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2022 BMW Championship prop bet picks and PGA Tour predictions

Analyzing the odds for the 2022 BMW Championship with PGA Tour picks and predictions for the top prop bets.

The FedExCup playoffs continue this week in Delaware with the 2022 BMW Championship, the 2nd round of the PGA Tour’s postseason. Wilmington Country Club is hosting a tour event for the 1st time, so this is a relatively new course for just about everyone in the field.

Below, we search for the best value prop bets among the 2022 BMW Championship odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions.

It’s a star-studded 70-player field as the game’s top players push to make the Tour Championship’s final 30-man field and attempt to win the FedExCup and its $18 million payout. Will Zalatoris, who won the FedEx St. Jude Championship last week, is now No. 1 in the season-long standings, topping world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. The field includes Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay and Justin Thomas, but the No. 2 player in the world, Cameron Smith, withdrew because of a hip injury.

Wilmington CC is a longer course at 7,534 yards but it’s still only a par-71 with 3 par-5s, two of which are more than 630 yards long. Wilmington doesn’t have the amount of water that TPC Southwind does, but this could be a challenging new course for players.

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BMW Championship – Top-5 picks

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 4:15 p.m. ET.

Jon Rahm (+280)

Rahm gained 2.08 strokes from tee-to-green last week, which ranked 3rd in the field, according to Data Golf. However, he seemed to struggle reading the breaks on the greens all week, ranking in the bottom half in strokes gained: putting (-0.09). I’ll back Rahm in Wilmington where it seems good drivers of the ball will have an advantage.

Rory McIlroy (+230)

McIlroy shockingly missed the cut last week in his 1st start since the Open Championship, which may have been attributed to some rust. He just didn’t look sharp with any club in his bag. Assuming he’s knocked off some of the cobwebs from his time off, he should be back to his regular form at Wilmington CC this week.

Cameron Young (+480)

Young didn’t miss the cut like McIlroy, but he did only finish T-31 – which, to be honest, is a disappointing result for the young bomber. Wilmington should fit his game even better, given his strength off the tee and approaches into greens.

Other T5 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Justin Thomas (+330)

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BMW Championship – Top-10 picks

Will Zalatoris (+190)

Zalatoris’ odds to finish in the top 10 are short this week, but that’s usually the case with him. He’s a top-10 machine, posting 9 top-10 finishes in 23 starts this season – including last week’s win in Memphis. He’s an excellent driver of the golf ball and he won at TPC Southwind despite only hitting 5 of 14 fairways. He’ll turn that around at Wilmington CC and continue his hot streak.

Viktor Hovland (+270)

You can get pretty good odds on Hovland because it’s been a shaky year for him, even though he’s turned it around with a T-4 and T-20 in his last 2 starts. He’s trending in the right direction and his performance in Memphis proves that, showing his T-4 at the Open wasn’t a fluke.

Cameron Davis (+450)

If you want to get a little bit riskier, make a top-10 bet on Davis. When you look at his last 5 starts, however, it doesn’t seem all that risky. He hasn’t finished worse than T-16 in that stretch and has 2 top-10s, plus a T-13 last week in Memphis. He’s playing better than ever right now and with his length off the tee, he’ll have an advantage.

Other T10 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Collin Morikawa (+240)
Tony Finau (+190)

BMW Championship – Top-20 picks

Joohyung Kim (+105)

Week in and week out, Kim shows he can hang with the big guns. In his last 3 starts, he went 7th, 1st and T-13. Now with an even smaller field and no cut, I love his chances to come in the top-20 for the 4th straight time.

Denny McCarthy (+250)

McCarthy bounced back from back-to-back missed cuts by coming in 20th at the FedEx St. Jude Championship – and that was despite not breaking par on Saturday or Sunday. He had 3 top-10s in a span of 4 starts from the Memorial Tournament to the John Deere Classic, so he’s been playing well for a few months.

Other T20 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Sahith Theegala (+185)
Adam Scott (+155)
Aaron Wise (+135)

BMW Championship – Matchups

Suggested play is golfer in bold.

Aaron Wise (-120) vs. Russell Henley (+100)

Wise and Henley are on a similar tier entering the BMW Championship as good players who may not be ready to fully break through yet. Wise has struggled with his putter all year and did so again at the FedEx St. Jude Championship – even though he still notched a 3rd straight top-35 finish.

Rory McIlroy (-135) vs. Patrick Cantlay (+115)

How often does McIlroy struggle for 2 weeks in a row? It’s rare, which is why I’m going to him in this matchup with Cantlay. It’s not that I don’t like Cantlay in Wilmington, I just think McIlroy’s advantage off the tee will prove pivotal.

Cameron Davis (-110) vs. Davis Riley (-110)

As I mentioned earlier with Davis, he’s playing some of his best golf ever. Riley is a great ball-striker too, but Davis is red hot and I’m riding that momentum on a course that could favor long hitters.

BMW Championship – Top South American

Mito Pereira (+280)

I took Pereira to be the top South American last week and while he didn’t deliver, he looked more comfortable than he has after missing four straight cuts. Joaquin Niemann (+130) is once again the favorite in this bet, but I’ll take Pereira at longer odds.

BMW Championship – First-round leader

Tony Finau (+2000)

Finau only ranks 30th in 1st-round scoring average this year but he’s gone sub-70 in 13 straight rounds dating back to the final round of the Open Championship. He’s the hottest player in the world right now with 2 wins and a T-5 in his last 5 starts. Ride that wave and hope he stays hot on Thursday.

Sungjae Im (+3000)

Im ranks 12th in 1st-round scoring average, and although he only shot even par in Round 1 last Thursday, his 2 first-round scores before that were 65 and 63. He’s very capable of going low to start a tournament.

More expert prop bet predictions

Group D winner: Adam Scott (+350)

For this bet, Scott is up against Tyrrell Hatton (+300), Corey Conners (+300), Brian Harman (+350) and Billy Horschel (+350). It’s a closely contested group with no clear-cut favorite, in my opinion, but Scott is coming into this week in great form after tying for 5th in Memphis. If his putter stays hot, he should emerge as the top finisher in this group.

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2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship prop bet picks and PGA Tour predictions

Analyzing the odds for the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship with PGA Tour picks and predictions for the top prop bets.

The stars are out again this week for the start of the FedExCup playoffs, which begin at the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis. TPC Southwind will play host this week to its 1st playoff event.

Below, we search for the best value prop bets among the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions.

Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world and the top-ranked player in the FedExCup standings, is near the top of the odds boards this week. Rory McIlroy, Cameron Smith, Patrick Cantlay and Justin Thomas are also in the field as they return from a little bit of a break from major golf season.

Though this is the 1st year of the FedEx St. Jude Championship being part of the playoff schedule, Abraham Ancer won the WGC edition of this tournament last year at TPC Southwind. He did not make this year’s field.

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FedEx St. Jude Championship – Top-5 picks

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 2:49 p.m. ET.

Rory McIlroy (+270)

McIlroy has notched top-5 finishes in 5 of his last 8 starts, and those were some of the biggest tournaments on the schedule, too. He’s arguably the best ball striker on the planet right now and his putting has been great all year as well, even if it abandoned him at St. Andrews.

Cameron Young (+650)

You’re getting a major value on Young here in a star-studded field, which just happens to be the type of tournament he excels in. Like McIlroy, he also has 5 top-5s in his last 8 starts, giving him 7 total on the year.

He’s a good guy to bet on for a top-5 finish because while he’s failed to capture that 1st career win, he often finds himself near the top of the leaderboard in big events.

Will Zalatoris (+500)

Zalatoris tied for 21st at last week’s Wyndham Championship, a disappointing finish for 1 of the favorites to win. But it’s not as if his ball striking has suddenly gone by the wayside. He’s still driving it well and hitting a lot of greens, which should have him in position to record his 7th top-5 finish of the year.

Other T5 contenders:

Justin Thomas (+330)
Xander Schauffele (+330)

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FedEx St. Jude Championship – Top-10 picks

Collin Morikawa (+330)

Morikawa’s odds are discounted because of his recent play, fighting to play a draw after he lost his fade just before the U.S. Open. He missed the cut at the Scottish Open and the Open Championship, but he tied for 5th in Brookline at the U.S. Open, his last start on American soil. Buy low on Morikawa here.

Shane Lowry (+350)

Lowry was on a tear before the U.S. Open, where he missed the cut. Since then, he tied for 21st at the Open and 83rd last week at the Wyndham Championship. Another buy-low candidate, Lowry should bounce back at a course where he’s won before and tied for 6th in 2020.

Tyrrell Hatton (+450)

Hatton comes in hot after firing a final-round 64 Sunday at the Wyndham, notching his 2nd straight top-11 finish. He has 3 top-10 finishes this season and is playing some of his best golf right now.

Other T10 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Davis Riley (+750)
Russell Henley (+450)

FedEx St. Jude Championship – Top-20 picks

Adam Scott (+320)

Scott’s odds as a whole this week should be shorter than they are, knowing he’s made 5 straight cuts and has 2 top-15 finishes in that span. He was up and down last week, but in strong fields at the U.S. Open and the Open Championship, he came in the top 15 each time.

Tony Finau (+115)

It’s somewhat risky to take Finau this week after he won his last 2 starts, causing his odds to be juiced into top-5 territory. But there’s less risk taking him to come in the top 20, which he’s done 5 times in his last 7 starts.

More FedEx St. Jude Championship coverage:

FedEx St. Jude Championship – Matchups

Suggested play is golfer in bold.

Tyrell Hatton (-120) vs. Corey Conners (+100)

Conners has been steady lately, firing 8 rounds between 66 and 71 in his last 2 starts. But Hatton is trending up and played really well last week at the Wyndham, so I like his odds of edging out Conners in Memphis.

Collin Morikawa (-110) vs. Viktor Hovland (-110)

Let’s not forget Hovland was playing pretty poorly heading into the Open Championship where he finished T-4. He missed his last 2 cuts and hadn’t recorded a top-20 in a stroke-play event since the Players in March. I’ll take Morikawa in this matchup.

Will Zalatoris (-110) vs. Jordan Spieth (-110)

Spieth missed the cut in his last start in the U.S. at the Travelers Championship, a shocking result at a course he’s won on before. Zalatoris should be fresher and in better position to take advantage of a ball-striker’s course.

FedEx St. Jude Championship – Top Canadian

Taylor Pendrith (+280)

Very quietly, Pendrith hasn’t finished worse than T-13 in his last 5 starts. He has the 2nd-best odds among all Canadians, behind Conners (+230), so I think there’s good value here.

FedEx St. Jude Championship – Top South American

Mito Pereira (+380)

Four straight missed cuts have Pereira’s odds plummeting, but 2 of those were in Scotland and another was at the U.S. Open. Prior to that poor stretch, he came in the top-27 in 7 straight starts, excluding 1 W/D. Joaquin Niemann (+190) has the best odds in this prop collection, followed by Emiliano Grillo (+350) and Pereira.

FedEx St. Jude Championship – First-round leader

Cameron Young (+5000)

Young is a popular pick to be the 1st-round leader every week because it seems more often than not, he goes low on Thursdays. At +5000, he’s a steal to lead after Round 1. And, he’s in the morning wave going off the 10th hole this week.

Rory McIlroy (+2000)

McIlroy has come out firing in recent starts, and even though he’s in the afternoon wave on Thursday, he’s been a great 1st-round play this season. There’s even more reward with this bet than taking him outright at +900.

More expert prop bet predictions

Winning margin: 2 shots (+400)

This should be a close tournament down to the end, but I think 1 player will pull away a little bit on Sunday. The winning margin in 2020 and 2019 was 3 shots each, and last year’s WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational came down to a playoff.

Want some action on the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO and NJ. Bet now!

If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.

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2022 Wyndham Championship prop bet picks and PGA Tour predictions

Analyzing the odds for the 2022 Wyndham Championship with PGA Tour picks and predictions for the top prop bets.

The final week of the regular season takes us to Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C., for the 2022 Wyndham Championship. It’s the final chance for players outside the top 125 in the FedExCup standings to punch their ticket to The Northern Trust next week for the first event of the playoffs.

Below, we search for the best value prop bets among the 2022 Wyndham Championship odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions.

None of the top 7 players in this week’s Golfweek/Sagarin rankings are in the field in Greensboro, but Shane Lowry will be teeing it up. He’s the 8th-ranked player and is among the favorites to win this week at Sedgefield. Will Zalatoris is 13th in the Golfweek rankings and will also be in the field, as are Sungjae Im (15th) and last year’s champion, Kevin Kisner (147th).

Sedgefield isn’t a very long course, playing to 7,131 yards and it’s a par 70. It’s important to be accurate off the tee and be a strong iron player, emphasizing ball-striking.

