Darts Betting Tips: Voltage to star in our Boosted double

Fridays's action at the Grand Slam of Darts sees the start of the quarter finals , with two amazing matches for us to enjoy!

Betfred Insights' Darts expert, Sean Rafferty, is back with his darts betting tips for Friday's Grand Slam action and is confident of another winner, after a red-hot week thus far. 

Grand Slam of Darts Odds

Mickey Mansell +3.5 legs handicap @ 4/6

If you’d told either of these players a week ago that they’d reach the Grand Slam semi finals then they’d have ripped your arm off for it, yet one of them are going to achieve that tomorrow.

Mansell got through more comfortably of the two in the last 16 stage, seeing off Danny Noppert 10-7. It was another contender for Mickey’s best ever televised performance, as he posted a 99 average over 17 legs. What has particularly impressed me throughout from Mansell is his doubles - The Clonoe Cyclone has hit 83%, 62% and 67% in his winning matches at the Grand Slam so far this week which has been the key to his success. He even openly said in an interview after one of his matches this week that if he keeps giving himself opportunities then he’s confident of hitting them, so clearly he’s feeling good around the outer ring.

Menzies had to dig really deep to get the better of James Wade, eventually winning in a dramatic last leg decider. I have to say I didn’t have Menzies down as getting through a mentally gruelling match which required a bit of nerve and bottle at the end, it’s a match he almost certainly would’ve lost a year or two ago. It shows that he’s continuing to make strides in the right direction and perhaps have a bit more self belief in the ability he has.

I do think Menzies will need to up it, a low 90s average may not cut it here, he will need to improve his scoring which tends to be his strength normally. Both players are bound to have nerves but I think Mansell does have the experience to cope with it and hold himself together a bit better, which may be what’s required as I have it fairly 50/50 and going deep. I think Mansell may just nick this at nice odds, but I’ll take the insurance of +3.5 legs at a generous 4/6.

Rob Cross to beat Martin Lukeman @ 4/9

Cross is warming up nicely into this event, he didn’t look at his best in the group stages but was on song last night and made very light work of seeing off in-form Ritchie Edhouse. It was a masterclass on the outer ring for Voltage, pinning 10 of his 12 darts at double and posted a solid 99 average.

Lukeman was also a comfy winner, running away with it towards the end in a straightforward 10-5 win over Ross Smith, with a 96 average for Smash. He did beat Cross 5-3 in the group stage phase, having been 3-0 down in that one. I just can’t see Cross making the same mistake twice, he’ll have plenty of time to get it right in this much extended format of first to 16 legs. The lengthy format could play a big factor in this, Lukeman has no experience playing a match of this length. Cross on the other hand has gone deep here previously and at the World Championship too of course, so is far more equipped to coping with these circumstances.

Rob made the final here last year - from the QFs onwards, which were all first to 16 leg matches, he averaged 98, 96 and 104 so has shown he can consistently perform to a decent level in these long days and nights on the oche. Crossy has hit 62%, 83% and 83% of his doubles in his winning matches this week. If he continues that efficiency at the back end of legs then I cannot see him being beaten. I fancy Cross winning this by a couple legs at least in what now looks like a golden opportunity for him to make the final this weekend.

Sean's chosen double has been generously boosted from 11/8 to 13/8 at the time of publishing, which you can load direct to slip by clicking below.

Darts Odds

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