Weekly Preview: Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup

Whistling Straits GC
Kohler, WI

The PGA Tour heads...nowhere this week, actually, as just one week into the season we get another quick break. 

This time it's for a little event you may have heard of called the Ryder Cup. I know you might be thinking, "this article isn't typically set up to preview the Ryder Cup," and you're right, it's not, but I'm going to try to provide some insight regardless. While we generally cover OAD scenarios and try to peg the tournament winner, I assume there aren't any OAD leagues playing this week. However, there are still certainly bets to be made. Below you will see odds for the highest-scoring player on each team. I'll emphasize, the odds below represent the number you can get on a golfer scoring the most points within his team. There's no crossover with the other team, no overall winner, just within his and only his team. 

Before we get to the individual players, I'm going to throw out which team I think will win, and that is...Team Europe. I was on site last time Team USA won, and there was a special vibe all week. Team USA was attempting to end a long drought, Tiger was on hand -- albeit as a captain -- and everything just seemed to fall into place. I'm not sure that magic will be there this week, and if there's one thing we know about this event, it's that Team USA always needs something extra to win. Throw in the weather, which is expected to be chilly and windy, and I think the Americans will have to bring their best just to have a chance.

LAST EVENT

Team Europe beat Team USA 17.5 - 10.5.

FAVORITES

Jon Rahm (7-2)

It's no surprise that the golfer many consider the best in the world right now sits atop this list. He's actually well clear of the next European, so in the oddsmakers' minds, this appears to be an easy play. I should mention that the most important factor this week is going to be opportunity. It doesn't take a math wizard to figure out it will be easier to score more points if you play five matches versus three. Rahm should play all five.

Rory McIlroy (6-1)

If this were a major...ah never mind, this isn't a major and McIlroy has a history of playing well in this event, so it makes sense that he's the second option on the board. McIlroy is 11-9-4 in his career, which means he wins just over 50 percent of the time.  If he takes part in all five sessions, he'd be looking at something around three points, which could very well wind up the top score for his squad.

Justin Thomas (13-2)

And now, we get to the Americans. The next five guys listed have odds equal to or better than the third European on the list, I'm not sure what that means, but I do know that unless Thomas starts slowly, he will likely be playing five matches. The interesting thing about this wager is that JT will likely be even with Jordan Spieth heading into Sunday, as they usually play together. So, does JT have a better chance of winning his one-on-one match than Spieth?

THE NEXT TIER

Jordan Spieth (15-2)

This may not be the best course for Spieth, but there's no doubt about his competitive fire, and that will carry added importance this week. Spieth is 7-5-2 in his Ryder Cup career, which is more impressive when you consider the struggles Team USA has made since he debuted in 2014. As mentioned prior, he will likely be paired with Thomas four times, which gives him a great shot at gobbling up points. Again, the differentiating factor between him and JT will likely be Sunday's singles results. Spieth's odds are slightly longer, so he will have a bit more value.

Viktor Hovland (15-2)

We really have no idea how Hovland will take to the Ryder Cup, as this will be his first appearance. However, if he handles this like he's handled all his firsts over the past couple years, he will be fine. Off the top of my head it seems rookies rarely play all five matches, but when you consider the age of Europe's more-established players, I imagine Hovland will have the chance to do just that.

Brooks Koepka (10-1)

Koepka, entering his third Ryder Cup, is undefeated in singles matches. That isn't much of a surprise, but he does have a losing record in team play. The sample size is too small to make certain judgements, but perhaps he doesn't play well with a teammate. Whatever the case, if he starts well he will have plenty of chances to earn points, as we all know he's the best big-game player in golf right now.

LONG SHOTS

There aren't really any long shots this week as the highest odds are 25-1 on both Lee Westwood and Bernd Wiesberger, but neither player will have the opportunity to earn enough points. Harris English has the longest odds on Team USA at 20-1, but again, he will likely play only once each day. In order to have any shot at earning the most points, he will have to win each match outright, and that rarely happens. I should also note that I did not list Ryder Cup stalwarts Sergio Garcia (12-1) or Ian Poulter (12-1) in the mid-tier options, and that's due to opportunity. If it were five years ago then maybe, but at their ages, they simply won't play enough.

FANDUEL PICKS  

Upper Range: Jon Rahm $15,000
Middle Range: Viktor Hovland $10,000
Lower Range: Ian Poulter $6,500