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Wyndham Championship – Top-5 picks

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 2:45 p.m. ET.

Russell Henley (+500)

I love Henley this week, not only because he should’ve won this tournament last year, but because he’s an excellent ball-striker and is coming off a top-10 finish at the Rocket Mortgage Classic last week. This course suits him well and I think he’ll contend for the second year in a row.

Si Woo Kim (+600)

Kim is a horse for this course, finishing in the top 5 in each of the last 3 years, and also won it in 2016. Like Henley, he played well a week ago, tying for 14th in Detroit. At +600, he’s a great top-5 play.

Sungjae Im (+380)

Im has played this event three times, and all three years, he finished in the top 25 – with two top 10s, too. He seems to thrive when the scores are low, making a boatload of birdies thanks to his great ball-striking (12th in GIR this season). He had a top 5 in his last start at the 3M Open last month, too.

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Wyndham Championship – Top-10 picks

Will Zalatoris (+230)

Zalatoris usually finishes in the top 10 when he makes the cut, doing so in 5 of his last 7 starts where he played the weekend. This type of scoring doesn’t exactly fit Zalatoris’ game because he typically plays better when the scores are higher, but with his driver being a weapon this week, I think he could fare well. Plus, there’s a ton of value here at +230.

Joohyung Kim (+350)

The 20-year-old finished alone in 7th last week in Detroit, his 5th straight made cut and 2nd top-10 finish in July. He’s an all-around solid player and should contend again this week.

Tyrrell Hatton (+380)

Hatton missed the cut the only time he played this tournament in 2016, but his odds are surprisingly long this week. At +380 for a top 10, he’s a solid value, giving him longer odds than even Harrold Varner III and the same as Christiaan Bezuidenhout. He tied for 11th at the Open Championship and has made the cut 14 times in 16 starts.

More Wyndham Championship coverage:

Wyndham Championship – Top-20 picks

Callum Tarren (+380)

Back to the well with Tarren. He delivered with a top-20 finish last week, and I think he’ll do it again. It was his 3rd straight top-25 finish and 3rd top-20 in his last 5 starts. His odds are getting shorter as he continues to play, sitting at +380 this week for a top 20.

K.H. Lee (+350)

Lee can pile up the birdies in bunches, making him a nice fit in this event. He tied for 24th last year at 11-under and was T-19 in his last start in the U.S. at the Travelers Championship.

Wyndham Championship – Matchups

Suggested play is golfer in bold.

Si Woo Kim (-110) vs. Corey Conners (-110)

Kim should be a solid matchup pick this week at a course he loves, even against a player of Conners’ caliber. Conners didn’t play last year and missed the cut in 2020, with his best finish at Sedgefield being a T-22 in 2019.

Russell Henley (-140) vs. Tyrell Hatton (+115)

This is admittedly a tough pick because I do like both golfers, but Henley’s course history and recent play gives him a slight edge over Hatton, who hasn’t played since The Open.

Webb Simpson (-110) vs. Billy Horschel (-110)

It’s surprising to see Simpson and Horschel with the same odds in this matchup because Simpson owns this course with a win and 7 other top-10 finishes. Horschel has also played well here with a 2nd-place finish in 2020, but I’m going with Simpson.

Wyndham Championship – Top Asian

Si Woo Kim (+300)

Though I like Im, Si Woo Kim and Joohyung Kim this week, I’m taking the value with Si Woo being at +300 – the 2nd-best odds in this group. He’s played well here so many times before. Im is the favorite here at +190.

Wyndham Championship – 1st-round leader

Webb Simpson (+4000)

Simpson ranks 10th on tour in 1st-round scoring average, and now he’s playing a course he’s won on before. He may not be in the best form, but at +4000 to be the 1st-round leader, it’s a good way to buy him this week.

More expert prop bet predictions

Group D winner: Aaron Wise (+300)

Wise will have to beat Brian Harman (+280), Justin Rose (+350), Bezuidenhout (+350) and Keith Mitchell (+400) in this group. Wise has finished inside the top 51 in 9 of his last 11 starts, including a solo 2nd at the Memorial Tournament and a T-6 at the Mexico Open.

Will there be a playoff? Yes: (+320)

There was a 6-way playoff here last year, so let’s have some fun and bet that there will be another playoff – even if it only includes 2 players.

Want some action on the 2022 Wyndham Championship? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO, NJ and soon IA. Bet now!

If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.

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2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic prop bet picks and PGA Tour predictions

Analyzing the odds for the 2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic with PGA Tour picks and predictions for the top prop bets.

The PGA Tour is back in Detroit this week for the 2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic, an event that was added to the schedule in 2019. Players will be teeing it up at Detroit Golf Club’s North course for the penultimate event of the regular season before the FedEx Cup Playoffs begin in a couple of weeks.

Below, we search for the best value prop bets among the 2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions.

It’s a stronger field this week, headlined by Patrick Cantlay, Tony Finau and Will Zalatoris. Cantlay is the No. 2-ranked golfer in this week’s Golfweek/Sagarin rankings, the highest of any player in the field. No other players in the top 10 will be teeing it up in Detroit, but Zalatoris is 13th, Finau 25th and Cameron Young 42nd in this week’s poll. Last year’s champion, Cameron Davis, is ranked 67th in Golfweek’s rankings.

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Rocket Mortgage Classic – Top-5 picks

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 12:01 p.m. ET.

Cameron Young (+450)

Is this the week Young finally breaks through and wins his 1st PGA Tour event? It feels like he has a great shot to, especially in a field that is absent of many huge stars at the top. Young’s length off the tee will be a major advantage this week, and he’s coming in hot after finishing 2nd at the 150th Open Championship.

Will Zalatoris (+380)

Zalatoris took last week off after the Open, resting up for the playoffs ahead. And I think he’ll bounce back nicely from a T-28 at the Open by notching another top-5 finish this week, which would be his 7th – including team and match play events. I’m not at all about his 77th-place finish last year at this event.

Davis Riley (+750)

This course is largely about approaches into the greens, and Riley is an excellent iron player. He already has 4 top-5 finishes this season, 3 of which came in a span of 5 starts. It’s his 1st time playing this event, but the course should fit his game nicely.

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Rocket Mortgage Classic – Top-10 picks

Kevin Kisner (+400)

Kisner’s putter kept him in contention at the Open, particularly on Sunday when the flat stick really heated up. He’s made the cut in all 3 starts at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, including top 10s in the last 2 years. He tied for 6th at the Travelers Championship last month, so he’s been playing well lately.

