Sunday Afternoon Grand Slam Of Darts Preview

Unfortunately, Fallon Sherrock missed too many doubles against Peter Wright on Saturday. James Punt still fired in a quartet of winning bets at 1.91, 2.20, 2.00 and 2,20. Lets hope for more of the same today. Check out James’ Sunday Afternoon Grand Slam of Darts preview and tips below.

Martin Schindler vs. Nathan Rafferty

Two of the younger players in the tournament who had very contrasting opening matches. Schindler was perhaps the most disappointing player in the first round, losing 5-1 to Ratajski, but it was the way he lost it which was so disappointing. An average of 81.5 was well shy of his usual standard never mind his best.

Nathan Rafferty on the other hand very nearly beat a slow starting Gerwyn Price. If he had been better on the doubles, the win was his. In the end it was a 4-5 defeat and an impressive 95 average.

The pressure is on both players as it is possible to qualify with two points, but with a leg difference of -4, Schindler is looking at an early exit. A win and preferably comfortable one is required. Just a win would do for Rafferty.

Schindler’s 12 month average is a shade under 95, which is more than decent. You have to go back to April to find a worse performance by Schindler, and that was a 6-0 win in the German Super League. Can he be as bad as bad again today?

Overperformer

Rafferty’s 12 month average is 84 and he was a massive overperformer yesterday. Can he be as good again? That is harder to tell. He just doesn’t have much experience at this level. We don’t know if he is a stage player, is he a player that raises his game in front of the camera’s? The chances are he won’t play as well as yesterday. There will be that bit more pressure. He will have thoughts about maybe progressing. He is not the massive underdog who can play without fear.

The bookies certainly expect Schindler to turn things around and he is the 1.50 favourite with Rafferty a 2.88 shot. Schindler’s game was so off yesterday that taking such a short price is mad, but I’d still want a bit more than 2.88 to back Rafferty. No bet.

Merv King vs. Rusty-Jake Rodriguez

King was every bit as disappointing as Schindler was yesterday, but perhaps his performance wasn’t such a shock. The King was thrashed 1-5 by Bradley Brooks and Brooks was hardly on fire with an 88.9 average. Clearly there is something not right with King. He withdrew from the last two players championship events last week and whatever the reason was, he is still not right.

Rusty-Jake cost us a win yesterday by taking three legs of Jonny Clayton. It was a good performance by Clayton and Rodriguez deserved his three legs, but Clayton is up with the very best, maybe is the very best. To give him a game means you’re doing well.

The Bookmakers algorithms have made the usual mistake of putting too much weighting on rankings. Yes, King is the high ranked player but that means sweet Fanny Adams if he is playing rubbish and probably injured. Rodriguez is on a roll having just won the European Development tour and has his future settled for the next two years. This week is just a really good chance to pick up a nice cheque and log some experience of the big time. The odds are very wrong.

Sunday Afternoon Grand Slam of Darts Tip: 2 point Rusty-Jake Rodriguez to win @ 3.00 with Boylesports, BET365, Betvictor

James Wade vs. Boris Krčmar

Wade has only won four of his last ten matches and lost 4-5 to Jim Williams yesterday. It was an OK performance by Williams but nothing special. Wade can be a lot better than he was yesterday, but he hasn’t been playing well for a while now.

Big Boris was whitewashed by Rob Cross and the Croatian looked very flat. Like Wade, Krčmar has lost six of his last ten matches, but he to can play a lot better than he did yesterday.

Their H2H form is 2-1 to Wade but Boris won their most recent match 6-5 in late September.

Two out of form players never makes for a good betting proposition and while Krčmar makes some appeal at 3.10, this match is best left alone.

Stephen Bunting vs. Chris Dobey

This should be the best match of the afternoon session, so long as Chris Dobey shows up, which he certainly did not yesterday. He averaged 90 in a 3-5 defeat to Rowby-John Rodriguez. Dobey has been playing so well on the floor recently and it was a shame to see him fail to take a great opportunity to stake a claim for the knockout stage. He now has to find his game if he is to have any chance.

Bunting played very well against Ryan Joyce, averaging 106 but losing 5-6. He will be mad that he lost but Relentless lived up to his nickname and toughed it out to steal the match. Bunting has never gone out at the group stage in his three previous appearances and while the group isn’t over yet, he needs a win.

