James Wade vs Stephen Bunting (World Grand Prix) Odds and Bets 01.10.2026

James Wade and Stephen Bunting meet in the second round of the World Grand Prix after both were pushed to three sets on their opening night in Leicester. Wade came through 2-1 against Joe Cullen, while Bunting needed the same scoreline to see off Andrew Gilding.

James Wade vs Stephen Bunting date, time and event details

How James Wade and Stephen Bunting are playing

James Wade form

Wade’s first-round performance was not particularly pretty statistically, but that does not put me off him. He averaged 88.65 against Cullen, hit three 180s and converted seven of 25 finishing-double attempts as he recovered from losing the opening set to win 2-1.

The wider form is far more persuasive. Wade won the Flanders Darts Trophy in September, beating Ross Smith 8-4 in the final with a 95.50 average and five 180s. That title followed his Australian Darts Masters success a few weeks earlier.

That run matters to me more than Tuesday’s modest average. Wade is getting through pressure matches again, and this tournament suits him historically: he won the World Grand Prix in 2007 and 2010. His game has always been built far more around timing and doubles than spectacular scoring bursts.

Stephen Bunting form

Bunting also had to work for his place in round two. He beat Andrew Gilding 2-1 with an 86.26 average, six maximums and seven successful finishing doubles from 22 attempts. The six 180s are the eye-catching number: even when the overall average was restrained by the double-start format, his heavy scoring was still present.

My concern is consistency. Before Leicester, Bunting had lost 5-6 to Josh Rock at the World Series Finals, 4-6 to Nathan Aspinall in Flanders and 4-6 to Luke Woodhouse in Prague, with his only win across that particular four-match sequence coming 6-5 against Brendan Dolan.

There is clearly enough quality there to trouble Wade. Bunting can score in clusters and, if he starts finding his opening double immediately, he can take sets away quickly. His recent results, though, have given me fewer reasons to trust him in the key moments.

Key factors in my Wade vs Bunting prediction

Wade looks more comfortable in pressure situations

This is the biggest factor for me. Wade has recently won titles in Australia and Antwerp and has already negotiated a difficult opening match here. At Flanders he beat Rob Cross 6-5, whitewashed Danny Noppert 6-0, defeated Damon Heta 7-4 and then beat Ross Smith 8-4 in the final.

Bunting’s recent defeats have often been close, but that is part of the issue: he has repeatedly reached the decisive stages of matches without finishing the job.

The double-start format plays towards Wade’s strengths

The World Grand Prix is the only PDC major in which players must hit a double before they can begin scoring as well as hitting one to finish the leg.

That changes the normal equation considerably. Missing the opening double can leave a player effectively a visit behind before the scoring battle has even started. Wade has spent his career building matches around percentage darts, favourite doubles and punishing opponents for small errors. I rate those qualities more highly here than I would in an ordinary straight-leg event.

Bunting has the bigger 180 threat

I would not expect Wade to dominate every statistical category. Across their latest five matches, Wade has averaged 96.10 compared with Bunting’s 94.10, but Bunting has produced 3.20 maximums per match against Wade’s 2.60.

We saw the same pattern in round one: Bunting hit six 180s to Wade’s three. That gives The Bullet a route into the match even if Wade is tidier around the doubles.

Their latest meeting also favours Wade

The most recent clash between them came at the Australian Darts Masters on 22 August. Wade edged it 6-5, averaging 98.57 against Bunting’s 95.60.

I would not overvalue one head-to-head result, particularly because that match used a conventional format rather than double-start rules, but a recent win in a tight match does reinforce the case that Wade is comfortable when the margins are small.

The price still gives Wade room

The market makes Wade favourite. Oddschecker was showing a best price of 8/11 on Wade and 11/8 on Bunting, while Betfair Sportsbook had the pair at 4/6 and 6/5 respectively when checked.

At 8/11, Wade’s raw implied probability is roughly 58%. Given his recent results, historical suitability for the format and the current difference in consistency between the two players, I think that is a reasonable favourite rather than an overbet one.

James Wade vs Stephen Bunting statistics

James Wade vs Stephen Bunting head-to-head

Their latest meeting is the one I find most useful rather than digging too deeply into older matches. Wade defeated Bunting 6-5 at the Australian Darts Masters on 22 August 2026, producing a 98.57 average in a contest decided in the final leg.

The World Grand Prix rules make Thursday’s match sufficiently different that I would not use the head-to-head as my main betting argument. It is nevertheless another recent example of Wade handling a close contest against this opponent.

James Wade vs Stephen Bunting odds

The odds shown here are taken from the bookmaker BetVictor and are subject to change before the start of the match.