Patrick Cantlay (+130)

This is a chalky pick since Cantlay is the betting favorite this week (+1000), but he’s a top-10 machine so I can’t pass up this line. In his last 8 starts, Cantlay has 5 top-10 finishes. There’s a reason he’s only +130 to come in the top 10, and it’s because more often than not he does (9 in 16 starts this season).

Cameron Champ (+600)

Champ bounced back from 5 straight missed cuts by notching a T-16 at the 3M Open last week, even after shooting 75 in the first round. He’s carrying some momentum into Detroit where he tied for 12th in 2020. These wide fairways should keep him in play and allow him to score even after he hits wayward tee shots.

Rocket Mortgage Classic – Top-20 picks

Russell Henley (+230)

Henley hasn’t had a top-20 finish since The PLAYERS in March, but he’s been making cuts consistently all year – 16 of 18 starts, to be exact. He’s accurate off the tee and deadly with his irons into greens, ranking 3rd on tour in Strokes Gained: Approach the green.

Callum Tarren (+380)

Tarren is a longer shot this week, even after notching 2 top-25 finishes in his last 2 starts, including a T-7 last week in Minnesota. I’ll take a shot on him to come in the top 20 again this week, riding his strong play into Detroit.

Other T20 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Harris English (+400)
Doug Ghim (+380)

Rocket Mortgage Classic – Matchups

Suggested play is golfer in bold.

Davis Riley (-125) vs. Webb Simpson (+105)

Simpson has been hit or miss all year. He has 4 top-25s, but he’s also missed the cut 6 times, including in 3 of his last 4 starts. Riley has been slightly more consistent and I like his chances to finish higher than Simpson.

Kevin Kisner (-110) vs. Adam Scott (-110)

Kisner has the edge in experience on this course, having played the Rocket Mortgage Classic in each of the last 3 years. This will be Scott’s debut, and with the odds equal, I like Kisner thanks to his always-reliable putter.

Rocket Mortgage Classic – Top European

Callum Tarren (+500)

It’s a weaker field for European players this week, with Danny Willett being the favorite at +480. I like Tarren overall this week, and as the 2nd favorite to be the top European, I think he’s worth a wager at +500.

Rocket Mortgage Classic – First-round leader

Cameron Young (+4000)

Young has the 9th-best first-round scoring average this season, and he’s found himself at the top of the Round 1 leaderboard quite a few times this year. He was alone in 1st at the Open Championship and I can see him doing the same this week in Detroit.

Russell Henley (+6000)

Only 3 players have a lower 1st-round scoring average than Henley: Rory McIlroy, Matt Kuchar and Joaquin Niemann. Henley is more than capable of going really low in a single round, and he could grab an early lead this week.

More expert prop bet predictions

Group E winner: Cameron Champ (+300)

Champ takes on Maverick McNealy (+280), Joohyung Kim (+320), Jason Day (+380) and Jhonattan Vegas (+425) in this group, and there’s no clear-cut favorite in my mind. Champ has a top-15 finish in this event so he’s played well here in the past.

Want some action on the 2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO, NJ and soon IA. Bet now!

If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.

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2022 3M Open prop bet picks and PGA Tour predictions

Analyzing the odds for the 2022 3M Open with PGA Tour picks and predictions for the top prop bets.

The PGA Tour is back in Minnesota this week for the 3M Open, which will be played at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minn. It’s the 4th year of this event, which joined the PGA Tour schedule in 2019. Cameron Champ won this event last year and will be in the field to defend his title

Below, we search for the best value prop bets among the 2022 3M Open odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions.

It’s a somewhat weaker field this week, which is to be expected considering we’re only days removed from the Open Championship in Scotland. However, several players who teed it up at St. Andrews will be playing this week in Minnesota, including Tony Finau and Hideki Matsuyama.

Matsuyama is the highest-ranked player in the field in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings, coming in at No. 8. Finau ranks 32nd while Maverick McNealy (No. 26) and Sungjae Im (No. 22) are also among the favorites.

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3M Open – Top-5 picks

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 5:27 p.m. ET.

Davis Riley (+550)

Riley has been one of the best ball-strikers on tour this season, ranking 50th in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-green. It hasn’t translated to a win yet, but he does have a 2nd-place finish and 5 other top-10s, including 3 top-5s. In a field that’s lacking some firepower, I like Riley’s odds to notch another top-5.

Sahith Theegala (+550)

Theegala has knocked on the door of his 1st win a few times already in his rookie year, finishing 2nd, 3rd and 5th. He’s been playing some of his best golf lately, making 8 straight cuts and finishing no worse than T-34 in his last 3 starts.

J.T. Poston (+900)

Poston has a win and a 2nd-place finish this year, putting together a solid season. He also tied for 28th in this event last year, his 1st appearance in the 3M Open. I like the way he’s been trending and would take him to finish in the top 5 this week on a course that won’t hurt his lack of length too badly.

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3M Open – Top-10 picks

Chris Gotterup (+425)

Gotterup’s length isn’t a question, but his accuracy off the tee can be. Already notching 2 top-10s this season, Gotterup could grab another this week if he can keep the ball in the fairway. He tied for 4th at the John Deere Classic 2 weeks ago.

Cameron Davis (+280)

Davis missed the cut in his 1stt start here, but he’s gone T-12 and T-28 in the 2 years since. Very quietly, he’s put together a solid last 2 months of play, making 6 straight cuts with 3 top-10s, including his last 2 starts at the John Deere Classic and Barracuda Championship.

3M Open – Top-20 picks

Brice Garnett (+400)

If you look at Garnett’s recent results, you might get scared off. He missed the cut in 4 straight tournaments before finishing T-16 last week, and has only made the cut 3 times in his last 11 starts. But this is a good time to buy low heading into an event he’s had success in. In 3 starts at the 3M Open, he’s gone T-23, T-26 and T-16.

Maverick McNealy (+125)

This is a safer play for a guy who’s performed well in recent weeks, finishing no worse than T-16 in his last 3 starts. In his 3M Open debut last year, he tied for 16th, so he didn’t have a lot of trouble with the track at TPC Twin Cities.

3M Open – Matchups

Suggested play is golfer in bold.

