Tag: 2020 Players Championship

Betting the 2020 Players Championship: Odds and Picks for the Best Tournament Props

Analyzing the betting props around the 2020 Players Championship, with PGA Tour betting odds, picks, tips and best bets.

The 2020 Players Championship will see a stacked field of 144 of the world’s best golfers tee off Thursday morning at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Below, I look at my favorite tournament props for the 2020 Players Championship, with PGA Tour betting picks, tips and best bets.

Tiger Woods is the top-ranked golfer from the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings not in attendance, as world No. 1 Rory McIlroy prepares to defend his 2019 title.

2020 Players Championship: Leader after Round 1

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 6:20 p.m. ET.

Scottie Scheffler (+8000)

Scheffler is making his Players Championship debut, but the 2019 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year has made a seamless transition to the PGA Tour. He has missed the cut in just two of 13 events since A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier, and he has four top 10s in that time, along with a T-15 finish last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

He’s third on Tour in the 2019-20 season in Round 1 scoring average at 68.15. His 13 measured rounds are more than anyone else in the top five. The rookie scores low on short courses and he doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses right now.

Nick Taylor (+12500)

Taylor tied for 16th here last year for his best result at The Players, and he’ll make his first appearance as a PGA Tour champion following his breakout win at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

The Canadian ranks 12th on Tour this year in Round 1 scoring average, and he finished 2019 ranked 16th. He opened with a first-round 73 last year, but he scored in the 60s each of the final three rounds.

Looking to place a bet on The Players Championship? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!

2020 Players Championship: 3-ball match

Tyrrell Hatton/Paul Casey (+160)/Max Homa

Casey is the first-round bet to back in this trio. Hatton is coming off a win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational but missed the cut at this event each of the last two years. Homa will be making his TPC Sawgrass debut. Casey missed the cut last year, but the veteran had a T-22 in 2017 and a T-23 in 2016. He’s the safest bet in this trio with the second-best odds.

Viktor Hovland/Collin Morikawa (+125)/Matthew Wolff

All three youngsters are making their professional debuts at TPC Sawgrass, but all three already have a win in their young PGA Tour careers. Wolff finished outside the top 50 in each of his last two events, and Hovland has an MC and a T-42 in two events since winning the Puerto Rico Open. Morikawa hasn’t missed a cut in 21 events as a pro.

SUBSCRIBE to Golfweek and get the most comprehensive coverage of golf’s greatest athletes. Click here or call 1-800-996-4653 to subscribe.

2020 Players Championship: Tournament head-to-head

Tommy Fleetwood (-112) vs. Dustin Johnson

Johnson has slipped to No. 9 in the Golfweek world rankings, while Fleetwood enters the week sixth following a third-place finish at The Honda Classic, though he missed the cut last week. No one in the field with a minimum of 10 rounds played at TPC Sawgrass has gained more strokes per round than Fleetwood’s 2.34, according to Data Golf.

Xander Schauffele vs. Webb Simpson (-112)

Simpson, the 2018 Players champion, gets paired up against Schauffele for the tournament head-to-head. Schauffele debuted with a T-2 in 2018, but he missed the cut in his follow-up attempt last year. Simpson hasn’t played since a disappointing T-61 finish at the WGC-Mexico Championship, but he already has a win in 2020 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open to cap a stretch of five straight top 10s.

Also see:

Get some action on The Players Championship by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1363]

Betting the 2020 Players Championship: Sleepers and Long Shots to Bet

Analyzing the outright odds to win the 2020 Players Championship, and looking at some sleepers and long shots worth backing.

The 2020 Players Championship will see a field of 144 of the world’s highest-ranked golfers compete for a share of a $15 million prize purse beginning Thursday at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Here at SportsbookWire, we’ve been covering the various betting angles around The Players Championship all week, and below we’ll look at three more longshots from varying price ranges worthy of a dart throw in hopes of a big payday.

