Golf’s biggest event tees off September 26
Get ready for international drama, clutch shots, and some of the most awkward high fives you’ll ever see.
It’s Ryder Cup time. In a highly individual sport, it’s the only time when golfers get to feel like they’re part of a team. So, yeah, they go a little overboard with the celebrations.
Golf betting fans get to go overboard too. This Ryder Cup preview shows you where the favorites and underdogs are and where the edges might be found. Outside of the Masters, it’s the golf event that gets the most eyeballs. And the most bets.
Ryder Cup Odds
It’s Europe’s 12 best male golfers vs. the USA’s 12 best.
The Ryder Cup odds are a battle for oddsmakers but a great opportunity for bettors. The matchups change day-to-day once the tournament starts and momentum swings create all kinds of chaos.
Sharps are into the chaos though, no matter what sport. Deep knowledge of a golfer – not just their stats but their ability to come through in the clutch – makes betting on the Ryder Cup a potential goldmine. Live betting is also a big draw during the event because of all the swings.
Pairs playing in foursomes and then four-ball, followed by 12 singles matches on the final day, gives golf betting sharps so many variables to take advantage of.
Who’s got the edge in the latest Ryder Cup lines? Team USA is currently favored at -145, and Team Europe is listed at +150.
Team USA vs. Team Europe
The USA holds a decisive 27-15-2 all-time in Ryder Cup play.
But the last 10 Ryder Cups are a different story. Europe is up 7-3. With golf being such a mental game, it looks like they’re in the Americans’ heads every tournament now. Even with an inferior lineup rankings-wise.
This year Europe is fielding one of its strongest teams ever. They’re still at +150 though, a solid ‘dog. Not only do they have that mental edge from recent wins, but they’re bringing back 11 out of the 12 players from their winning side at the most recent Cup in 2023. They took that one 16.5 to 11.5. Sunday singles weren’t even close.
So why the longer odds? It has to be in part because the Ryder Cup is being held on hostile territory for them: the chaotic crowds at Bethpage Black, NY. The Ryder Cup is famous for vocal home crowds, and they can rattle players.
And then there’s the Scottie factor.
Simple. The US side has Scottie Scheffler. The best since Tiger Woods and one day he should be one of the all-time greats. That alone has to shift a few points the USA’s way.
After Scheffler, though, the teams look evenly matched, with a few players that are hot right now and some that could be in trouble. In golf, a current streak running hot or cold is worth watching. All these guys have the skill, but who’s dialled in right now and who’s going to make their teammates nervous standing over a 3-foot putt to close out a match?
Then there’s the rookie factor. The USA side has four rookies – Russell Henley, J.J. Spaun, Ben Griffin and Cameron Young. When 25% of your team hasn’t faced the Ryder Cup pressure cooker before, a lot can go wrong. The upside is that each of those guys is having a standout season. After Scheffler, they’re the 4 next-best players on the stat sheet in the strokes gained metric over the past three months.
If you lean towards experience, Europe is the clear choice.
But if you like recent stats, home course vibes, and Scheffler, Team USA is the one.
Besides the regular Ryder Cup odds, which bets do we like?
Scottie Scheffler – Top USA Points Scorer
At +320, this looks like it has great value. So far this season, Scheffler has scored two majors, six tournament wins overall, 16 Top 10 finishes, and he’s never missed a cut. Insane.
The reason this bet is so far on the + side is that in the Ryder Cup, you might get paired with a dud in any particular pairing and end up losing out to Team Europe. Scheffler can’t hit all the shots, no matter how Keegan Bradley might want that to happen.
Still, that kind of payout for the world’s best golfer in decades is tempting.
Team Europe – Win Margin
If you think it’s going to be closer than 2023 – and it couldn’t get much worse for the States – with Europe eventually winning, look at this line: Europe +375 to win by 1 – 3 points.
Europe has too much quality to just rubber stamp a US victory because it’s on US soil. There’s Rory, of course, and he’s been a leader for Europe for years now. But some players like Tommy Fleetwood, who finally bagged his first tournament recently, are swinging a hot club.
Team-wise, that home field advantage for the US could become a disadvantage too. The extra gripping that might happen standing over a game-deciding 6-footer because your whole country is waiting to erupt behind you could give a number of players the yips.
Overall Correct Points Score
This is a high-risk, high-reward bet. But when you look at it closely, the Ryder Cup comes with a fixed set of final score possibilities.
You can find some more likely final scores in this small range and the lowest payout is +1000. USA 16-12 is +1200 currently, as an example. If you like the home course advantage and the US to reclaim its dominance of the event with a lineup that is objectively stronger, this could be a solid play. (It’s also going to make every chip and putt on Sunday extra exciting to watch).
Same on the European side. If you think the edge comes with the Euros’ better team cohesion and experience, even if they don’t have an equal to Scheffler, then scores of Europe 15-13 (+1200) and 16-12 (+1400) could be interesting.
It’s the last big golf event until April, when the Masters comes around again. Every player and golf bettor is going to bring their A-game.