World Grand Prix Final Tips and Preview

Two Welsh Dragons will fight it out for glory tonight in the World Grand Prix Final. Last night, Gerwyn Price overcame the boo boys to win vs Bunting. Jonny Clayton took care of business against Danny Noppert. It should be a cracking decider, check out James Punt’s preview below.

Gerwyn Price vs. Jonny Clayton

The first all-Welsh final of a major tournament says a lot about the standard of Welsh darts right now. Gerwyn Price is the 1.67 favourite to win, Jonny Clayton 2.30.

Last night’s semi-final between Price and Bunting was a very strange affair. Price was simply dreadful in the first two sets, averaging in the 70’s and he went 0-2 down. At the break Price delayed his return to the stage but came back a different player and he won the next four sets, not altogether comfortably, but Bunting eventually wilted.

Once again, the crowd played a big part in bring Price’s game down. This Leicester crowd has been the worst I have seen. Very drunk and 80% giving Price abuse right through the match. It is putting him off, but he made the fatal mistake of telling them what he thought of them and that only encourages this type of moron.

Perhaps the fact that there will be no English players involved tonight will help but I doubt it. There aren’t even any Premier League football matches played today which would have shrunk the ‘just here for the drink and abuse’ crowd.

World Grand Prix Final: Crowd On Clayton’s Side

Jonny Clayton isn’t English, but he will be the crowd favourite tonight, so that is something in his favour.  He beat a slightly disappointing Danny Noppert 4-1 in his semi-final last night and it was another good performance. He didn’t give Noppert too many chances and dropped just seven legs.

Their H2H form is 11-5 to Gerwyn Price and he has won the last eight. You have to go back to April 2018 to find Clayton’s last win, a Euro Tour final in Austria. It is not just that Price has won the last eight, but that he has won most of them very easily. There have been three floor matches which were close, but on stage the total legs score is 33-11 to Price.

That H2H record is quite strange given that both players are very close in terms of scoring and win rates, but clearly Price has a hold over Clayton.

Ferret In Better Form

In terms of tournament form, Clayton has been the better player, averaging 94 to Price’s 92.5. Price has averaged below 90 for his last two matches, Clayton 93.1, and it is Price who might have to up his game tonight. Doubling is the name of this particular game and so far it is Jonny Clayton who has been better in that department. Price has doubled in at 45%, Clayton 50% and when it comes to checking out Price is at 44% to Clayton’s 55%.

Jonny Clayton has played better than Price and that means he should be in with a very good chance, but with that very poor H2H record against Price, does he believe that he can win?

In Price’s favour is a very good H2H record against Clayton. In Clayton’s favour is that he is playing the better darts and he has the crowd on his side. The crowd, a very unpleasant bunch, have succeeded in getting to Price. He should be used to it, and he always said during the days of behind closed doors tournaments, that he plays better with a crowd, even if they are against him. This week he has not enjoyed it and he has let the morons get to him.

The ’Moron Factor’ might be what decides this match.

We have backed Price to win the tournament, but it looks prudent to back Clayton tonight.

World Grand Prix Final Tip: 2 points Jonny Clayton to win @ 2.35 with Pokerstars

Four of the last five Grand Prix finals have ended 5-2 so I’ll be hoping that trend continues.

World Grand Prix Final Tip: 0.5 point Clayton to win 5-2 @ 9.00 generally available

-JamesPunt