2024 World Grand Prix Friday Preview

Two winners from three bets for James Punt last night. We have four more matches tonight, check out James’ 2024 World Grand Prix Friday tips below.

Mike de Decker vs. James Wade

De Decker dispatched a disappointing Gary Anderson 3-0 last night. He averaged 95.74, an excellent display, and he will be a tough nut to crack if he carries on this run of form.

De Decker has now won seven of his last ten matches and he is scoring very well. He may well have turned a corner, becoming a proper, full time darts player. He has a title under his belt and now has his first ranking Major quarter final to look forward to.

James Wade has also won seven of his last ten matches and while he doesn’t hit the same high notes as De Decker, he is very consistent and scores well enough to win plenty of legs. Gerwyn Price couldn’t take a set off Wade last night, but De Decker will bring a lot more firepower to bear on Wade. This will be harder than facing an out of sorts Price.

H2H Dead Level

Their H2H record is 3-3. They have never met on TV before and only once on stage, a Euro Tour event earlier this year, which Wade won 6-3. That ended a run of three straight wins for De Decker and four of their six previous best of eleven leg matches required ten legs or more.

The funny thing is that De Decker has never really fired up against Wade, but still won half their matches. His best average against Wade was 94.50 which is only around his seasonal average of 95.23. De Decker has averaged 92.01 and 95.74 in his first two rounds and that is with the double in format. If he keeps this form going, Wade might be in for an unpleasant surprise.

James Wade is the 1.80 favourite, De Decker 2.05.

Wade Has Experience

James Wade has played in six previous Grand Prix quarter finals and won five, albeit the last was back in 2014. De Decker has never played in a PDC quarter final, so he may may get nervous, but he has played with a smile on his face so far, and looks to be enjoying things, but at some point his head will get turned with thoughts of winning the title. Hopefully that comes later.

Wade will make it hard for De Decker and if he can make it a long match, he can take De Decker to places he hasn’t been before. Wade will have to do a rope-a-dope and hope that De Decker punches himself out, while he just grinds his opponent down.

I doubt that Wade will allow De Decker to sweep him aside as Anderson did last night. The quarter finals are still only a best of five sets, which should help De Decker a little as he will not have much experience of long duration matches.

2024 World Grand Prix Friday Tip: 1 point over 4.5 sets @ 2.75 with Betfair

Rob Cross vs. Ryan Joyce

Cross has never got this far in a Grand Prix, but he is a multiple Major champion with plenty of big match experience. Joyce not so much, but he has played in two Major quarter finals and won one. Cross has played in nineteen ranking Major quarter finals, winning ten, so advantage Cross in the experience department.

Joyce knows that this format is right up his street. The North East of England leagues play it and his great strength is hitting doubles, ranked 1st for checkout %. He is a very underrated performer and I have won a fair few quid backing him now and then over the years, not least when he won PC26 fifty one weeks ago, at 176.00.

Joyce is in great form, winning eight of his last ten matches and reached the semi-final of PC25 just over a week ago. Maybe he is an Autumn sort of guy?

Cross has won seven of his last ten matches and he has taken out the much fancied Luke Littler in round one, and the in-form Martin Schindler in round two.

Cross Dominant in H2H

Their H2H record is a convincing 8-2 to Cross and he beat Joyce 6-2 just last month. He has won their last six meetings and only dropped five legs in their last three. They have played once on TV, at the 2021 Grand Slam, and Cross won that 10-4. Clearly, Cross likes playing Joyce while Joyce will not relish facing Cross.

Cross is the 1.45 favourite, Joyce 3.00. Much as I respect Joyce, I have to side with Cross. He has so much more big match experience, and by getting this far, he has ended that Grand Prix hoodoo he had with the event in the past.

2024 World Grand Prix Friday Tip: 1 point Rob Cross to win -1.5 sets @ 2.00 with Betfred

Luke Humphries vs. Jonny Clayton

As the other short priced players have departed the scene, our number 1 selection for the title, Luke Humphries is now just 2.25 to win the tournament. He is just 1.25 to see off Jonny Clayton this evening.

Humphries has won nine of his last ten matches but he hasn’t really got going yet. He has been solid but unspectacular so far, but that has been enough.

Jonny Clayton has won six of his last ten matches but he was quite poor when beating Ross Smith 3-1 in the last round, averaging just 80.32. He has been playing a lot better than that recently.

Both players have won this title, but only one will have the chance of making it two. Their H2H record is 5-2 for Jonny Clayton. They have met on TV twice, and Clayton won both.

The 2021 Players Championship finals saw a 10-9 win for The Ferret, the 2023 World Matchplay semi-final was their other TV meeting, and Clayton won 17-15, so he will not be intimidated by facing Humphries. However, Humphries is a better player these days, and Clayton has fallen away somewhat.

There is no value in Humphries’ odds and I am happy to hedge the outright bet here, with a small stake punt on Clayton at big odds.

2024 World Grand Prix Friday Tip: 0.5 point Jonny Clayton to win @ 4.50 with Betfred, Ladbrokes

Joe Cullen vs. Dimitri van den Bergh

Two players who I thought were easy to dismiss before the tournament started. Both have put some horrible form behind them and one is going to be a semi-finalist.

Both scored heavily in the first round but were not so strong in the second round. Neither player can be overly confident given the kind of form they were in coming into the tournament.

Cullen has won five of his last ten matches, as has Van den Bergh, so they cannot be said to be in any great form. They will be pinching themselves that they could reach the semi-finals and trouser £40k.

Van den Bergh has successfully defended his 2022 Grand Prix quarter final money, which really didn’t look on the cards, and he will be happy about that. Joe Cullen reached the semi-final last year, so he knows he can do it.

Cullen is 6-3 vs. Van den Bergh and 2-1 on TV. They haven’t met since 2022.

Dimitri van den Bergh is the 1.73 favourite to win, Cullen 2.30, but I find it hard to see how either player can be made a favourite. Either player could fold like a cheap suit if they revert to their recent form, indeed both could and what sort of match do we get if that happens? As such, Cullen makes more sense value wise, but I am happy to leave this well alone. No bet. 

2024 World Grand Prix Friday Tip: No Bet

-JamesPunt