Hideki Matsuyama (-120) vs. Sungjae Im (+100)
J.T. Poston (-110) vs. Martin Laird (-110)

I admittedly don’t love many of the matchups this week, but two stand out to me. Im has been struggling lately and hasn’t been playing a lot, either, missing the cut at the U.S. Open and Genesis Scottish Open before finishing T-81 at the Open Championship. He was playing well prior to this recent stretch, but I like the form Matsuyama is in more.

Matsuyama also finished T-7 in his only 3M Open appearance in 2019. Im was T-15 that year, his only time playing the 3M Open.

3M Open – First-round leader

Tony Finau (+3000)

Finau had a good week at the Open, and though he’s the favorite this week at the 3M Open, I don’t like his outright odds (+1200) enough to bet him to win. I’d rather take a shot on him leading after Round 1 at +3000, which is a far better value.

Cameron Champ (+6000)

Champ didn’t have one exceptionally low round when he won this event last year, but he did go 69-67-67-66, so he improved as the week went on. I don’t know if he can hold up for 3 rounds again, but his power makes him a candidate to go low on Thursday and take the 1st-round lead.

More expert prop bet predictions

Group A winner: Sahith Theegala (+400)

Theegala is tied for the longest odds in this group, which features Finau (+250), Matsuyama (+320), Im (+350) and Adam Hadwin (+400). I don’t know if Theegala is going to win this week, but you can play it a little bit safer by taking him to win the group of the top favorites.

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Tiger Woods: 2022 Open Championship prop bet picks and predictions

Analyzing Tiger Woods’ odds and prop bets for the 2022 Open Championship with PGA Tour picks and predictions.

Tiger Woods played the first 2 majors of the year before skipping the U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. He’ll tee it up this week in the Open Championship, which is very likely to be his final official start of the season. Below, we break down Tiger Woods’ 2022 Open Championship odds and prop bets and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions.

The Old Course at St. Andrews is a course he’s won on, claiming the Open Championship in 2000 and 2005. So he knows how to make his way around this track, which is very flat and easy to walk. That gives him a chance to compete against all of the top players in the world, even if he is only playing a limited schedule.

Woods isn’t among the favorites to win, and understandably so. He withdrew in his last start at the PGA Championship and shot 78-78 on the weekend at the Masters, though he did make the cut in both tournaments. Woods has put a lot of time and effort into this championship, which could be his last time playing the Open at St. Andrews.

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Tiger Woods’ Open Championship odds and predictions

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. ET.

To win (+7000)

Woods probably has as good a chance to win this week as he did at Augusta. Take that as you will, but it’s a similar story. A course he’s won on multiple times, and one that requires course knowledge and smart shots instead of a bomb-and-gouge approach. I’ll sprinkle on Woods to win, just to have a rooting interest if he plays well. No one wants to miss out on that storyline.

Top-5 finish (+1500)

I’ll pass here after wagering a tiny bit on Woods to win. I just don’t see enough value to take him top-5 instead of to win.

Top-10 finish (+650)

He tied for 6th at the Open in 2018 before missing the cut a year later, and he didn’t play last year. It’s not a bad idea to sprinkle on this wager, too, because even though he might not win, a top-10 is fairly realistic.

Top-20 finish (+300)

A similar thought process as taking Woods for a top-10 finish. He’s probably not sharp enough to win, but a top-20? Why not? He won at St. Andrews in 2000 and 2005, and then tied for 23rd in 2010.

[tipico]

More Tiger Woods’ odds and predictions

Will he make the cut? Yes -140 | No +110

This line has been moving quickly, going from -190 to -140 in a matter of hours. That’s good news because I think he will make the cut, just as he did in the first two majors of the year. And really, who’s going to bet against Tiger at St. Andrews?

Top former winner group (+1300)

The group of former winners is deep, from Rory McIlroy to Louis Oosthuizen, as well as Jordan Spieth, Shane Lowry and Collin Morikawa. All of them could win this week, and I think they all have sizable advantages over Woods this week.

Top American finisher (+3000)

I’ll pass here, knowing Morikawa, Spieth, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay and Scottie Scheffler could all be in contention. The same goes for Will Zalatoris and Justin Thomas. I’d rather just take Woods to win outright instead of being the top American.

Tiger Woods’ Open Championship first-round odds

Leader +7000 (bet $100 to win $7,000)
Top American +3000 (bet $100 to win $4,000)
Top 5 +1500 (bet $100 to win $1,500)
Top 10 +750 (bet $100 to win $750)
Top 20 +380 (bet $100 to win $380)

Tiger shot 71 in the first round of the Masters and 74 at the PGA Championship, so he didn’t exactly come out firing in those starts. The benefit of taking Woods’ first-round lines is that fatigue won’t set in like it could on the weekend.

Top-20 is a decent value at +380, knowing it only takes one good round for that bet to cash.

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2022 Open Championship prop bet picks and PGA Tour predictions

Analyzing the odds for the 2022 Open Championship with PGA Tour picks and predictions for the top prop bets.

The Old Course at St. Andrews will fittingly play host to the 150th Open Championship this week, the year’s fourth and final major. The field goes 156 players deep, as always, featuring all of the biggest names in golf – including Tiger Woods.

Below, we search for the best value prop bets among the 2022 Open Championship odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions.

Rory McIlroy is the betting favorite (+900) to win this week, and he’s also the No. 1 player in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. Jon Rahm is 2nd followed by Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay and Justin Thomas. Reigning Open champion Collin Morikawa is at No. 27 while the current U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick ranks 11th.

The Old Course (7,313 yards, par 72) features a bunch of shorter par 4s, wide fairways and huge greens that emphasize 3-putt avoidance. Players can get away with wayward tee shots (to an extent), but they must get creative when approaching these undulating greens.

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Open Championship – Top-5 picks

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 5:12 p.m. ET.

Jordan Spieth (+425)

Spieth has as good a record as anyone in this event, with zero missed cuts and 3 top-5s, including a win in 2017. He’s simply a very good links player and has the creativity to pull off tough shots around the greens when he does miss them.

Jon Rahm (+425)

Let’s not forget about Rahm just yet, even though it hasn’t been the banner year that he had in 2021. He’s deadly with his driver, which will make these shorter par 4s much easier for him compared to the field. He just needs to get his putter going.

Tony Finau (+750)

Finau has 1 top-5 to his name in this championship, which came in 2019. However, he’s never finished worse than T-27. He’s coming into this week playing well and he’s shown in the past that he can navigate links courses.

