British Open Odds 2017: Betting Advice for Latest Vegas Lines on Top Players

The 2017 British Open will start on Thursday, and the usual names enter the tournament with the best betting odds to win the tournament.

Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Ricky Fowler, Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose all find themselves near the top of the list, with all coming in at 20-1 or better.

Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England, is a tough, narrow course that boasts an impressive collection of Open winners over the years―it's usually a good idea to go with some of the favourites for the title. Here's a look at the top odds for this year's Open, via OddsShark:

Dustin Johnson, 14-1

Jordan Spieth, 14-1

Rickie Fowler, 16-1

Jon Rahm, 16-1

Sergio Garcia, 18-1

Justin Rose, 20-1

Rory McIlroy, 20-1

Hideki Matsuyama, 20-1

As reported by Sean Martin of PGATour.com, seven of the nine players who have won the Open at Royal Birkdale are currently in the World Golf Hall of Fame, and Padraig Harrington, the victor back in 2008, could join that club in the near future.

The course is one for the best players on tour as it is reasonably flat compared to other links courses but still challenging due to its narrow nature.

The tight course means the best pure strikers of the ball often have the advantage. Matsuyama could be a popular pick among punters as a result, and Rob Trites of Odds Shark likes his 20-1 line:

The 25-year-old won the Waste Management Phoenix Open earlier this year, took second place in the U.S. Open and fired himself into second place in the World Gof Rankings, behind Johnson.

Per Srixon Golf, Matsuyama sounds ready to win his first major:

Johnson has not had a great year in majors this year, as he did not feature in the Masters and failed to make the cut for the U.S. Open. He has a number of wins under his belt in smaller tournaments this year, however.

He'll be paired with McIlroy, who hasn't won a major since 2014 and is without a PGA or European Tour title this year. Per BBC Sport, his preparation has been far from ideal:

His poor form means he's a player punters might opt to stay away from, unless his odds continue to fall prior to Thursday's start.

Defending champion Henrik Stenson checks in at 25-1, and the Swede has also struggled this year. His record at the Open is excellent, however, and his playing style seems well suited for the narrow course. Like McIlroy, he could be worth a flyer if his odds stay down or drop even further.