Where to watch Day Four of the Grand Slam of Darts
Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports+ from 7pm Tuesday
Best bets
Ryan Joyce +1.5 legs vs Michael van Gerwen
1pt 11-10 Betfair
Stephen Bunting to beat Josh Rock
1 point 5-6 Betfair
Grand Slam of Darts Day Four predictions
Michael van Gerwen vs Ryan Joyce
There have already been a number of shocks at this year’s Grand Slam of Darts, with world champ and defending champion of this tournament Luke Humphries being dumped out in the group stage.
Three-time winner Michael van Gerwen is trying to avoid the same fate as he faces Ryan Joyce in a straight shootout to progress to the knockout stages.
Relentless is no easy opponent for MvG, as he reached the semi-finals of the Grand Prix last month and has a solid head-to-head record against the Dutch ace.
Four of the last six meetings between the players have either been won by Joyce or gone Van Gerwen’s way in a decider, so it may pay to side with the Englishman with a 1.5-leg start on the handicap.
Stephen Bunting vs Josh Rock
Group H has undoubtedly seen the highest quality competition of any at the tournament, with seven of the eight individual performances producing three-dart averages of 100 or above.
Josh Rock’s 99 average in a 5-3 win over Wessel Nijman was the only one to drop below that total and his decider with Stephen Bunting looks likely to be another top-quality clash, with both men playing for the final spot in the knockout stage.
The Bullet ran into a 114 average from Gian van Veen, the third-highest in the history of the tournament, when losing 5-1 last time out but he is fancied to edge this winner-takes-all game against Rock.
Bunting has won the two previous meetings between the pair and is a two-time semi-finalist in this tournament.
Fresh from his first major win earlier this year, the 39-year-old has taken his game to a new level, reaching the final of a whopping four of the eight Players Championship events held in October.
Any fans of the so-called nappy factor will also be happy to learn that Bunting has just become a father for the second time, and he may have more reason to celebrate.
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