Other T5 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Shane Lowry (+480)
Matt Fitzpatrick (+425)
Rory McIlroy (+250)

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Open Championship – Top-10 picks

Xander Schauffele (+180)

Schauffele has won his last 2 starts, including last week’s Scottish Open. He has short odds to finish in the top 10, but I really like his chances. He tied for 2nd in 2018 and has never missed the cut in the Open.

Will Zalatoris (+300)

Zalatoris hasn’t proved he’s figured out links golf yet, but neither did Morikawa before he won last year. I’ll take his ball striking and suddenly strong putting in majors any day, anywhere. In 7 major starts where he didn’t withdraw, Zalatoris has 6 top-10s. That’s good enough for me.

Robert MacIntyre (+1000)

All Bobby Mac does is make cuts in majors, doing so in all 9 of his starts. No major fits his game better than the Open Championship, either. In 2 appearances he has a T-8 and T-6. At +1000, how can’t you take him to make it 3 times in a row?

Other T10 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Joaquin Niemann (+480)
Cameron Smith (+300)

Open Championship – Top-20 picks

Tony Finau (+185)

I’m going back to Finau to finish in the top 20, which he’s done in 5 of his 6 starts in the Open Championship.

Max Homa (+220)

Homa tied for 40th in his Open debut last year, and I think he’ll improve on that finish this time around after performing pretty well at last week’s Scottish Open.

Other T20 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Joo-hyung Kim (+450)
Robert MacIntyre (+380)

Open Championship – Matchups

Suggested play is golfer in bold.

Tony Finau (-110) vs. Louis Oosthuizen (-110)

Both players have good records in the Open Championship, but only 1 of them has had even an average season: Finau. Oosthuizen’s odds everywhere are juiced because of the location of the tournament, which is where he’s won once before and lost in a playoff. But his form this year stinks.

Hideki Matsuyama (-110) vs. Viktor Hovland (-110)

Hovland is terrible on and around the greens, whereas Matsuyama does a great job making up-and-down and avoiding 3-putts. Matsuyama hits it a mile high, which doesn’t work well at St. Andrews, but he’ll find a way to navigate the wind if it picks up.

Jon Rahm (-110) vs. Scottie Scheffler (-110)

I do like Scheffler this week, just not as much as Rahm.

Open Championship – Top left-handed player

Robert MacIntyre (+155)

Brian Harman (+240), Phil Mickelson (+330) and Garrick Higgo (+380) are the only other lefties in this bet. I don’t think Phil or Higgo will contend, and MacIntyre is a way better fit at the Old Course than Harman.

Open Championship – Top Spanish

Jon Rahm (-150)

Sergio Garcia (+330), now on the LIV tour, has missed the cut in 3 of his last 4 PGA Tour starts. I don’t really see him pushing Rahm much in this category, nor will Pablo Loarrazabal (+500) or Adri Arnaus (+500).

Open Championship – First-round leader

Rory McIlroy (+2000)

McIlroy has actually started well in this year’s majors, contrary to recent years. That should continue at St. Andrews, where it could turn into a birdie fest. He’s also in the morning wave on Thursday, which may yield lower scores before the wind picks up and the course dries out.

Cameron Smith (+4000)

Smith ranks 6th in 1st-round scoring average this season, has an early tee time Thursday and makes birdies in bunches. At +4000, he’s an excellent value to put up a low round.

Open Championship – To make the cut

Suggested play in bold.

Tiger Woods: YES (-140) vs. No (+100)
Brooks Koepka: NO (+170) vs. Yes (-250)

More expert prop bet predictions

Group D winner: Tony Finau (+330)

This is a really good group, with Louis Oosthuizen (+330), Sam Burns (+330), Joaquin Niemann (+330) and Max Homa (+380) all in it. The close odds should tell you how competitive the scoring in this group should be, but I like Finau.

Top debutant: Joo-hyung Kim (+1500)

Kim is a name to know after finishing 3rd in the Scottish Open, which vaulted him inside the top 40 of the Official World Golf Ranking. Seamus Power (+900) is the favorite among debutants, with Mito Pereira (+1000) and Cameron Young (+1000) also in that group.

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If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.

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2022 Genesis Scottish Open prop bet picks and PGA Tour predictions

Analyzing the odds for the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open with PGA Tour picks and predictions for the top prop bets.

In preparation for the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews next week, the majority of the top players in the world are playing in the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open this week at The Renaissance Club. It’s a strong field with 14 of the top 15 players in the world, including Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm.

Below, we search for the best value prop bets among the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions.

The Renaissance Club is hosting the Scottish Open for the fourth time, testing players with narrower fairways (by links golf’s standards) and deep fescue. It’s still a course that can yield some lower scores – Min Woo Lee won at 18-under par last year – but the wind can also make things difficult.

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Genesis Scottish Open – Top-5 picks

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 2:34 p.m. ET.

Collin Morikawa (+650)

Morikawa is one of the best ball strikers in the world and showed what great iron play can do on a links course last year when he won The Open Championship. He tied for 71st here in 2021, but now that he’s had time to work on the new draw he’s been hitting, I think he’ll have a better showing at Renassaince this time around.

Will Zalatoris (+550)

In a similar vein to Morikawa, Zalatoris should put on a show this week with his approaches into greens. He was sharp in Brookline at the U.S. Open and if he can dial in those irons again in Scottland, he’ll be in contention. At +550, he’s slightly below the top tier of players, which makes me like this pick even more.

Matthew Fitzpatrick (+425)

The current U.S. Open champion, Fitzpatrick is on an absolute heater with the way he’s been playing lately. He played well here last year, tying for 2nd. It’s an event he’s very familiar with so I expect him to play well again this week, especially with the length he’s added to his game in the last year or so.

Other T5 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Hideki Matsuyama (+700)

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Genesis Scottish Open – Top-10 picks

Lucas Herbert (+600)

There may not be a man who’s played better in this event the last 2 years than Herbert. He tied for 4th in each of the last 2 years, putting himself in contention both times. The Australian only has one top-20 since the Masters and missed 3 of his last 6 cuts, but this is a course he seems to love.

Justin Thomas (+180)

A bit of a safer play, Thomas has finished in the top 10 both times he’s played in the Scottish Open (T-8 in 2021 and T-9 in 2019). He faded down the stretch at the U.S. Open, but prior to that T-37 finish, he was a top-5 finisher in 3 of his previous 4 starts.

