. Possibly a bit harsh on De Decker, but I don’t think he is a better player on TV than he is on the floor. Yes, he won a Major recently, but that was a double in format, which does skew things a bit.

His best TV average is just 100.20, and that was in his last match against Michael Smith just the other night. He is likely to improve on TV, now that he is a Major winner, but Littler is the one who looks a natural on the big stage.

2024 Grand Slam Darts Thursday Tip: 1 point over 12.5 180s @ 2.00 with Ladbrokes, Hills, Boylesports

Gary Anderson vs. Stephen Bunting

Bunting became a dad again a couple of days ago. Will the ‘Nappy Factor’ kick in, and maybe take him all the way? Before he can think of that, he has to face Gary Anderson

Anderson has won seven of his last ten matches and his tournament average is 104.71. Bunting has won eight of his last ten matches and his tournament average is 104.62. Form wise, there is nothing between them.

Their H2H record is 15-5 to Anderson and in Majors, 5-1. They last played just three weeks ago at the European Championships, and Anderson won that 6-3.

Anderson is the 1.62 favourite, Bunting 2.38. Their H2H record says that Anderson is by far the more likely winner, but their recent form says that there is nothing between them. They have played three best of nineteen leg matches and Anderson won them 10-5, 10-7 and 10-5, but those matches were some time ago. Hopefully we get a match worthy of two players in great form.

2024 Grand Slam Darts Thursday Tip: 1 point over 16.5 legs @ 1.80 with Ladbrokes, Boylesports

Outright Selection

This half of the draw is packed with potential finalists. Littler is now the 2.50 favourite to win the title, but he will have to beat De Decker tonight, Wattimena or Van Den Bergh in the quarters and one of Anderson, Bunting or Van Veen, to make the final. The only player I am writing off in the bottom half is Ryan Joyce.

The first thing I want when looking at who could make it through this half, are good odds. There are three hard games to get through, just to reach the final. Littler is too short at 2.50. That is not to say he won’t win, but there are players here that can test him, and could beat him.

Bunting makes some appeal. I like the Nappy Factor angle. He is a player that has a tendency to lose matches at the business end of tournaments. Maybe having a new baby could flick a switch in his head. Another mouth to feed and all that stuff. It is a thing.

Van Veen On The Rise

Gian van Veen is a player I have been watching closely for a couple of years now. He has steadily improved but been eclipsed by the likes of Littler and Wessel Nijman as the hottest youngsters in the game.

This week, Van Veen has reminded everyone that he is right up there with them. Yes, he hasn’t won a Major, and indeed he hasn’t won a senior title yet, but neither had Ritchie Edhouse, before he won the European Championship. If you are good enough, you are good enough.

There are some players who do develop a mental block about winning, but it doesn’t strike me that Van Veen will be one of them. He has already reached one Major semi-final and he is a better player right now. He also has the ‘easiest’ second round match, and that is enough for me to have a modest e/w bet on him for the tournament.

2024 Grand Slam Darts Thursday Tip: 0.5 point e/w Gian van Veen to win the Grand Slam @ 17.00 with Ladbrokes (1/3 the odds 1-2)

-JamesPunt