golf’s organizing body, takes a particularly sadistic delight in trying to “preserve par” — that is, crank up the degree of difficulty so high that pros look like the rest of us hacking away out there." data-reactid="23">The US Open has arrived, a few months late but still welcome. One of the three majors of 2020 offers a challenging opportunity for bettors, as it is historically the toughest tournament of the year. The USGA, the organizing body of American golf, takes a particularly sadistic pleasure in trying to “preserve par” – that is, increasing the degree of difficulty so high that the pros look like all of us have made our way.
At BetMGM, you will find a complete list of US Open lines, including favorites and special bets. Let’s examine some notables.
How to bet on the US Open
Golf is most definitely not the sport to bet for newcomers — at least, not if you’re just trying to pick the winner. Even the best players heading into a tournament are rarely better odds than 10-1. As Jason Scott, MGM vice president of trading, says, “Don’t try to pick a needle out of a haystack.” " data-reactid="26">Golf is definitely not the sport to bet for newcomers, at least not if you’re just trying to pick the winner. Even the best players heading to a tournament rarely have better odds than 10-1. As Jason Scott, MGM’s vice president of trading, says, “Don’t try to pick a needle out of a haystack.”
Where your odds improve a lot is if you start fishing for those players to finish in the top 5, top 10, or even just the cut. You’re giving them, and your wallet, some cushion to account for the weirdness that always seems to crop up with every single important one. (Who, outside his family, would have chosen Collin Morikawa to win this year’s PGA championship? Exactly.)
golf equivalent of a heavyweight fight. " data-reactid="32">To add some life to the process, Scott recommends head-to-head betting, where you pick two players and pick a winner. Watching them in a close-up group provides a unique, exhilarating and heartbreaking experience. Check the groupings for possible combinations; a head-to-head match between Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau on Thursday or Friday is the golfing equivalent of a heavyweight fight.
Who are the favorites?
The two best players in the world are coming in hot, with Dustin Johnson at +800 ($ 100 bet to win $ 800) and Jon Rahm at +900. DJ is entering another major as a betting favorite, but he only has one win to prove. Will this week be different? Will Rahm’s famous temperament stand up to a continuous four-day assault by the USGA and its brand of devilish courses? With two-time US Open champion Brooks Koepka out of the pack with an injury, the door is wide open.
Golf Hulk Bryson DeChambeau. Length off the tee impresses when you’re at a regular-season tournament, but at the U.S. Open, it can just plunge you deeper into trouble." data-reactid="35">A little further on, Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele are both +1400, while Morikawa and perpetual threat Rory McIlroy are just behind +1600. No one else comes with a better chance of 20-1, not even Golf Hulk Bryson DeChambeau. The length off the tee impresses when you’re in a regular season tournament, but at the US Open, it can just get you into trouble.
Who are the sleepers?
Scott’s tip: Look for players who can crawl the ball while staying roughly inside the fairway; the more you have to play from the deep rough to the ankle, the more hits you can add to your score. Which brings us to the deeper bets. Scott recommends players like Tyrell Hatton (+4000) and Kevin Kisner (+9000), among others.
“Rahm is good on difficult courses, but he’s a bit rebellious for me,” says Scott. “I like to see a consistent striker like Hideki Matsuyama (+3300), Viktor Hovland (+5000) and Sungjae Im (+7000), guys who can beat all the way to the center.”
Ah, Tiger. Woods has played in 21 previous US Open and won three, and if he wins another he will qualify as the most miraculous major of his career. His game is no longer at the level of the US Open and the odds – it’s +4500 to win – are proof of that. There is an automatic Woods responsibility built into every Tiger line; it’s always a favorite for casual punters who want to throw a few bucks in Tiger’s favor, so casinos need to take this into account on the off chance that he comes out of nowhere to win, as he did in 2019 in Augusta. But it’s not happening here.
If you’re inclined to throw some cash in Tiger’s direction with at least a faint expectation of getting it back, consider some of the Thursday specials: a little bird on the first hole (+1400), an eagle at any point (+1400) or an equal or better round (+130). With a Tiger win you won’t get all the money you could make, but it’s a more reasonable allocation.
If you are looking to pair Tiger with another legend, consider a bet on Woods and Phil Mickelson to cut to +160. Considering the brutality of the winged foot layout, those aren’t great odds, but who knows … the old folks might surprise us.
Alone, Woods is -200 to make the cut and +140 to miss, so if you have a special love – or hate – in your heart for Woods, there you are.
What are some special bets?
If you’re planning on playing on the court rather than tying your fortunes to a specific player, consider some special bets. For example, you can bet on the winning margin: a one hit win is +225, while a four or more hit win is +350. Looking for a playoff? “Yes” is +350, while “No” is -500.
If you decide to play Ryder Cup style bets, American players have a total of -143 to win, while European players are +190 and the rest of the world +600. You could also make fun of two separate nationalities; a DJ-as-top-American and Rahm-as-top-European parlay lists at +2800.
However, there is no line as to whether players will complain about the course setup, probably because it would pay around a cent on a $ 100 bet.
How will the lack of fans impact the action?
The US Open will be the second major with no fans in attendance, following last month’s PGA Championship. The impact will be both mental and physical; some players need the crowd to turn them on, while others are happy to play only what will feel like a practice round. Whoever stays with Tiger Woods will enjoy unexpected calm, that’s for sure.
Logistically, the lack of fans means the rough will be absolutely punitive the further you get off the fairway – with no fans stepping on the rough, players will be in a world of trouble if they can’t keep their shots. line.
golf, but virtually every player has aimed for the grandstands with the knowledge that if their shot flies far, it will kick back toward the green. Not anymore. " data-reactid="55">The lack of fans and stands also deprives players of a fundamental resource: the ability to block a long-range shot on the green. It’s not exactly graceful golf, but practically every player has aimed for the stands with the knowledge that if their shot flies far, they will roll back to the green. Not anymore.
From a betting standpoint, BetMGM has not observed significant alterations in fanless play patterns on the pitch. It is not a situation at home, where the fans could influence the referees. At Winged Foot, each player is just … which is exactly how the USGA likes it.
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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter at @jaybusbee or contact him with tips and story ideas at [email protected].
