Darts / David Croft / 08 October 2009 / Leave a comment

With a double to start and a double to finish, there could be some real upsets the Grand Prix in Dublin. However, the winner without Taylor market may still be the best bet for value...

"The top half of the draw looks a lot more open and given that Betfair offer a market without Taylor, this is where the shrewd punter can ‘Phil’ - if you pardon the pun - their boots. "

A couple of weeks ago I was in the BBC Radio 5-live commentary box covering the first practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix, when my mobile phone buzzed into life.

It was a text from none other than Phil Taylor, who at the time was in South Africa and watching our coverage. It's not the first time that Phil has texted me whilst I'm on air; normally I get a text or two during the World Darts Championships and it was nice to know that he was enjoying the action.

Clearly watching some fast cars payed off when Phil took to the Oche, as that weekend he duly wrapped up the South African Masters for the third successive year.

I make that 17 tournaments that Taylor has won now in 2009, since he lifted the world title for the 14th time back in January, not a bad year even by his high standards.

This morning Phil even had the cheek to suggest that he hadn't prepared properly for the World Grand Prix in Dublin this week, hinting to the rest of the field that they might have a chance, which of course they have, given the fact that this event features a double to start and a double to finish.

From time to time shocks occur if a player struggles to get away. Taylor himself has fallen victim to the freak nature of this event, losing three times in the first round. However, he has won the title a record eight times.

So the big question is, do the rest have a chance this week? Well they do, but it's a slim one. Well prepared or not, Taylor is having an awesome year and when he gets up on stage, under the TV lights, he's beginning to look invincible again.

The good news though, seems to be that the rest of the field have raised their game to try and lay down a challenge. Up to and including Wednesday night we'd seen nine players average more than 100 during a match, which could be a good indicator that they're getting that double to start a lot quicker than in the past. The longer it takes to get away, the worse your average and, against Taylor, if you can't start with your first three darts, you've had it.

Unsurprisingly, Taylor is as short as a dwarf super model without her heels on this week. At [1.34] he'll put plenty off, but the trouble is he's impossible to ignore. In his 3-0 demolition of Wayne Jones in the second round, Phil averaged 99.37, his 140 plus tally was 13 and he narrowly missed Bullseye on a 161 finish which would have seen him hit the first ever nine dart leg in the history of the World Grand Prix.

Phil now faces Adrian Lewis in the quarter-finals, a mouthwatering clash and a real test for the man they call Jackpot; an arrogant, cocky and sometimes OTT talent whom Taylor helped in his early years. Lewis became a father back in August and I'm told that with the arrival of his baby he's acquired a newfound maturity on the Oche.

He's certainly found some form in Dublin this week, winning the Players Championship event last weekend and you can back him to win the Grand Prix at [23.0]. That's a decent price if he can win past Taylor, but it's big ask and we've often seen in the past Taylor sweep past those that he's brought on. What Lewis needs is a repeat of some of those big finishes he came up with against Gary Anderson - three of 126 or above, but even so his average was nearly 10 points shy of Phil's against Wayne Jones. Averages don't tell the whole story but as a guide it does show how much Lewis needs to raise his game.

Meanwhile, the top half of the draw looks a lot more open and given that Betfair offer a market without Taylor, this is where the shrewd punter can 'Phil' - if you pardon the pun - their boots.

Mervyn King is available at [4.1] without Taylor. Dennis Priestley, who sensationally knocked out James Wade, can be backed at [17.0]. The two can meet in the semi-finals and both prices are attractive enough at this stage to hedge your bets.

Tags: David Croft, Dennis Priestly, Grand Prix Darts Betting Odds, James Wade, Phil Taylor