BoyleSports World Grand Prix day one predictions: Back Bully Boy at a big price

Darts tips, best bets and analysis for day one of the BoyleSports World Grand Prix at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Arena, from 6pm Sunday

Best bets

Ryan Searle to beat Dimitri van den Bergh
3pts 12-5 Boyles

Michael Smith to beat Gerwyn Price
3pts 11-5 general

Stephen Bunting to beat Daryl Gurney
2pts 6-4 bet365, Betfred

Day one preview

Phil Taylor may have won the Grand Prix 11 times but he also suffered five first-round exits, proving no one is exempt from a bloody nose in a stage of the tournament that all the big boys dread.

Round one is a best-of-three showdown – so can be over in six legs – and last year five of the eight seeds fell at the first hurdle, among them Peter Wright, who was humbled 2-0 by Ryan Joyce.

So big-priced outsiders are more attractive in this competition, especially at this stage, and very definitely when they are as good as Ryan Searle and Michael Smith.

Searle's a tour winner and capable of beating anyone including Dimitri van den Bergh while Smith is a huge price at 11-5 against Gerwyn Price. If Bully Boy can start fast he can begin reeling off legs in no time.

Former champion Daryl Gurney reckons he should be the outsider against Stephen Bunting and there will be a fair few punters who might concur with the Northern Irishman.

The layers see the match differently but with SuperChin a shadow of the man who won this title four years ago, take the St Helens ace at a nice price.

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