US Open Odds 2015: Betting Advice for Latest Vegas Lines on Top Players
The 2015 U.S. Open will be an interesting one thanks to the unique course at Chambers Bay. As a result, you might want to be a bit cautious when betting the favorites.
Not only are most of the players unfamiliar with the Washington course, but the links-style venue is also unlike just about any other U.S. Open we have seen in recent years. It is an extremely long course with multiple options at every hole, which could lead to some curious results.
The best players still have a great chance to win, but here is a look at the full odds and a breakdown of whether it is worth betting on the biggest names.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
| Rory McIlroy | 7-1 |
| Jordan Spieth | 8-1 |
| Phil Mickelson | 16-1 |
| Dustin Johnson | 18-1 |
| Justin Rose | 18-1 |
| Rickie Fowler | 18-1 |
| Henrik Stenson | 25-1 |
| Adam Scott | 28-1 |
| Bubba Watson | 28-1 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | 28-1 |
| 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 |
| Ryan Moore | 50-1 |
| Byeong Hun An | 66-1 |
| Keegan Bradley | 66-1 |
| Lee Westwood | 66-1 |
| Paul Casey | 66-1 |
| Zach Johnson | 66-1 |
Rory McIlroy (7-1)
One reason to doubt Rory McIlroy this week is his lack of success in recent tournaments overseas. After winning the Wells Fargo Championship last month, he went on to miss cuts at the BMW PGA Championship and Irish Open.
On the plus side, he has taken time off to rest before the upcoming major and examine the difficult course. Fortunately he likes what he sees, according to Bob Harig of ESPN.com:
"It's a pure links golf course. Every part of this golf course is fescue. It's really like playing an Open Championship in the United States. That's what it's going to be like this week, apart from the fact that it's about 20 degrees warmer. [...]
I really like the golf course. I think it sets up well for my game.
"
The Northern Irish star has plenty of experience on links courses, most recently winning the British Open. The wide-open fairways and long holes will be perfect for a player who leads all golfers in strokes gained from tee to green, per PGATour.com.
In his last four tournaments on American soil, McIlroy has two wins (including the Accenture Match Play) and a top-10 finish at both the Masters and Players Championship. There is no reason to doubt his ability to win once again.
Advice: Bet
Jordan Spieth (8-1)
Based on pure talent and past success, it makes sense for Jordan Spieth to be one of the favorites this weekend. He already has two wins in 2015—including his first major title at the Masters—as well as nine top-10 finishes.
Despite this success, he remains focused on the task at hand, according to Guardian:
"I have a chance to make history in many ways. But in order to do that, I have to really focus on this week, focus on the major championships and how I’m going to prepare for them. There are certainly a lot of goals left for the year. ...If I didn’t do anything the rest of the year, I’d be pretty frustrated at the second half.
"
The problem is it's incredibly difficult to win back-to-back major championships, especially the first two. Only six players have ever won both the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year, with the most recent being Tiger Woods in 2002.
Meanwhile, his relative lack of experience could be a problem on a course where you need to make a lot of adjustments, even with local caddie Michael Greller. With very short odds, this might not be worth the bet.
Advice: Pass
Phil Mickelson (16-1)
You would likely expect more value for a bet on someone who currently ranks 42nd in the latest FedEx Cup standings. Phil Mickelson hasn't won a tournament this year and only finished in the top 25 in half of his 12 starts.
So why is he a reasonable bet to win a U.S. Open title? Because he is Phil Mickelson.
Mickelson—who just turned 45 years old—always seems to turn up his play at majors. The only part of the Grand Slam he is yet to win is the U.S. Open, which he finished as a runner-up six different times.
Another encouraging factor is his recent play. Lefty has three top-five finishes in his past five tournaments, including second place at the Masters. ESPN's Jason Sobel discussed how the most recent round could impact his performance:
After coming so close so many times, Mickelson has a good shot of finally breaking through with a win. With his experience and ability to make tough shots from anywhere, he could be one of the few who succeeds on this difficult course.
Advice: Bet
Dustin Johnson (18-1)
Even with some strong performances this season, Dustin Johnson is a bit too inconsistent to trust. Even without including his withdrawal from last week's FedEx St. Jude Classic, where he was three strokes over par, he has still finished outside of the top 40 in two of his last four stroke-play tournaments.
Johnson has also failed to truly establish himself at majors. While he has had some quality performances, he has zero wins and a number of missed cuts in recent years.
His power will be a big help on this long course, but it will take more than that to raise the trophy at the end of four rounds. Considering his struggles on the green this season (123rd in strokes gained), it will be hard for Johnson to finish in first place.
Advice: Pass
Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
