Grand Slam Friday: First two quarter final previews and predictions

The 2025 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts quarter-finals kick off on Friday. Played over two evenings thanks to the marathon first-to-31 format, we’ve got three former World Champions and a bloke who throws so fast it takes most humans longer to watch the dart hit the board than it takes Ricky Evans to release it. Should be fun.

Below are thoughts, previews and predictions. If you take the advice and lose money, please refer to this sentence as my lack of accountability.

Luke Humphries v Michael Smith

Two of the very best of the modern era and the 2024 England World Cup–winning duo collide in what looks, on paper, like an explosive showdown. The bookies are not messing about: Cool Hand is the overwhelming favourite, largely because of current form rather than peak ability.

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If both turned up at 100 per cent, you’d flip a coin. However, even though Bullyboy finally looks to be on the road to recovery, he’s still a fair way off his snarling, relentless best. Meanwhile, the current world number one continues to prove exactly why he holds that accolade, brushing aside talented young Dutchman Jurjen van der Velde with consummate ease last round - and that was after waking up with back spasms and almost withdrawing.

We’re now at the best-of-31 stage - a marathon race to 16. Oddly enough, with Smith dealing with recently publicised arthritis issues and Humphries nursing a bad back, this could literally come down to who manages their injuries better over the long haul. That said, Cool Hand looked devastating in the last 16 despite his morning troubles.

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Humphries also leads their 2025 head-to-head record 3–1, though all were short-format matches with three of them being Euro Tour clashes. If the current number one continues at his current level, it’s probably a bridge too far for Smith right now. It’s a shame we might not get peak Humphries versus peak Smith, because that would be a power-scoring spectacle for the ages. Hopefully the St Helens slinger takes huge pride in making the last eight and uses this as a launchpad to get back to where fans want to see him.

Prediction: Humphries on form. If the back holds up, he wins. Score prediction: 16–9.

Gerwyn Price v Ricky Evans

Another one where the bookies aren’t shy: Gezzy is the heavy favourite, and understandably so. A three-time Grand Slam champion facing a man with just one major ranking semi-final to his name. Since 2018, Ricky has beaten Price only twice - one being last weekend in the group stage, when he edged him in a final-leg nail-biter.

There was a time when Price was darts’ pantomime villain. Now the crowds adore him - especially in Wolverhampton, where his record is outrageous. Evans is loved everywhere he goes and plays up to the fans beautifully. And make no mistake: on his day, Rapid can rattle off legs faster than a meteor entering the Earth’s atmosphere.

In the last 16, Woodhouse kept leaving doors slightly ajar, and Evans barged through them. Price won’t be so generous. Any chance the ginger maestro gets, he’ll need to take ruthlessly - they won’t come often. If Gezzy turns up with his A-game, he wins. If not, and Ricky catches fire, we could be in chaos territory.

The fairytale? Evans - who has found love this year and also lost his sister - lifting his first PDC major. He’s good enough. But belief? That comes and goes. He even said pre-tournament he didn’t “deserve” to be there - not because of ability, but because he qualified via the last-chance saloon in Wigan. But rules are rules. He earned the spot.

Price, though, is desperate for another big individual title. It’s been far too long for a player of his calibre, and he knows this is a huge opportunity.

Prediction: Can Ricky beat him? Yes - he literally just did a few days ago. Can he do it over best of 31? Much harder. Score prediction: Price 16–7.

Now that we’ve officially jinxed both Humphries and Price, let’s see how spectacularly wrong you can be.

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