The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook released a plethora of prop bets for this week's British Open, and there are a number — six to be exact — that caught our eye. Let’s start with one on Tiger Woods.
British Open odds, prop bets
Will Tiger Woods finish in the top 20?
Yes +125
While Tiger was an auto-fade at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock, we expect him to exceed expectations this weekend, as Carnoustie will help alleviate some of the current deficiencies in his game. He ranks 176th in driving accuracy and 57th in putting. In Tuesday's practice round, Woods used a 3-iron and hit the ball 333 yards thanks to the dry, hardened fairways. Woods won't be using his erratic driver this week, rather he'll use irons to have more ball control and some distance control. Unlike Shinnecock, the greens at Carnoustie aren't hard and fast. If he can read the putts correctly, he's got a chance to do well. Oh, and Las Vegas oddsmaker Jeff Sherman, a golf specialist, told BetChicago he can "definitely" see Woods finish in the top 20 this week.
MORE: Odds to win the British Open
Will there be a hole-in-one?
No -120
One of our favorite props this weekend. Unlike most golf courses, Carnoustie has only three par-3s. The first is No. 8, a 187-yard hole usually with a left-to-right crosswind. The second is No. 13, the shortest but one that features a 40-yard-long hourglass green that tilts from front to back. No. 16 is a whopping 248 yards with a green that falls off on all sides and usually plays into the wind. Good luck with that.
Lowest completed round shot by any golfer
OVER 63.5 - 150
Carnoustie is nicknamed "Car-nasty," and while the rough may be shorter due to the dry conditions, the wind, steep pot bunkers and concrete-like fairways are going to cause fits because you never know where the ball is going to bounce. Tommy Fleetwood owns the course record with a 63 (8-under par) he fired on a perfect and clear day during a pro-am last fall. That’s not happening this week.
MORE: How to watch the British Open live
Will Jordan Spieth finish in the top 20?
No -145
The defending Open champion has seven straight finishes outside the top 20, including three missed cuts, and is still having trouble with his putter. The sharps at the Westgate are fading Spieth this weekend, Sherman said. They're called "sharps" for a reason, so fade Spieth and you’ll likely reap the rewards.
Will Tommy Fleetwood finish in the top 20?
No -130
Fleetwood was No. 1 in both the number of bets and money wagered at the Westgate as of Tuesday and is considered chalk in the DFS circles, but we’ll lay the odds on him finishing outside the top 20. Yes, Fleetwood fired a 63 in the final round of the U.S. Open at a similar layout at Shinnecock, but he's gone MC, MC, MC, T27 in his last four Opens. He's entering Carnoustie with loads of pressure, and has finishes of T59 and MC in two weak European Tour events entering the Open. Sherman told BetChicago he set Fleetwood's odds aggressively low at 20/1 but is still seeing action from casual bettors, which prompted an adjustment to 18/1.
He's overvalued. Fade the public, folks.
Francesco Molinari (-105) over Justin Thomas in Round 1
Who? Oh, just the hottest golfer on the planet. Molinari dominated the competition at the National then backed it up with a T2 at the John Deere Classic. He's got two wins and two runner-ups in his past five starts. Yes, those were against weaker fields, but Molinari’s putter is hot and he ranks second this season in "SG: Tee-to-Green," which will be important this week. Justin Thomas, meanwhile, has come back down to earth after a scorching run last season. Thomas was T56 at the Travelers, then finished T8 at the French Open. Thomas missed the cut in last year's Open Championship, and we expect him to struggle out of the gate on Thursday.
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