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2023 Ryder Cup Betting Preview
It's Ryder Cup Week!
One of the most exciting events in all of sports kicks off Friday in Rome, as the United States squad captained by Zach Johnson takes on the European team led by Luke Donald. The U.S. Team is a slight favorite (-110) and includes a pair of players who are new to team competition. There's a changing of the guard on Team Europe (+115), with four rookies taking the place of several long-time stalwarts. The U.S. is coming off a 19-9 victory over Europe on American soil in 2021 and is looking to break a winless drought overseas that dates all the way back to 1993.
Marco Simone plays as a par-71 at just under 7,300 yards and has a mixture of short and long par-4s, with seven of them over 450 yards and a few that will be drivable for the longer hitters. Unlike the track used in 2018 -- Le Golf National, which put a huge premium on accuracy off the tee while negating distance -- driving it long and straight will be a key factor in Italy.
When looking at players to target for betting -- and DFS -- purposes, I'm mainly focusing on quality ball strikers, those that have played well on the big stage this year and golfers I think the captains will be willing to turn to at least four times.
All odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 4:30 PM ET Tuesday.
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2023 Ryder Cup Team Breakdown
U.S. Team
| Name | Ryder Cup Record |
| Jordan Spieth | 8-7-3 |
| Justin Thomas | 6-2-1 |
| Brooks Koepka | 6-5-1 |
| Patrick Cantlay | 3-0-1 |
| Collin Morikawa | 3-0-1 |
| Xander Schauffele | 3-1-0 |
| Rickie Fowler | 3-7-5 |
| Scottie Scheffler | 2-0-1 |
Rookies: Sam Burns, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Max Homa
On the U.S. side no one has more experience than Spieth, who teed it up in each of the last four Ryder Cups. His preferred format has been fourball, where he has a 5-2-0 record. He will be looking to turn the tide in singles, a format in which he has not recorded a victory. Meanwhile, Cantlay, Morikawa and Scheffler all come into this event undefeated despite none of them having played together in 2021. That will likely be the case again this year, and none of them are an easy out given their prowess from tee to green.
Team Europe
| Name | Ryder Cup Record |
| Justin Rose | 13-8-2 |
| Rory McIlroy | 12-12-4 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | 4-2-2 |
| Jon Rahm | 4-3-1 |
| Tyrrell Hatton | 2-4-1 |
| Shane Lowry | 1-2-0 |
| Viktor Hovland | 0-3-2 |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | 0-5-0 |
Rookies: Ludvig Aberg, Sepp Straka, Nicolai Hojgaard, Robert MacIntyre
McIlroy has more Ryder Cup experience than anyone on either team, as he will be making his seventh appearance for Team Europe. Despite his dominance over the sport for over a decade, it hasn't translated to much success in the Ryder Cup, where he owns a .500 winning percentage. One of the other leaders of the team will certainly be the veteran Rose. He has the most wins of any of the 24 players, and a quality campaign got him back on the team after missing out in 2021. He has been excellent in foursomes with a record of 7-2-1.
2023 Ryder Cup Bets: Top Team USA Point Scorer
Collin Morikawa (8-1)
It's rare that the top scorer tends to be a dark horse or a rookie, and in an attempt to find value on the betting board, Morikawa is my preferred choice. He somewhat quietly went unbeaten in his Ryder Cup debut and may be paired with Homa, who went undefeated at the Presidents Cup.
2023 Ryder Cup Bets: Top European Point Scorer
Tommy Fleetwood (13-2)
Fleetwood didn't have the best showing at Whistling Straits two years ago, but he's now playing arguably the best golf of his career. He did everything but win this year and posted eight top-10s over his last 15 starts. He has had success in the Ryder Cup, going a combined 4-0 in foursomes and fourballs last time this event was held in Europe.
2023 Ryder Cup Bets: Top Rookie Scorer
Wyndham Clark (5-1)
At a place where driving the ball well will be a key factor, it's difficult to overlook Clark, who was 11th in driving distance this season. His wins at Quail Hollow and Los Angeles Country Club provide evidence, and last time he teed it up he posted a third-place result in the TOUR Championship. Clark has elevated his game to an elite level and is a better value in this category than Homa, who is the favorite at 3-1.
2023 Ryder Cup Bets: Player X to Win 0 Points
Brooks Koepka (18-1)
This is an interesting bet that some sportsbooks are offering -- wagering on players to not score even one point. In the last three Ryder Cups, the road team has had at least three players come home without nary a tie. I think Koepka could be one of those guys this time around, as he might only play twice before Sunday and may not get to play with the top U.S. players. His form is also a question, as he didn't show much at Royal Liverpool and finished outside the top 20 in his last three LIV events.
2023 Ryder Cup Bets: Tournament Winner
Europe (+115)
I felt good about the Americans heading into the year, but my confidence has wavered enough to ultimately land on the Europeans. Fleetwood and Hovland have both made huge strides, and I think the new-look team -- with youngsters Aberg and Hojgaard -- will provide a spark and some confidence that was missing last time out. The U.S team has a ton of talent but some question marks as well -- notably the pairing of Spieth and Thomas, who aren't playing at the level they have entering previous team competitions. My fandom still lies with the United States, but I think Donald will be the better strategist among the captains and that the smart play is on Europe at plus money.
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