Ryder Cup 2023 Betting Preview

International golf takes center stage in Europe this weekend as the 44th Ryder Cup pits the United Stats versus Europe at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy.

For those unfamiliar with the Ryder Cup format it’s a three-day event with the first two days comprised of four foursome matches with alternating shots and four fourball matches with best ball. The final day is comprised of 12 singles matches. There are 28 points available so 14.5 points will win the Cup, while the defending champion can retain the Cup with 14 points.

The Americans currently hold the Cup after a dominant 19-9 victory at Whistling Straits in 2021. At the Bovada Sportsbook the Americans are -110 favorites to win again, while the Europeans are +110 despite having home-course advantage. Bettors should not take the home course advantage lightly as the Americans have not won the Ryder Cup in Europe since 1993.

The Americans have seven players returning from the 2021 winning team including Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, and Justin Thomas. From that group Cantlay and Morikawa delivered the best results in 2021 with equal 3-0-1 records.

Team Europe is led by Rory McIlroy who will be looking to improve on his disappointing 1-3 record from 2021. Other European players that also played in 2021 include Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry, Viktor Hovland, Tyler Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, and Matt Fitzpatrick. From those returning the only player that posted a winning record in 2021 was Rahm at 3-1-1.

Plenty of prop wagers available for the Ryder Cup

The prop wagers available on the Ryder Cup are plentiful and include bets like which player from each side will record the most points, the correct final score, the winning margin, and player versus player matchups.

A few standout odds include the Top European points scorer with McIlroy, Rahm, and Hovland all favored at +450. Despite Rahm leading the Europeans in 2021 Hovland might be the smart wager after his dominating performance in the FedEx Cup last month. One value bet worth looking at might be Justin Rose at +1400, as he has a strong history in the Ryder Cup with a 13-8-2 record in five previous tournaments.

On the Top American points scorer odds Scheffler is the favorite at +450, followed by Cantlay at +550 and Schauffele at +600. Scheffler, the top ranked golfer in the world, was 2-0-1 in his first Ryder Cup in 2021. The most experienced members of the American team are Spieth (+1200) and Rickie Fowler (+1400), who have both played in four Cups. Neither has been a consistent winner though with Spieth’s record at 8-7-3 and Fowler’s at 3-7-5.

If you’re planning on betting on Day 1 of the Ryder Cup make sure you get your wagers in early as Day 1 action begins in Rome at 1:30 a.m. ET.