As we head into another exciting weekend of golf at The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, it's worth reminding you how crucial it is to shop around for the best prices when betting the links.
The lower you move down the sheet, the larger the price gaps tend to get at different sportsbooks.
Take Brooks Koepka for example. Koepka is as low as 30-1 at BetMGM and as high as 45-1 at PointsBet. If you're looking to bet 100 bucks on Koepka at The Players, you would win $3,000 at BetMGM. Not bad. But that same $100 wins you $4,500 at PointsBet.
"Anybody who is betting and only has one sports betting account is getting off to a bad start," VSiN host and handicapper Matt Youmans told NESN. "Circa Sports in Las Vegas is by far the best for golf because of the hold percentage and the fair numbers that (assistant sportsbook manager) Jeff Davis puts out there.
"It's like anything else. You've got to shop for the best number. You're never going to shop at the same store every day and get the best deals."
Youmans has his sights set on 25-year-old rising star Collin Morikawa this weekend.
"The Players is a true test of the all-around game," Youmans explained. "There's not one specific skill you look for when handicapping this tournament. Collin Morikawa has about the best all-around game of anybody out there. You can put Morikawa on almost any golf course in the world and he's going to be able to compete and contend for a win."
Collin Morikawa's odds to win The Players:
+1300 FanDuel ($100 wins $1,300)
+1400 Bet 365
+1400 BetMGM
+1400 DraftKings
+1600 Caesars
+1600 PointsBet
+1600 SuperBook
+1700 Circa Sports
+1800 FOX Bet ($100 wins $1,800)
A $100 bet at FOX Bet makes you $500 more than it would at FanDuel. Always be shopping.
"Morikawa finished very strong (at TPC Sawgrass) last year," Youmans said. "He was a little bit shaky in the first couple rounds, but he figured it out in the fourth round. He had the lowest score in the entire field on Sunday with a 66. He's such a smart player and he figures things out in a short amount of time. I think he figured out that golf course over the weekend.
"He's one of those guys I'm not afraid to play at any course."
A golfer that Youmans refuses to bet at The Players is Jordan Spieth. Outside of a second-place finish at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the 28-year-old has really struggled this season with no other Top 20 finishes. He tied for 60th at the Phoenix Open and missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open.
Spieth is going off at 50-1 at PointsBet.
"I don't think Spieth is going to be able to play well in these type of weather conditions," Youmans said. "He's kind of a whiner out there when things aren't going well. There's going to be a lot of rain, wind and changing temperatures in the forecast. The last time he won -- the 2021 Valero Open last April -- it was ideal weather conditions in Texas at his type of course.
"There are a couple big names with huge prices that will be hard for people to resist. I could not resist Brooks Koepka at 40-1. I don't like the way he's playing right now, but when you can get Koepka at 40-1 in Florida, you have to take notice. Dustin Johnson is another one at 35-1.
"You don't get guys like Koepka and DJ at high odds that often."
I'm tailing Youmans with Morikawa at The Players (+1800 to win outright at FOX Bet) and also picking Hideki Matsuyama (+300) and Chris Kirk (+800) to finish Top 10.
Collin Morikawa +1800 to win outright
Collin Morikawa +360 Top 5
Hideki Matsuyama +300 Top 10
Chris Kirk +800 Top 10
RECORD: (96-96, +6.9)
