British Open Odds 2015: Early Lines and Predictions for Top Sleepers in Field

There's nothing quite like an Open Championship at St Andrews' Old Course.

Scotland's seaside track has played host to some of the greatest memories of this prestigious tournament. From Tiger Woods' dominating performance in 2000 to gain his first Open Championship victory, to Jack Nicklaus' tear-jerking farewell on the Swilcan Bridge and all of the epic collapses by tournament leaders who were unfortunate enough to find themselves buried in Hell Bunker or the Road Bunker.

In a picturesque location just off the North Sea, the Old Course is a sight to behold; however, with its beauty comes a bevy of impediments. A total of 112 bunkers line the 7,305-yard, par-72 track, and swirling winds are always an issue, as judging the course's distances can become problematic in the blink of an eye. Things don't get any easier on the putting surface, as massive double greens await plenty of three putts.

So, who has what it takes to navigate this treacherous track? Well, Vegas oddsmakers have put together a list of their favorites, but there are some sleepers to keep an eye on as well. That said, let's take a look at the tournament's favorites and highlight a few players who didn't make the short list but could still make some noise at St Andrews.

Open Championship Favorites

Golfer	Odds
Jordan Spieth	5-1
Dustin Johnson	11-1
Rickie Fowler	16-1
Justin Rose	18-1
Adam Scott	20-1
Henrik Stenson	20-1
Louis Oosthuizen	22-1
Tiger Woods	25-1
Jason Day	28-1
Bubba Watson	33-1
Hideki Matsuyama	33-1
Paul Casey	33-1
Phil Mickelson	33-1
Sergio Garcia	33-1

The full tournament can be found at Odds Shark.

Analyzing Top Sleepers

Martin Kaymer (35-1 odds)

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

It's been a tale of two continents for Martin Kaymer in 2015. The German hasn't produced many notable results when playing in the United States. In fact, of his eight tournaments played on U.S. soil this year, he's finished no better than a tie for 31st in the WGC-Cadillac Championship and has missed four cuts. It's a completely different story across the pond.

On the European Tour, Kaymer has been far more successful. He has yet to notch a win, but he did place third at Abu Dhabi and tallied two other top-10 finishes, including a fourth-place showing in his most recent outing, the Alstom Open de France.

Kaymer's best finish in an Open Championship came in 2010 when he notched a tie for seventh. In case you forgot where that tournament was played, it was held at the Old Course, which happens to be this year's venue as well.

The world No. 19 has plenty of confidence at St Andrews, and he's entering the tournament with a good deal of momentum following four solid rounds in Paris. That makes him a sleeper to watch during this year's Open Championship.

Matt Kuchar (45-1 odds)

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

The Old Course sets up nicely for Matt Kuchar's game. He doesn't hit the ball a long way, but he's brilliant around the greens. He ranks 13th on tour in sand saves, ninth in scrambling, 10th in putts per round and second in one-putt percentage. Considering the difficulty of dealing with the large greens at St Andrews, that skill set will certainly come in handy.

After a decent start to the 2015 season, Kuchar's form began to waiver. Aside from a fifth-place finish in the RBC Heritage, he failed to do any better than a tie for 15th in an 11-tournament stretch. Well, he began to turn things around recently, recording a tie for 12th in the U.S. Open and a runner-up finish in the Scottish Open after four sub-70 rounds.

Kuchar is no stranger to contending in major championships. He has yet to notch a victory in any of the four tournaments, but he has managed to earn a top-10 finish in each. His best showing in an Open Championship was a tie for ninth in 2012, but he did finish two-under par at St Andrews in 2010 after completing the tournament with a final-round 69.

The American has a knack of finishing tournaments strong, and if he can carry his momentum from the Scottish Open with him to St Andrews and put together some solid early rounds, he'll likely find himself in contention on Sunday.

Victor Dubuisson (66-1 odds)

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Victor Dubuisson hasn't had the most successful year to this point, missing five cuts and notching just two top-10 finishes. However, there is reason to believe the Frenchman will be able to get things going at St Andrews.

Following a stretch of bad play that included missed cuts in both the Masters and U.S. Open, Dubuisson returned to play in Europe and instantly began to turn the corner. After a tie for 20th in the BMW International Open, he finished tied for 12th in the Open de France and just last week earned a tie for 10th in the Scottish Open.

He appears to be improving each week while playing in familiar territory, and that showed in Scotland, as he followed up an opening-round 70 with a 66 and a pair of 68s over the weekend. Dubuisson doesn't hit the ball a long way, but he's been very good around the greens and enters the Open Championship ranked ninth in putts per green in regulation. That's a good stat to have, as the Old Course's enormous greens are relatively easy to hit on the approach.

Dubuisson is no stranger to competing in an Open Championship, as he fared well last year, earning a tie for ninth at Royal Liverpool despite opening the tournament with a 74—he shot 66, 68 and 70 over his final three rounds. With his momentum continuously building, Dubuisson has a chance to be a factor at St Andrews.