The big PGA names have returned.
The question for West Virginia bettors is whether they carry enough value in the Northern Trust tournament, playing Thursday-Sunday from Liberty National Golf Course in Jersey City, NJ.
Familiar names sit atop the DraftKings WV Sportsbook leaderboard.
Jon Rahm is the +800 favorite. He’s also +175 for a Top 5 finish and -125 for a Top 10.
Jordan Spieth carries +1200 odds to win, while he’s +235 for Top 5 and +130 for the Top 10.
Dustin Johnson is the third choice at +1600 to win, +330 for Top 5 and +180 for Top 10.
Collin Morikawa has the same betting numbers in the fourth slot.
Xander Schauffele is +1800 to win, +350 for Top 5 and +800 for Top 10.
“Last week, you had a lot of the B players, and there was a lot of good value in that,” Johnny Avello, the director of race and sportsbook operations for DraftKings, told PlayWV. “The big guns are back now, and you have a little different situation. Now, you have to be a little lucky to catch the winner, because no matter how good you are, you still have to beat 150 guys.”
Toward that end, Avello always champions players from +2000 on down.
There are some enormous values with golfers like Brooks Koepka at +2200, Viktor Hovland at +3000, Patrick Reed at +4000 and Hideki Matsuyama at +4000.
Someone from this group of players (+2000 to +4000, or between 20-1 and 40-1) always has a strong tournament. The question is finding the right player.
Northern Trust Odds At WV Sportsbooks
Caesars Sportsbook WV offers some good shopping values on a few players.
Rahm is +1000, a little more bang for the buck, especially on a large wager. Others include:
- Spieth +1600
- Morikawa +1800
Many, like Reed at +4000, remain the same.
Spieth at -120 and Morikawa at +100 are reasonably priced to finish in the Top 20. There’s a lot of value in that wager.
Will there be a hole-in-one in the entire event? That’s been boosted to +130.
No hole-in-one is -175.
A hole-in-one in Round 1 is +550. In the second round, it’s +600.
Feel lucky about two holes-in-one? That’s +400.
BetMGM Sportsbook WV has a series of bets by country.
In the Great Britain and Ireland category, for instance, Rory McIlroy is +250, Paul Casey is +400 and Tyrrell Hatton is +600. This is a good way to try and find one hot golfer in a small field.
BetMGM often has prop bets across the top of its page. These bets occasionally come down, so if you like it when you see it, that’s a good time to pull the trigger.
Koepka and Justin Thomas to both hit the Top 10 is +750, ties included.
Schauffele, McIlroy, Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau to all make the cut is +125, ties included.
What does ties included mean? You take a player to finish in the Top 10. He finishes in a six-way tie for 10th. You collect.
Northern Trust Tournament Overview
Rahm may be favored because the public believes he is ready to break out.
Rahm won the US Open but then had to withdraw with a six-stroke lead after three rounds of the Memorial Tournament because of a positive COVID-19 test. He also had to withdraw from the Olympics for this reason.
The betting odds project recent form, no COVID-19 setbacks and an overdue good performance from Rahm.
Betting Overview
Look for an extensive assortment of updated head-to-head matchups, odds to lead after each round, scores on ensuing holes and matchups on ensuing holes.
Once the tournament starts, it’s smart to hone in on the scoring pattern of a golfer you follow. This will provide some insight into the player’s momentum and whether he might be likely to defeat another golfer over an entire round or on a specific hole.
Course Particulars
Here are a couple of holes that will encourage birdies and bogeys, the scores that produce payouts on the next-hole prop and are available every day.
Toughest Hole: The 8th, a 611-yard par 5 with traps guarding the landing area and the green.
Easiest Hole: The 14th, a par 3 at 150 yards. There’s a good-sized green only partially guarded by traps. The pros may really score here.
Finishing Hole: The 18th is a tough 490-yard par 4 with a series of traps along the right and left sides. Wind conditions could affect placement. It’s listed as the second most difficult hole. Bogey possibilities and maybe not an automatic par for the winner.
How To Watch:
- Thursday-Friday, 2 p.m.-6 p.m. EST (Golf Channel)
- Saturday, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (CBS)
- Sunday, 12 p.m.-2 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2 p.m.-6 p.m. (CBS)
