Capital One's 'The Match 7': Does Woods, McIlroy or Thomas, Spieth Have Edge?

The latest edition of Capital One's The Match is slated to take place on Saturday evening under the lights at Pelican Golf Course.

Like other iterations of The Match, this event will be for charity, serving as a platform for Hurricane Ian relief efforts. Unlike recent entries in the series, it won't feature celebrity athletes from other sports.

The Match VII is strictly a golfer showcase, with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy facing off against Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.

Thomas and Spieth are the favorites, which isn't a major surprise. While Woods is a PGA legend, he hasn't competed in a high-level tournament since missing the cut at the Open Championship, and he's not at 100 percent. But do Thomas and Spieth actually have the edge in this best-ball competition?

Let's take a look.

Capital One's The Match VII

Who: Woods/McIlroy vs. Spieth/Thomas

Where: Pelican Golf Course in Belleair, Florida

When: Saturday, 10 December

Time: 6 p.m. ET

TV: TNT, TBS, truTV and HLN

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Odds (from DraftKings)

Thomas/Spieth -125 (bet $125 to win $100)

Woods/McIlroy +105 (bet $100 to win $105)

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At first blush, Thomas and Spieth do appear to be the better team. The two longtime friends know one another's game well, and both have been competing at extremely high levels.

According to the PGA world rankings, Spieth is the 14th-best golfer in the world right now, while Thomas is ranked eighth. Fans can expect this team to attack the open Pelican course with power and long-ball accuracy.

The other factor to consider is Woods' health. The 46-year-old is dealing with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, an issue that recently caused him to withdraw from the Hero World Challenge.

However, Woods has insisted that the injury won't inhibit his ability to play golf.

Since The Match is a cart-assisted event, difficulty walking won't be an issue for Woods.

Woods will also be experimenting with a new ball at The Match, which could help him hang with Thomas and Spieth in the power department. He'll be changing his ball from the Bridgestone Tour B XS to a Tour B X.

"I'm experimenting with the Tour B X to get a little more pop," Woods said through Bridgestone (h/t Max Schreiber of Golf Channel). "Based on the situation, I have different preferences, and it’s great that Bridgestone has multiple balls right off the shelf that I can play."

If the ball change allows Woods to even the odds a bit off the tee, his prowess in the short game and on the green will be a significant factor for his team.

Oh, and Woods will be playing with the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world, McIlroy. This is big because of the best-ball format. Only the lowest score for each team will be counted on each hole.

Hypothetically, Woods could play a terrible round and still win as long as McIlroy outdoes Thomas and Spieth more often than he doesn't.

The Match is only a 12-hole event, so a couple of hole wins and several ties may be enough to decide the outcome.

While Thomas and Spieth are the more well-rounded team, Mcilroy is the best all-around golfer in this competition. The format actually gives him and Woods a slight edge, even if the oddsmakers are discounting Woods coming in.

The prediction here is that Mcilroy wins just enough holes to deliver a victory, though it won't be a shock to see Woods steal one or two on the green. Expect it to be a tight race, however, that lasts the full 12 holes.

There isn't a true underdog here, and the play should be close enough that the result isn't in the books early.

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