Dobey Dominant

Their H2H record is a resounding 8-1 to Dobey. There have been two that went to a deciding leg, including Buntings only win, but most have been easy wins for Dobey. They have only met twice on stage, both Euro Tour matches and it is 1-1 from those matches.

This is a real puzzle. Yesterday’s relative performances suggests this is a gimmie for Bunting, but the H2H form says it is Dobey who will prevail. The bookmakers have Dobey as the very marginal 1.91 favourite with Bunting available at 2.00.

I can’t see any value in this match. No bet.

Ryan Joyce vs. Rowby-John Rodriguez

Relentless Ryan Joyce has hit good form at just the right time of year. He has won eight of his last ten, not all brilliantly it must be said, but he is getting the wins. His last three defeats have been against Rob Cross, Jonny Clayton and Maik Kuivenhoven. That defeat to Kuivenhoven was a 5-6 loss and he only averaged 86.7. Even when he plays crap, he is hard to beat. He beat a player averaging 106 yesterday which underlines the point.

Rowby-John played OK against an under-par Chris Dobey yesterday, but this is a different challenge. Dobey offered little resistance, but resistance is what Joyce is all about. Their H2H record is 1-1.

Rowby-John is a hard player to call. He lacks consistency and can be anything from a big ton plus average to a sub 80, you just don’t know who is turning up. He has won five of his last ten and is a frustrating player to follow. There is a big talent there but no consistency.

Joyce is the 1.67 favourite and that makes sense. He is a tough nut to crack, even is Rodriguez does bring his A game. This could be a bit of a grind so long as Rodriguez does throw in one of his duff performances.

Sunday Afternoon Grand Slam of Darts Tip: 1 point over 7.5 legs @ 1.80 with Boylesports

Rob Cross vs. Jim Williams

Our number 1 outright selection for the tournament, Rob Cross didn’t have to do very much to beat Krčmar 5-0 yesterday. It was a 96 average in second gear.

Williams edged a poor match against Wade, and he will have to be much better today. There was nothing to suggest Williams is going to find enough to compete with an in-form Cross.

Cross is the 1.40 favourite, but he should cover the handicap easily enough.

Sunday Afternoon Grand Slam of Darts Tip: 1 point Cross to win -1.5 legs @ 1.73 generally available

Gerwyn Price vs. Krzysztof Ratajski

Price got his usual pantomime villain welcome by the boorish Wolverhampton crowd, but he did give them plenty of ammunition in a poor performance against Nathan Rafferty. With a bit more accuracy at the doubles, Rafferty coulda shoulda won. The Iceman needs to catch fire or he is in trouble here. He did average 99 but it didn’t feel like it.

Ratajski beat a very poor Martin Schindler 5-1 but the German just didn’t show up. It was an OK display by The Polish Eagle, and he too will have to do better today.

Their H2H record is 7-3 to Price and their matches have become more closely fought. They have not met this year and only once last year but their last three have all been on the floor but very much at the business end of the tournaments, a semi and two finals. Price won two but the scores were 8-7, 5-7 and 8-5.

Ratajski is in great form, winning his last eleven matches, and losing just one of his last fifteen. Price has won seven of his last ten.

The market has Price as the 1.44 favourite which looks a bit short to me. Price is scoring well but just doesn’t seem to be at the top of his game. Ratajski is just used to winning and his confidence is high. Ratajski is available at 2.88 but I suspect Price will edge this one. He is just that bit mentally tougher and he will want to put Ratajski, a serious threat to the big boys, in his place, in the same way MVG used to do with Price.

Sunday Afternoon Grand Slam of Darts Tip: 1 point Ratajski to win +1.5 legs @ 2.00 with Boylesports

Sunday Afternoon Grand Slam of Darts Tip: 0.5 point Price to win 5-4 @ 5.50 generally available

Jonny Clayton vs. Bradley Brooks

Bam Bam Brooks was delighted with his win against Merv King, but it was a bit like mugging an old lady in the street. King was not at the races and winning with an 88 average is no great shakes.

Clayton just had another day at the office, averaging 101.5 and beating a useful opponent 5-3. That is what Clayton does these days, he operates at a very high level. Too high for Brooks.

Clayton is the 1.20 favourite but I’ll take him to cover a -2.5 leg handicap.

Sunday Afternoon Grand Slam of Darts Tip: 2 points Jonny Clayton to win -2.5 legs @ 1.91 with Ladbrokes, Betvictor

Hopefully I will have time to cover this evenings matches but there is the small matter of the Brazilian GP to unpick first.

-JamesPunt