Robert MacIntyre (+650)

MacIntyre tends to play well in stronger fields such as the U.S. Open, and he’s done that in this event too. He tied for 18th and 14th in his last 2 starts at the Scottish Open, which came in 2020 and 2021. A top-10 finish would pay out nicely.

Genesis Scottish Open – Top-20 picks

Luke List (+450)

List has only played the Scottish Open once, but it was a positive result: T-3 in 2018. He’s a really good ball striker who has not putted well – at all – this season and should find some success at The Renaissance Club if he can just end the week in the top half of Strokes Gained: Putting.

Tommy Fleetwood (+210)

In his last 7 starts at the Scottish Open, Fleetwood has finished in the top 20 3 times, plus a T-26 in 2021. This course suits his game and it could be the event that gets him going just before The Open Championship.

Other T20 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Viktor Hovland (+175)

Genesis Scottish Open – Matchups

Suggested play is golfer in bold.

Matt Fitzpatrick (-125) vs. Cameron Smith (+105)

Ever since his T-3 finish at the Masters, Smith has gone a bit cold. He doesn’t have a top 10, missed the cut at the U.S. Open and tied for 48th in the RBC Canadian Open. He’s tough to trust right now, and the opposite can be said about Fitzpatrick in this tournament.

Collin Morikawa (-120) vs. Sam Burns (+100)

Burns took the week off after missing the cut at the Travelers Championship, a surprising result. He simply didn’t look sharp in Cromwell. Morikawa hasn’t played an official event since the U.S. Open, but he did play in the J.P. McManus pro-am this week, so he had time to knock some rust off.

Will Zalatoris (-120) vs. Jordan Spieth (+100)

Zalatoris is having a terrific season again, particularly in bigger events. Spieth tied for 37th at the U.S. Open and missed the cut the following week in the Travelers Championship. It seems these 2 players are trending in opposite directions right now.

Genesis Scottish Open – Top Asian

Hideki Matsuyama (+280)

Matsuyama is a great iron player and should play well this week. Sungjae Im (+330) is the next-closest contender to Matsuyama as far as this wager goes, and it could be a 2-man race between them.

Genesis Scottish Open – Top American

Collin Morikawa (+1200)

You’re essentially getting Morikawa at +1200 without having to contend with Rahm, Matsuyama, Smith and Hovland, among others. That’s a good value with the way he’s playing.

Genesis Scottish Open – First-round leader

Matt Kuchar (+9000)

Don’t throw a lot at Kuchar to be the 1st-round leader because, well, he is +9000. But he shot 62 in the opening round of the 2019 Scottish Open, he leads the PGA Tour in 1st-round scoring and he has shot 67 in Round 1 in 3 of his last 4 starts.

Justin Thomas (+3000)

Thomas was 1 shot off the lead after the 1st round last year, firing a 65 on Thursday. I could easily see him coming out strong this week after playing 2 days in Ireland, getting himself ready for the next 2 weeks of links golf.

Want some action on the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO, NJ and soon IA. Bet now!

If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.

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2022 John Deere Classic prop bet picks and PGA Tour predictions

Analyzing the odds for the 2022 John Deere Classic with PGA Tour picks and predictions for the top prop bets.

The PGA Tour is in Silvis, Ill., this week for the 2022 John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run. It’s one of the easier courses on tour and yields some of the lowest scores of any event, so we should see plenty of birdies from the players in the field.

Below, we search for the best value prop bets among the 2022 John Deere Classic odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions.

It’s a comparatively weaker field this week with no players in the top 10 of this week’s Golfweek/Sagarin rankings in the field. Denny McCarthy is the highest-ranked player at No. 31 overall. Webb Simpson, Adam Hadwin and Jason Day are among the other favorites teeing it up this week.

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John Deere Classic – Top-5 picks

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 4:17 p.m. ET.

Scott Stallings (+700)

Stallings has finished inside the top 5 here once, but he also has 3 top-20s in his last 5 trips to TPC Deere Run. In a weaker field, Stallings could emerge as one of the top contenders on Sunday after playing well at the Travelers Championship.

Webb Simpson (+320)

Simpson is the betting favorite after Daniel Berger withdrew, and I like his chances to end the week in the top 5. He hasn’t had the best season, but he tied for 13th last week after a final-round 71 caused him to slip down the leaderboard.

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John Deere Classic – Top-10 picks

Sahith Theegala (+280)

Theegala nearly claimed his first PGA Tour win last week in the Travelers, but a double-bogey on the 72nd hole cost him. He’s suffered letdowns before and I think he’ll bounce back with a strong week at TPC Deere Run by finishing in the top 10.

Denny McCarthy (+300)

McCarthy missed the cut in his last 2 starts in this event and he also failed to make the cut last week at the Travelers Championship. But that was only after he posted 4 top-30s in his last 5 starts, including 2 top-7 finishes. He’ll get back on track this week.

John Deere Classic – Top-20 picks

Adam Schenk (+230)

Schenk performs well at TPC Deere Run and has top-10 finishes in his last 2 starts at this tournament — T-4 last year and T-6 in 2019. He plays a lot and has 2 top-30 finishes in his last 3 starts, so I think this is the week he cracks the top 20 for the first time since the Wells Fargo Championship in May.

Ryan Moore (+400)

Moore was out with an injury from February to June and since returning he’s made the cut in each of his last 2 starts, including a T-35 finish at the RBC Canadian Open. He has an excellent track record here, winning the event in 2016 and tying for 2nd last year – along with 5 other top-25s.

Other T20 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Patton Kizzire (+330)

John Deere Classic – Matchups

Suggested play is golfer in bold.

Charles Howell (+100) vs. Maverick McNealy (-120)
Webb Simpson (-135) vs. Adam Hadwin (+115)
Scott Stallings (-110) vs. Nick Hardy (-110)

I like getting Howell at plus money after seeing the way he played at Travelers and also knowing his history at this course (3 top-25s in his last 3 appearances).

Simpson is slightly favored over Hadwin, who are the 2 players with the shortest odds to win this week. Simpson hasn’t played here since 2010 but he found a groove last week.

Stallings is one of my picks this week so I’m taking him to beat out Hardy, who hasn’t played this event in the last 2 years.

John Deere Classic – Top Australian

Cameron Davis (+220)

Jason Day (+175) is the favorite among the 8 Australians in the field this week, with Davis a close second. Day struggled last week at a course he usually plays well at (TPC River Highlands) so things are trending in the wrong direction. Davis could legitimately win this week.

