Grand Slam day seven predictions and darts betting tips: Rock and Humphries can power clear of rivals

Where to watch day seven of the Grand Slam of Darts

Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Arena, 7pm Friday

Best bets

Josh Rock to beat James Wade
3pts 8-11 general

Luke Humphries to beat Gary Anderson
3pts 8-13 general

Grand Slam of Darts day-seven predictions

“I'm James Wade and I do what I do,” droned the 40-year-old left-hander after his group-stage victory over world champion Michael Smith in the Grand Slam of Darts on Monday. However, a standard James Wade performance will probably not be enough to stop Josh Rock in their quarter-final meeting on Friday night.

Wade lost to Krzysztof Ratajski in his opening Grand Slam group-stage match on Saturday, but victory over Smith was enough to progress to the knockout phase, then Wade defeated Chris Dobey 10-8 to progress to the quarter-finals. By his own admission, it has been unspectacular, and rising star Rock could prove unstoppable.

Wade hits doubles and is a doughty match player, but over a best-of-31-legs contest it seems likely that he will be overwhelmed by the scoring power of Rock. The 22-year-old Northern Irishman often makes the game look easy – quickly filling the treble-20 bed – and his first experience of an elite match of this length should be a joyous one.

Rock made short work of Ratajski in the last round, winning 10-5, having cruised through a group in which he demolished Chris Dobey and Jonny Clayton and should be too strong for Wade.

Luke Humphries can prevail in the second match of the night. Having negotiated his way through a tough group, Grand Prix champion Humphries will have high hopes of further title glory, with the longer matches seemingly ideal for this massively in-form maximums machine to kick clear of any opponent.

Gary Anderson is in the midst of a career revival and excelled in a round-two success over Gerwyn Price, but it is doubtful whether anyone in the world is able to stop Humphries over the distance of the remaining Grand Slam matches. Cool Hand Luke has averaged more than 100 in all four of his matches in this event and, bursting with form and confidence, should get the better of Anderson.

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