2020 Players Championship: Sleepers and long shots

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Ian Poulter (+12500)

Poulter’s 58 career rounds played at TPC Sawgrass rank fifth in this week’s field. He ranks fourth in that group and 17th among everyone with at least 10 rounds played with an average of 1.33 strokes gained per round, according to Data Golf.

He enters the week ranked 67th in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings and is coming off finishes of T-27 at The Honda Classic and T-32 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He was a co-runner-up in 2017, and he hasn’t missed the cut since 2013 while playing every year.

Looking to place a bet on The Players Championship? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!

Bernd Wiesberger (+15000)

A star on the European Tour, Wiesberger won three times in 2019, most recently at the Italian Open in mid-October. He didn’t play here either of the last two years, but he tied for 12th in 2017 and 49th in 2016. He has gained 1.22 strokes per round across 10 career rounds at TPC Sawgrass.

SUBSCRIBE to Golfweek and get the most comprehensive coverage of golf’s greatest athletes. Click here or call 1-800-996-4653 to subscribe.

Mackenzie Hughes (+25000)

Hughes didn’t play here last year, but he went 2-for-2 in 2017 and 2018 with finishes of T-16 and T-57, respectively. He nearly picked up his second career win at The Honda Classic two weeks ago, finishing second to Sungjae Im.

His odds haven’t been adjusted for the recent top finish, and there’s value to be had while using a little recency bias and trusting the current form. Only 39 members of the field have longer odds.

Also see:

Get some action on The Players Championship by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1363]

Betting the 2020 Players Championship: Outright bets to fade

Analyzing the outright odds to win the 2020 Players Championship, and looking at some risky bets to avoid at TPC Sawgrass.

TPC Sawgrass once again welcomes the strongest field in golf for the 2020 Players Championship. Tiger Woods is one of just four members of the top 50 in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings taking this week off, as he makes his final preparations for next month’s Masters Tournament. Here at SportsbookWire, we’ve been analyzing the odds to win The Players Championship, and here we look at five popular bets to fade this week.

2020 Players Championship: Bets to fade

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET.

Patrick Cantlay (+2500)

Cantlay makes his return to competitive play this week following surgery for a deviated septum. While it’s not a knee, elbow or wrist injury likely to hinder his play going forward, jumping right back into competitive play against a strong field will be tough.

Cantlay is No. 4 in the world by the Golfweek rankings, but he’s eighth by BetMGM’s odds. This is typically a good indication of value as the odds don’t reflect a golfer’s pedigree, but I’m willing to trust the books here. Cantlay missed the cut last year and hasn’t finished better than T-22 (2017) at TPC Sawgrass.

Looking to place a bet on The Players Championship? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!

Rickie Fowler (+3500)

The 2015 Players champion is always a popular betting pick, especially at these inflated odds. Since his marquee win here, he has missed the cut twice with finishes of T-47 last year and T-60 in 2017. He has just one top-10 finish in a full-field event since the 2019 Open Championship.

Tyrrell Hatton (+4500)

Hatton broke through with his first PGA Tour win last week. He’ll now attempt the rare back-to-back win at an event in which he missed the cut each of the last two years. He’s in top form, but he’ll face a stronger field and he’ll have little confidence on TPC Sawgrass.

SUBSCRIBE to Golfweek and get the most comprehensive coverage of golf’s greatest athletes. Click here or call 1-800-996-4653 to subscribe.

Jordan Spieth (+8000)

Spieth, a former world No. 1, enters the week 46th in the Golfweek rankings. He had just five top-10 finishes in 2019 but claimed his first of 2020 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but he has followed it up with a T-59 at The Genesis Invitational and a T-58 at the WGC-Mexico Championship. He has four missed cuts in his last five appearances at The Players, with a lone four-round finish of T-41.

Phil Mickelson (+10000)

Much like several of the names here, Mickelson would typically be an attractive bet at his posted odds, but certainly not at TPC Sawgrass and in this strong of a field. Lefty won here in 2007, but has four missed cuts in his last five visits and has also missed the cut in four of his six events to open 2020.

