Four guys will play.
The betting world will wager.
With the seventh iteration of The Match set for Saturday at prime time, bookmakers are offering an array of propositions for fans looking to cash in on action.
That’s a fancy way of saying that the lines are out for the best-ball contest pitting Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods against Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.
In golf, of course, the only sure bet is that there is no sure bet.
But we’ve looked at the odds and formed strong opinions.
Here are our favorite ways to make money on The Match, based on lines listed here.
Woods and McIlroy to win, +105
The best player in the world, paired with the best player ever. And they’re underdogs? In a shortened format where Woods won’t face the strain of walking? Something doesn’t add up.
Player to hit the longest drive
Odds: McIlroy -110
Thomas +350
Jordan Spieth +500
Tiger Woods +290
Sure, all these guys can move it, and anything can happen. But McIlroy was number-one in driving distance on Tour this year, averaging nearly 30 yards longer than Spieth and Thomas. On the wide fairways at Pelican, Rory will be free to rear back and rip it. Simple physics say he should be the heavy favorite. But you can get him in this wager for minimal juice.
Total water balls on No. 8, over/under .5
We’ll take the over, and here’s why. The 12th hole at Pelican, which will play as the 8th hole in the Match, is a watery par-3 that is similar in spirit to the 12th at Augusta. Ordinarily, we’d expect all four players to stay high and dry. But for The Match, this little hole will be the site of a hole-in-one competition, with up to $2.5 million set aside for charity. With all four guys destined to get aggressive, we’re willing to wager that one finds the drink.
Closest to the pin on the first par-3
Odds: Jordan Spieth +265
Justin Thomas +270
Rory McIlroy +265
Tiger Woods +290
So, you’re saying we can get nearly 3-to-1 on the greatest iron player of his generation — maybe of any generation — in a spotlight moment, and all he needs to do is knock it closer than three other players. We’ll take Tiger. The reward is bigger than the risk.
Player to make the longest putt
Odds: Spieth +250
Justin Thomas +270
Rory McIlroy +270
Tiger Woods +285
Never mind that Spieth’s flat stick isn’t quite the magic wand that it was in the mid-aughts. Few players have a better flair for drama, and — let’s face it — he still seems sprinkled with pixie dust. Not a bad play for a 2.5-to-1 payout.
