Clashes of the Closest Kind expected on Night Two at the Grand Prix

After a couple of shocks on night one in Dublin, I can’t see there being anymore tonight in an evening of tight encounters in the World Grand Prix.

As is likely to happen in a tournament involving just 32 players there are not a lot of clear-cut favourites, and I think it is fair to say that you would only throw money behind Gary Anderson and Phil Taylor to win with serious confidence, and the bookies agree as a double on those two pays a measly 30/100 with SkyBet.

Of the rest of the clashes, there are none that would go down as a real surprise result whatever the result, but if I were to pick winners, it would be the following: Ovens, Walsh, Chisnall, Webster, Whitlock and Baxter.

Obviously the majority of the money will be heading the way of Paul Nicholson in the final match of the night, but the Rocket has been in good form, as he showed in Canada last month and in a short form of the game it could easily go his way.

What should be the encounter of the evening is the all Premier-League clash between the Wizard and the Bull which, although the Aussie goes into as favourite, will be a tight one.  When Whitlock is on song he is able to blow people away in this format, but as a top eight seed he has been handed arguably the toughest draw he could in the first round, and Terry can be an animal on double top which could see him pick up a big victory.

For a decent priced accumulator though I would stick with just four picks of Taylor, Anderson, Webster and Chisnall which SkyBet will offer you 23/10.

Tonight’s Matches

Jamie Caven v Denis Ovens
Mark Hylton v Mark Walsh
Dave Chisnall v Alan Tabern
Mark Webster v Andy Hamilton
Gary Anderson v Richie Burnett
Phil Taylor v Peter Wright
Simon Whitlock v Terry Jenkins
Ronnie Baxter v Paul Nicholson