US Open Odds 2015: Predictions for Top Favorites Heading into Chambers Bay
When it comes to the favorites, the household names, the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay golf course in University Place, Washington, couldn't be more interesting.
It's no exaggeration. There's Jordan Spieth, the winner of this year's Masters. There's Rory McIlroy, capable of being the best player in the world, but right now stuck in the midst of a free fall akin to jumping out of a plane without a parachute.
There are plenty of others, as the numerical offerings from Las Vegas below showcase. This event in particular continues to go the unpredictable route with its winners over the past few years, which just adds to the intrigue with the favorites all over the place.
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Here's a look at how Las Vegas feels, with a zoom on some notables after the jump.
2015 U.S. Open Odds
| Rory McIlroy | 7-1 |
| Jordan Spieth | 8-1 |
| Dustin Johnson | 16-1 |
| Justin Rose | 18-1 |
| Phil Mickelson | 18-1 |
| Rickie Fowler | 18-1 |
| Adam Scott | 25-1 |
| Henrik Stenson | 25-1 |
| Bubba Watson | 33-1 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | 33-1 |
| Jason Day | 33-1 |
| Jim Furyk | 33-1 |
| Jimmy Walker | 33-1 |
| Sergio Garcia | 33-1 |
| Martin Kaymer | 40-1 |
| Matt Kuchar | 40-1 |
| Patrick Reed | 40-1 |
| Billy Horschel | 50-1 |
| Brandt Snedeker | 50-1 |
| Brooks Koepka | 50-1 |
| Tiger Woods | 50-1 |
| Byeong Hun An | 66-1 |
| J.B. Holmes | 66-1 |
| Keegan Bradley | 66-1 |
| Lee Westwood | 66-1 |
| Paul Casey | 66-1 |
| Ryan Moore | 66-1 |
| Zach Johnson | 66-1 |
Odds courtesy of Odds Shark and updated as of June 16.
Predictions for Top Favorites
Rory McIlroy (7-1)
It's been a rough ride for the world's top golfer as of late.
Make it two missed cuts in a row for McIlroy, coming at the BMW PGA Championship and the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, giving him three whiffs on the season as opposed to his single hiccup in 2014.
Despite his recent struggles, McIlroy makes a point to emphasize how unpredictable this tournament can be and that there's no sense in stressing too much.
"There's going to be someone lifting the trophy at the end of the week," McIlroy said, per the Los Angeles Times' Matt Wilhalme. "It's a bit of an unknown to most people, so you have to prepare. But you can fall into the trap of trying to over-prepare."
The world's best offers a good case study—he won the event in 2011, then missed the cut the year after. Last year he wound up tied for 23rd, with this year's result up in the air.
Still, it's tough to advise a bet against McIlroy. Odds are he pulls it together, as the man ranks tops in the world and No. 1 in total strokes gained (2.172) at PGATour.com for good reason. Look for him to post a top-five performance.
Prediction: McIlroy finishes top-five.
Jordan Spieth (8-1)
Here's the good news for McIlroy—his biggest competition (according to the powers in Las Vegas), Jordan Spieth, doesn't feature a stunning resume as of late.
If McIlroy's form is akin to jumping out of a plane, Spieth's is riding a roller coaster without a safety bar. He suffered a cut at the Players Championship, tied for second at the Crowne Plaza Invitational, tied for 30th at his hometown AT&T Byron Nelson and then tied for third at the Memorial Tournament early this month.
Got it all?
Still, for betting purposes, it's all thumbs-up surrounding this year's Masters winner. He's right behind McIlroy in total strokes gained (2.155), ranks third in tee-to-green strokes gained (1.615) and reigns supreme above all others in scoring average (69.124).
Better consistency would be nice, sure, but Spieth's undivided attention seems glued on the upcoming event, as USA Today Sports captures:
Coming off a solid performance and with the big-tournament jitters behind him, it's safe to expect Spieth to put on a strong performance this weekend.
Prediction: Spieth finishes top-10.
Dustin Johnson (16-1)
Some may shy away from Dustin Johnson due to a recent withdraw from the FedEx St. Jude Classic, but bettors will want to jump on the odds if he's good to go this weekend.
Before the first-round exit due to illness, Johnson tied for eighth at the AT&T Byron Nelson and followed that up by tying for 13th at the Memorial Tournament. A look to the past offers more worthwhile momentum-based factors, considering at last year's U.S. Open he finished tied for fourth, a career-best mark.
Johnson, who ranks among the top 10 in total stokes gained (1.290), birdie average (4.35) and scoring average (69.800), isn't one to underestimate going into Chambers Bay after a withdrawn scorecard.
Johnson took to Twitter to tell fans the early exit was more about not making the illness worse in the heat before the U.S. Open:
Healthy and still in elite form, bettors can do much worse. The payout here's great, and Johnson left on a high note in his last tournament, making it three strong appearances in a row. A fourth seems obvious.
Prediction: Johnson finishes top-10.
Stats and info courtesy of PGATour.com unless otherwise specified.
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