All eyes are on Leicester in the darting world this week, and we’ve picked out four BOYLE Sports World Grand Prix first-round betting tips over the opening two days of action.
The unusual ‘double in, double out’ format can make things tricky for punters, but these are our early selections at Mattioli Arena - and if all are successful, the acca will pay over 25/1.
2025 BOYLE Sports World Grand Prix Darts First Round Tips
Luke Humphries vs Nathan Aspinall
LUKE HUMPHRIES TO BEAT NATHAN ASPINALL 2-1 @ 5/2
Both of these players have performed well in recent renewals of this competition, and everything points towards a tight tussle on Monday night.
Humphries lifted the trophy two years ago and was runner-up last term, while Aspinall reached the 2022 final after making the quarters for the previous couple of seasons.
Cool Hand Luke has shown the better form of late, but The Asp doesn’t suffer many heavy defeats, and this is a value bet.
Luke Littler vs Gian Van Veen
LUKE LITTLER VS GIAN VAN VEEN OVER 2.5 SETS @ EVS
The Nuke has carried all before him this year, adding UK Open and World Matchplay titles to his World Championship success, but he does have to exorcise the demons of last season’s first-round loss to Rob Cross at this event.
Littler admitted, “I’ll be honest, I didn’t like it. I didn’t like the double start. I think it’s obviously one of the toughest tournaments to win, with the Worlds, the Matchplay, the Premier League. But the double start: if you don’t get off, then you’re in trouble.”
To further complicate matters, Van Veen has won their last three head-to-head meetings, albeit at lesser events, and we feel this promises to be a tricky test on Tuesday evening for the tournament favourite.
Michael Van Gerwen vs Dirk Van Duijvenbode
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN VS DIRK VAN DUIJVENBODE OVER 2.5 SETS @ 10/11
With 10 of last year’s 16 opening-round matches going to three sets, this BOYLE Sports price boost looks like another percentage pick.
Mighty Mike can boast six World Grand Prix victories, second only to Phil Taylor, and recently ended his two-year televised title drought at the World Series of Darts in Amsterdam, beating Littler 11-7 in the final.
However, his fellow Dutchman Van Duijvenbode has been solid at major events this season, including reaching the fourth round of the UK Open, and looked in decent spirits at the last three Players Championship tournaments in Leicester, so The Titan can at least take this all the way.
Mike De Decker vs Peter Wright
MIKE DE DECKER TO BEAT PETER WRIGHT 2-0 @ EVS
Belgian ace De Decker sprang a major surprise when lifting the BOYLE Sports World Grand Prix trophy 12 months ago, upsetting Humphries in the decider, and will be determined to prove that was no flash in the pan.
“I still get goosebumps thinking about last year,” said the world number 20. “Luke was the player to beat throughout the tournament, so to go and lift the title – it was an emotional rollercoaster.
“I’m feeling quite confident. I played pretty well on the ProTour last week, and I’m finally finding some consistency again.”
Wright is a two-time world champion, but he has looked badly out of sorts of late, losing 6-2 to De Decker in round one of a Players Championship competition last week, before taking a 6-0 thrashing from Van Duijvenbode in the following event.
*Prices are subject to fluctuation
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