Ryder Cup Odds 2014: Early Betting Lines and Prop Bets for USA vs. Europe
After months and months of anticipation, it's finally 2014 Ryder Cup week as play is set to start Friday at Gleneagles.
Of course, the main storyline for the tournament has been etched in stone for some time. There are the big favorites in Team Europe who are looking to win their third straight trophy, while Team USA is looking to pull off the shocking upset with Tom Watson's cast of underdogs.
The matchup offers interesting bets with plenty of against-the-odds predictions available to be made—especially if you're banking on an American upset. On top of that, individual player bets and more can peak a betting expert's interest.
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It's officially the big week, so let's dive into some early betting lines and prop bets courtesy of Odds Shark.
Ryder Cup Betting Lines
| Winner | -185 | +175 | +1100 |
| To Lift The Trophy | -225 | +175 | - |
Note: All odds, including prop bets, can be found at OddsShark.com.
Prop Bets
| Jordan Spieth, USA | 5-2 |
| Jimmy Walker, USA | 9-2 |
| Patrick Reed, USA | 6-1 |
| Jamie Donaldson, Europe | 4-1 |
| Victor Dubuisson, Europe | 5-1 |
| Stephen Gallacher, Europe | 9-2 |
With new faces on both the Europe and the USA rosters, it goes without saying that some will shine and others will falter.
Few are expecting the latter from Jordan Spieth, however. Although the Europeans are huge favorites, Spieth is favored to post the best overall performance of any of the six rookie players between the two teams.
The American is the only rookie below the age of 24 in the Ryder Cup, and recent form suggests he might be a strong bet after he finished the season with promise. His masterful swing is a big reason why, as Golf Digest broke down:
However, don't sleep on some of the more affordable bets like Victor Dubuisson or Jimmy Walker. Should the bright lights prove too much for Spieth to overcome, big money could be made on one of the other options.
| Keegan Bradley, USA | 3-1 |
| Hunter Mahan, USA | 6-1 |
| Webb Simpson, USA | 7-1 |
| Ian Poulter, Europe | 2-1 |
| Lee Westwood, Europe | 4-1 |
| Stephen Gallacher, Europe | 9-1 |
Ah, yes, the much-debated and highly criticized captain's, or wild-card, picks face a daunting prop bet as well.
Watson's picks for the American side have been judged sourly ever since they were made, with surging golfers Billy Horschel, Chris Kirk and Ryan Palmer all left off the ballot. Coming off Horschel's BMW Championship and Tour Championship wins that allowed him to take the $10 million FedEx Cup prize, Watson was forced to defend his pick again, per Golf.com's Marika Washchyshyn:
"“Logistically, there are so many different things that go into it,” Watson said during the teleconference. “It would be awfully tough to make the decision the week before the Ryder Cup.”
Luckily, Horschel has been since preoccupied with his new full-time job – being a dad. The mood was lighthearted as Watson and Horschel texted back and forth last week.
“Billy, you’re a day late, but not a dollar short,” one of Watson’s texts said.
"
While Horschel isn't around, there are a number of entertaining options to satisfy those making a wild-card bet. Keegan Bradley remains a great choice coming off his strong 2012 Ryder Cup performance with partner Phil Mickelson, but Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood could also steal the show for Team Europe.
Captain's picks allow for those who didn't qualify on points to be included, which inevitably leaves one or two studs among them. This year is no exception.
| Europe-Europe-Europe | 9-4 |
| USA-USA-USA | 9-1 |
| Europe-Europe-USA | 9-1 |
| Europe-Europe-Tie | 33-1 |
| USA-Tie-Europe | 33-1 |
This is an interesting bet that will take some serious dice-rolling, but it could result in quite the payoff. You simply choose in chronological order what team if any will be ahead at the end of Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Obviously, the hot ticket is with Europe controlling things from start to finish, but with how things unfolded in Medinah in 2012, perhaps you should take a look at some of those other options.
For instance, if you're feeling another strong American start that will be halted by a late European comeback, there's the USA-Tie-Europe that pays off at a whopping 33-1. Or if your money is on Team USA saving its best for last, there are similarly huge payouts to go after.
As shown by the meltdown in Medinah two years ago, these tournaments can swing back and forth at a dizzying rate. That makes this otherwise irrelevant bet suddenly worth paying attention to.
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