Also see:

Get some action on The Players Championship by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1363]

How to bet Rory McIlroy at The Players Championship: Outright odds & props

Looking at Rory McIlroy’s chances of success at the 2020 Players Championship, including PGA Tour betting options within the tournament.

Rory McIlroy looks to defend his title at the 2020 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass as the No. 1 golfer in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings. McIlroy is the No. 1 betting favorite among the 144-man field at BetMGM this week. Below, we look at McIlroy’s outright and prop betting odds and look for the best value plays for the world’s top golfer at The Players Championship.

Rory McIlroy’s history at TPC Sawgrass

McIlroy ranks 11th in this week’s field in average strokes gained per round at TPC Sawgrass among those with at least 10 rounds played, according to Data Golf. He has gained 1.68 strokes per round across 32 career rounds on the Stadium Course. Last year, he led the field with 3.32 Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green per round while ranking third in SG: Off the Tee.

Last year’s victory followed a missed cut at the 2018 Players Championship. He previously finished T-8 in 2015, T-12 in 2016 and T-35 in 2017. His finishing score of 16-under par last year matched the second-lowest four-round score of the last decade.

ALSO SEE: 

Rory McIlroy’s key stats for The Players Championship

Based on historical tournament data from Fantasy National, my key stats for the week are:

  • Strokes Gained: Ball Striking
  • Strokes Gained: Around the Green
  • Opportunities Gained
  • Greens in Regulation Gained
  • Proximity from 125-150 Yards

McIlroy leads my stat model, which measures the last 36 rounds for each golfer in the field on courses shorter than 7,200 yards. While he’s one of the longest hitters on Tour, much of his career success has come on these shorter tracks.

He’s second in the field in SG: Ball Striking, third in Opportunities Gained and fourth in SG: Around the Green. Each of the last 11 champions at TPC Sawgrass finished 10-under par or below, and nine of his 16 PGA Tour rounds in 2020 have been scored in the 60s.

Rory has been struggling with his putter of late, preventing him from reaching the winner’s circle, but he gained a total of just 0.7 strokes putting last year and needs to be little more than average with the flat stick at this venue. He putts best on the Bermuda greens featured here.

Outright odds for The Players Championship

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 12 p.m. ET.

As noted above, McIlroy is the No. 1 favorite to win the 2020 Players Championship at +700. He enters this week with seven consecutive top-five finishes with his first win of the 2019-20 PGA Tour season coming at the WGC-HSBC Champions in November. He has racked up three straight fifth-place results, nearly mirroring his form entering last year’s tournament:

EVENT 2019 2020
Farmers Insurance Open T-5 T-3
Genesis Open/Invitational T-4 T-5
WGC-Mexico Championship 2 5
Arnold Palmer Invitational T-6 T-5
The Players 1 ?

Rory is a very chalky golf bet as the No. 1 favorite in the field and the only player priced lower than +1200, but he has enjoyed a similar build-up as last year, and he already has his first win of the season under his belt. He’s worth a multi-unit wager in his quest to repeat.

Best Props on Rory McIlroy to win The Players Championship

Looking to place a bet on Rory McIlroy or this tournament? Get some action on it at BetMGM.  Sign up and bet at BetMGM now!

Who’ll finish in the Top 10? (+100)

Even money for a top-10 result is an easy choice, as the odds for a top-5 finish are just +190. McIlroy hasn’t finished outside the top-10 in a PGA Tour event since his T-19 showing at last year’s BMW PGA Championship one week prior to his victory at the Tour Championship.

Lowest Score Over 72 Holes – Group A (+160)

PASS on this prop bet. If Rory is not going to win this week, it’s likely the winner will come from this group including Jon Rahm (+300), Justin Thomas (+400), Tommy Fleetwood (+700) and Bryson DeChambeau (+600). Take his more profitable outright odds, instead.

Top European Player (+225)

While Rory faces tough competition from Rahm (+350) and Fleetwood (+700) in this group, it does weed out the strong American contingent playing this week. It’s a good hedge against the outright bet.

Get some action on The Players Championship by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1363]