Capital One's The Match: Odds, Tips and Predictions for Charity Golf Event

Capital One's "The Match: Champions for Change" is back Friday with Phil Mickelson teaming up with Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley to take on NFL legend Peyton Manning and two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry.

This marks the third event in this series, though it will be the first one without Tiger Woods. He lost to Mickelson in their one-on-one meeting in 2018. Woods paired up with Manning to beat Mickelson and Tom Brady at Captial One's "The Match: Champions for Charity" in May.

This time around, the event is designed to "uniquely contribute toward and highlight diversity, equality and inclusion through donations to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), while raising awareness and spotlighting opportunities for diversity and equality in sports."

Capital One's The Match is being held at Stone Canyon Golf Club in Oro Valley, Arizona. The players will be competing in a modified alternate shot format.

Capital One's The Match: Champions for Change Schedule

Date: Friday, Nov. 27

Start Time: 3 p.m. ET

Watch: TNT

Odds (via DraftKings): Manning/Curry -175 (bet $175 to win $100); Mickelson/Barkley +138 (bet $100 to win $138)

Prediction

As has been the case with the previous two events, there's already been a high level of trash talk between the competitors.

In the press release announcing the latest event, Barkley promised a victory for his team: "Phil and I got this, I GUARR-AAAN-TEEEE!!!"

That's a bold take for Barkley, whose golf game has often been the subject of good-natured ridicule over the years. He has cleaned up his swing quite a bit, so there's not as much of a hitch in the backswing.

Earlier this year, Barkley's attempt to trash-talk Brady backfired in spectacular fashion:

Barkley is also playing with Mickelson, who has had his struggles on the course this season, albeit in a limited sample size. Lefty hasn't finished higher than 44th and has missed two cuts in five events.

On the opposing side is a formidable duo, even though neither player can match Mickelson's golfing credentials.

Manning had a strong showing in the May event playing with Woods. The five-time NFL MVP had two birdies and three pars on the front nine in best-ball format.

Curry has tried his hand in professional tournaments during the NBA offseason. He shot a one-over par 71 in the first round of the Ellie Mae Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour in August 2018.

As of October 2019, Curry's handicap was +0.1.

In a modified alternate shot format, neither Manning nor Curry has to be perfect at all times because they will be taking turns.

Mickelson has claimed that he's seen Barkley shoot in the 70s, but that was back in the 1990s when he was at his peak with the Phoenix Suns:

Unless Barkley is able to turn back the clock to those days, the safest bet to leave Arizona with a victory is the pairing of Manning and Curry.

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