Posted on
9/10/2007 7:58:55 PM
PGA Betting – FedEx Cup Playoffs Odds
By Tim Furious
The final tournament of the inaugural FedEx Cup Playoffs is upon us, folks, and we here at BetUS are here to keep you informed on who will swing true at the TOUR Championship this weekend, and who to keep your betting dollars safely away from. With Phil Mickelson returning to the fray after taking a weekend off, can he press Tiger Woods for the $10 million purse?
At the BMW Championship, Tiger showed everyone exactly why taking The Barclays tournament off wasn’t a bad idea. He finished atop the leaderboard at minus-22 ahead of Aaron Baddeley (minus-20) and Steve Stricker (minus-18). Stricker was marvelously relaxed during the final day, proving that he has staying power amongst the bigger names, but even he couldn’t stop Tiger Woods on this day.
The FedEx Cup now stands as a three horse race. KJ Choi and Rory Sabbatini both need divine intervention to stand a chance of winning the TOUR Championship this weekend. Sabbatini has little to no staying power, justifying his +2500 odds to win outright. K.J. stands at +3000 and hasn’t played very well over the past month, but he is the better pick if you want to take a flyer on one of these guys.
Tiger Woods is +120 to take home the Tour Championship, and a win would make him the undisputed champion of the first FedEx Cup. It’s hard to bet against Tiger Woods right now, especially with him peaking, but anything can happen on the mucky greens of East Lake. Tiger was complaining about exhaustion before he took The Barclays. This will be his third straight tournament.
The same can not be said for Phil Mickelson, who rested during the BMW while staging a downplayed protest against the structure of the tournament. With his wrist injury talk of the past, his +650 odds are attractive for one reason above all else. Phil is the only golfer within striking distance of a surging Tiger that has held him off this year. That is a fact worth betting your hard earned cash on.
The fact remains that Lefty and Tiger are the big two and will likely finish one-two at the tournament, a PGA Future worth taking a look at in our sportsbook. To win the FedEx Cup, however, Lefty needs Tiger to finish below solo-second. If Tiger ties for second, or wins the Tour Championship, then he will be pocketing that sweet $10 million jackpot.
Wait? What’s that? Did someone say “dark horse”? Well then you must be talking about…wait for it…Steve Stricker! Stricker is by far the most attractive bet at +1800 to win the Tour Championship. This bet is a lot safer then him challenging for the FedEx Cup itself and it remains to be seen whether he can withstand playing alongside Tiger, which could very well happen.
Considering what we don’t know about Steve Stricker, taking a chance on him is a long shot. But it’s a long shot with huge dividends if he manages the upset. The greens at East Lake are nasty, and are a concern for the higher-ups on the PGA Tour. But all Stricker is concerned about is staying close enough to Phil and Tiger in the unlikely event that they implode. Stricker is enjoying his time because he knows his place in the world of golf, and his “glad to be here” attitude is enough for me to believe that he can manage the upset.
Tiger is still the undeniable favorite. With a lead, albeit not an insurmountable one, in the FedEx Cup Standings, only Phil and Stricker has a chance at taking a stab at him this weekend. Keep tuned to our locker room for more updates on the FedEx Cup Playoffs and this weekend’s TOUR Championship.
Take a swing at online sports betting in the BetUS.com online sportsbook. Not just par for the course, in theBetUS.com sportsbook we have all the golf odds, lines and props you’ll ever need to bet on golf. Join BetUS today to make betting on golf earn you cash.