Ryder Cup golf tips, free bets and latest odds
THE Ryder Cup has a lot to live up to this week, after the Solheim Cup finished in a pulsating 14-14 tie - and netted followers of this column a welcome 12-1 winner.
My reasoning that there had to be a first draw some time, also applies to the belief that the Americans must surely end 30 years of Ryder Cup misery on European soil before too long.
Sadly, I think this could be where the jinx ends.
The USA are marginal favourites, with a team that is much stronger according to the world rankings - plus the memory of that record-breaking 19-9 trouncing they handed Europe at Whistling Straits two years ago.
I’m surprised the Yanks are available at evens with most bookies. But as with the Solheim Cup the real value probably lies with the final score market. So let’s hope lightning strikes twice!
Ryder Cup odds
- USA - Evens
- Europe - 6/5
- Draw - 12/1
How to bet on golf
Here are five easy steps for beginners.
1. Choose Your Favourite Sportsbook – there are plenty to choose from and most have their own app or mobile site.
2. Make a Deposit – each sportsbook will walk you through how to connect your bank account to their system including providing a list of all the safeguards they have set up to ensure the safety of your transactions.
3. Claim Your Bonuses – most sportsbooks offers bonuses to first time bettors in the form of free bets.
4. Place Your Bet – now it’s time to navigate through your sportsbook’s odds where they will offer a variety of options including outright winners, or top finishing positions, such as top 10 or 20, or even to make the cut. For the event this week each way odds are generally paid on the top eight players.
5. Collect Your Winnings – If you're successful you will be able to withdraw your winnings once the bet is complete. Some bookmakers offer cashout options on certain bets as well, which is worth keeping an eye on.
Where to find the best odds for the golf?
Lots of bookmakers have different options for betting on the golf this week, including competitive odds and different place markets.
We like the markets on bet365, including the price boosts on offer pre-event.
With the match-play format you can bet on individual games when the pairings are announced.
You can also bet on final score markets and top points scorer, overall and for each team.
bet365 are currently offering 15/2 on Tommy Fleetwood to be Europe's top scorer and 10/1 on Collin Morikawa to be USA's top scorer.
You can also get 14/1 on the final score being 15-13.
Ryder Cup tips
I don’t believe it will be as close as the bookies seem to think. Europe have six or seven top quality players, most in good form, but the American strength in depth looks far more formidable.
As a long time supporter of European golf I would love to be proved wrong. But I can see the Americans winning by as much as three points, and a 15 ½ - 12 ½ USA victory can be backed at 12-1.
A bizarre coincidence given the odds on last week’s tied match, or a lucky omen? Either way, it would certainly ease the pain of a first home defeat since 1993.
The odds of America winning 15-13 are only slightly less at 11-1, and a 16-12 victory is a 14-1 shot.
So as with last week, it might be advisable for the more cautious punters to divide the stake between the three scores. That still offers a guaranteed return of just under 4-1, or better, if any of the three predicted scores hits the mark.
The markets for the leading points scorer also offer some tempting options, and it would be sensible to divide the stakes here as well.
Carlota Ciganda showed that last week, when doing us a favour at 11-1 as an alternative pick to the luckless Celine Boutier.
The European market this time is dominated by the men who sit second, third, and fourth in the world rankings - Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Viktor Hovland.
Rahm was easily Europe’s best player at Whistling Straits two years ago. But his recent form is patchy, and he does not have Sergio Garcia to team up with. So a general 5-1 is not too tempting.
In contrast, Hovland has been on fire recently, with two big wins in the States and a good showing at Wentworth. But he was a bitter disappointment in his Ryder Cup debut two years ago.
I’d like to see some evidence that he is a force in match play before siding with Hovland. So the 5-1 and 11-2 about McIlroy looks the best deal.
But I also fancy the chances of Tommy Fleetwood at 7-1. He has shown he is equally adept at fourballs and foursomes, and has shown plenty of strong form in the build-up to his third Ryder Cup.
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler predictably heads the USA market at a best-priced 9-2. He is likely to team up with big pal Sam Burns, and that is not a pairing to strike fear into European hearts.
The Americans could decide not to play anyone in all five sessions, which would boost the chances of some of their longer priced players bagging a few points.
Collin Morikawa at 9-1 and 16-1 shot Wyndham Clark are the duo who make most appeal at the odds.
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