Backing Montgomery in Grand Slam Could Mean Bullseye

Contributor | November 10th, 2017

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The 11th Grand Slam of Darts gets underway on Saturday the 11th of November at Wolverhampton Civic Hall, with 32 players competing for eight days to carve a slice of the £450,000 prize fund. And it's not just the players looking to bank, those looking to bet on darts are equally as hungry for some cash.

But which supremo will be the one that throws the last dart and walks away this year’s champion and the £110,000 top prize? Read through our betting preview to see who's favourite to win and which outsiders might be worth a punt once the action the starts!

Michael van Gerwen

Mighty Mike van Gerwen marches on to the White Stripes Seven Nation Army, but the truth is that the burly Dutchman is a one-man machine. Not only is he top of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) rankings, but he's also won 37 televised titles, alongside 48 non-televised gongs.

His most recent success saw him clinch the Ladbrokes World Series of Darts title for a third consecutive year, beating Gary Anderson at Braehead Arena in Glasgow to claim the £50,000 first prize. Betfair has him down as favourite to win the whole thing, with current odds of 4/5.

Gary Anderson

The recent World Series of Darts loss must have stung Gary Anderson more than any other, seeing as he was competing in his home country of Scotland. However, he showed remarkable form to reach the final against Van Gerwen, managing to nail James Wade 11-5 in the semi-finals.

Despite his 11-6 loss to the Dutchman, the Flying Scotsman is a former World Darts Federation number one champion, so should never be ruled out of the running. Betfair is currently offering odds of 11/2, which could be a solid bet should Van Gerwen falter during the tournament.

Peter Wright

The second Scot on the list behind Anderson, Peter Wright started this year in style with a 6-4 victory against Adrian Lewis in the PDC Coral UK Open held in Minehead in March. This was his first televised titled, earning him a pretty £70,000 prize purse.

Dubbed Snakebite thanks to his memorable multi-coloured mohawks and snake tattoos on the side of his head, Wright is one of dart’s most flamboyant characters In addition to the UK Open, Wright has had three impressive European Tour triumphs as well as a Player Championship victory. These accomplishments bring his PDC ranking to No.2.

He also reached the Premier League Play-Offs for the first time this year, managing to beat Phil Taylor but eventually losing to Van Gerwen. Wright would also be a smart bet given the motivation that has pushed him this year, with Betfair offering odds of 15/2.

Phil Taylor

Phil “The Power” Taylor is a living legend among darts players, with over 200 professional tournament wins in a career that has spanned four decades. Despite being considerably older than his nearest rivals, the 57-year-old is currently ranked No.4 in the PDC’s Order of Merit.

Last year he was even crowned the first winner of the Champions League of Darts. With all this experience behind him, it's understandable that Taylor has started to wind down his career, due to retire in January.

He opted out of October’s World Grand Prix in Dublin, as did Anderson, but he still has some fighting spirit in him and could cause Van Gerwen one last upset before he leaves the dart world. Betfair has him pegged at 8/1, which could well be worth a power punt.

Daryl Gurney

The unexpected winner of the World Grand Prix in Dublin, the Northern Irishman could be a good outside bet, with Betfair giving odds of 25/1 for both him and Englishman Rob Cross. Gurney edges it by a nose, or in this case a chin, due to his recent run of success that started in April when he won his first PDC ProTour title at a Players Championship in Barnsley.

He also debuted at the US Darts Masters in Vegas and played in World Series events in Auckland, Melbourne and Perth. Closer to home, he beat Simon Whitlock in the World Grand Prix final to claim his first televised title.

The World Grand Prix win propelled him to No.4 in the PDC rankings. With this flurry of success, Superchin could prove to be a super winner at the Grand Slam. So if you think you can decide which one of these darts players is going to hit the bullseye, why not visit one of our recomended darts betting sites?