Sky Sports commentators make prediction for World Grand Prix with Rob Cross being first seed to fall and differing winners picks

The World Grand Prix gets underway at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester on Monday. Luke Humphries starts the tournament as defending champion after beating Gerwyn Price 5-2 in the final last year. Who will win the tournament this year is hard to predict, there are a whole number of contenders for this unique major.

After all, the World Grand Prix is the only PDC major that is played according to the 'double in, double out' format and that already dares to cause some surprises. At Sky Sports the commentators already made some predictions. Laura Turner pushes Luke Littler to the fore. "It's difficult but I'm going to go for Luke Littler. We are boring but I'm going for Littler to play Gary Anderson in the final," she says.

Michael Bridge, in turn, thinks Humphries will successfully defend his title. "I respect Luke Humphries professionalism and every tournament he enters he wants to win. When he lost on the Pro Tour he looked really disappointed but I'm going to go with him and it's boring, but I just feel he's got that in him. He's determined to win this and retain it, so Stephen Bunting will beat him in the first round..."

Abigail Davies holds a somewhat dissenting opinion. "Life would be pretty boring if I just picked Van Gerwen to win it for a seventh time or Luke Humphries to retain the title, so I'm going to go for a bit of an outsider in 'Heavy Metal' Ryan Searle. He missed seven darts to win on the Euro Tour in Switzerland recently. I've still not got over that disappointment, but I really hope that he has.

"He is the best in the world on double top in my opinion. He's never won more than one title in a year in his career but I'm backing him to do it."

Finally, Rod Studd comes up with a perhaps somewhat surprising name. "Chris Dobey. In superb form and has reached a semi-final and two quarter-finals in this event in the past."

As to who will be the first seed to fall, there is much unanimity. "Rob Cross," it sounds almost unanimous. The fourth-seeded Cross did not get lucky with the draw and will face Luke Littler in the opening round.

In addition to the clash between Cross and Littler, there are a number of great posters lined up in the opening round, but which one are the Sky Sports commentators most looking forward to? "They all offer something really good but I think Michael Smith and Gary Anderson could be a real belter of a match and I think it's the format that makes it really interesting. I don't think you want to miss any of them because they've all got a lot to offer," Turner said. Michael Bridge then comes back with a perhaps more surprising choice. "Luke Woodhouse and Dimitri van den Bergh will be a good game. I know how determined Luke is to move up and then there's a battle of the top lads derby with Chris Dobey and Joe Cullen. You can't go wrong with the Grand Prix."