John Deere Classic – First-round leader

Cameron Champ (+6000)

With his length off the tee, Champ can pile up the birdies in a hurry. I don’t trust him to play well all 4 rounds, but firing a sub-65 round on Thursday is certainly possible. He was tied for 7th after Round 1 last year with an opening 66.

More expert prop bet predictions

Group C winner: Scott Stallings (+320)

The other players in this group are Patrick Rodgers (+320), Nick Hardy (+330), Adam Long (+350) and Cameron Davis (+380). Davis is admittedly tempting at +380, and Rodgers played well at the Travelers Championship, but Stallings is my pick to win this group.

Want some action on the 2022 John Deere Classic? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO, NJ and soon IA. Bet now!

If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.

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2022 Travelers Championship prop bet picks and PGA Tour predictions

Analyzing the odds for the 2022 Travelers Championship with PGA Tour picks and predictions for the top prop bets.

The PGA Tour is in Cromwell, Conn., this week for the 2022 Travelers Championship, which is hosted by TPC River Highlands. It’s a star-studded field despite being the week after the U.S. Open, including Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth.

Below, we search for the best value prop bets among the 2022 Travelers Championship odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions.

Teeing it up this week are 6 of the top-10 players in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. Scheffler tops the rankings at No. 1, followed by Justin Thomas and McIlroy at Nos. 3 and 4, respectively. Patrick Cantlay is 6th, with Xander Schauffele and Sam Burns 9th and 10th.

TPC River Highlands is a shorter course compared to some of the other tracks played on tour, emphasizing the importance of approaches into greens over driving distance. It’s a par 70 playing at 6,852 yards, with one of the best finishes from holes 15-18.

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Travelers Championship – Top-5 picks

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 12:21 p.m. ET.

Patrick Cantlay (+320)

Cantlay has finished inside the top 15 in each of his last 4 trips to TPC River Highlands, so this course fits his eye nicely. He battled back at the U.S. Open with a final-round 69 to finish T-14, riding some momentum into this week. I like his chances to crack the top 5 at Travelers.

Rory McIlroy (+240)

Few players in the world are playing better than McIlroy right now, who tied for 5th at the U.S. Open a week after winning the RBC Canadian Open. He also has 3 top-20 finishes at the Travelers Championship in his last 3 trips, and he’s playing better now than he was in any of those seasons.

Other T5 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Brian Harman (+900)

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Travelers Championship – Top-10 picks

Sam Burns (+190)

Burns has steadily gotten better on this course with each trip, improving from T-43 to T-24 to T-13 last year. A final-round 76 sent him tumbling down the leaderboard last weekend, but he was playing well before that slip-up Sunday.

Tony Finau (+350)

Finau has missed the cut 3 years in a row here. He’s not going to make it 4, and instead, he’ll contend for a win in Cromwell. His best finish was T-17 here in 2016, which he’ll improve upon by making it into the top 10 with a bounce-back week after missing the cut in Brookline.

Jason Day (+600)

Day usually plays well here, with 3 top-12s in his last 4 years, including T-10 last year. He’s made the cut in each of his last 5 starts, too, so he’s playing better now than he has all season. Take him as a long-shot play to finish in the top 10 for the 2nd year in a row.

Travelers Championship – Top-20 picks

Brendon Todd (+330)

Todd isn’t long at all off the tee, but that won’t hurt him on a course where there isn’t a par 4 over 500 yards. His accuracy with the driver will help him at TPC River Highlands, as it did the last 2 years when he finished T-30 and T-11.

Kevin Kisner (+425)

Kisner tied for 5th here last year and was T-15 in 2019, sandwiching a missed cut in 2020. He’s a deadly putter and while he’s not in great form – 4 straight missed cuts – his odds reflect that.

Other T20 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Mackenzie Hughes (+425)

Travelers Championship – Matchups

Suggested play is golfer in bold.

Brian Harman (-110) vs. Seamus Power (-110)

Harman is playing well right now and seems to love River Highlands, with 3 top-10s in his last 4 appearances. Power tied for 19th last year, but that was his only finish inside the top-35 here.

Harold Varner III (-120) vs. Webb Simpson (+100)

Before missing the cut at the U.S. Open, Varner had finished inside the top-30 in 5 of his previous 6 starts. He’s striking the ball well, as evidenced by his 29th ranking in Strokes Gained: approach, which puts him in a good spot heading into Travelers week.

Keegan Bradley (-125) vs. Aaron Wise (+105)

Bradley faded a bit on Sunday of the U.S. Open but it was a terrific showing from the Boston native. He’ll remain in New England this week where he tied for 2nd in 2019 before missing the cut the last 2 years. He’s been sharp in recent months.

Travelers Championship – Top European

Rory McIlroy (+135)

The player with the next-closest odds is Power at +450, so McIlroy is the heavy favorite to be the low European. I really like his chances, too, knowing his history on this course and with the lack of European talent in the field.

Travelers Championship – Top Asian

K.H. Lee (+380)

Lee tied for 13th at Travelers in 2019 and while he’s not the favorite in this group – Sungjae Im is +175 to be the top Asian finisher – Lee thrives in birdie fests like this one. He won the AT&T Byron Nelson in back-to-back years, this season at 26-under.

Travelers Championship – First-round leader

Sam Burns (+3000)

Burns was near the top of the leaderboard after Round 1 last year with an opening 66 on Thursday. He wound up finishing T-13, his 2nd straight top-25 here, so I’m willing to sprinkle a bit on him to lead after Round 1.

Mackenzie Hughes (+9000)

Hughes held a 3-shot lead after Round 1 in 2020 after shooting a 60 on Thursday at TPC River Highlands, a year after tying for the 1st-round lead with a 64 in 2019. He’s obviously a mega long shot to lead after the first round, but it’s worth a small wager.

More expert prop bet predictions

Group C winner: Keegan Bradley (+270)

For the same reasons I like Bradley to beat Wise in their head-to-head matchup, I think he’s a good bet to win Group C with Brooks Koepka (+320), Tommy Fleetwood (+380), Davis Riley (+380) and Aaron Wise (+380). Riley and Wise are playing well, too, but Koepka may not be in the field due to his reported departure to LIV Golf, and Fleetwood has only played here once.

Will there be a playoff? Yes: (+300)

Since it was renamed the Travelers Championship in 2007, there have been 6 playoffs in 15 years – including an epic 8-hole playoff last year. I like the chances of another playoff taking place this week.

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