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Ryder Cup Betting Tips
Written by: Daniel Collins
Last Updated:
Read Time: 6 minutes
The Ryder Cup is the most popular international golf tournament for fans of sports betting. There is plenty of hype and excitement surrounding the Ryder Cup, and there are several ways to make some money. The Ryder Cup dates back to June 1927, when the United States beat the Europeans with a decisive 9 ½ to 2 ½ victory. English businessman Samuel Ryder donated the first trophy, and the competition is named in his honor.
The Ryder Cup is held every two years, with the location alternating between the United States and Europe. In 2018, the Ryder Cup was held in France, and the 2020 tournament will be held at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin.
Team USA has traditionally dominated the Ryder Cup, but Team Europe is starting to stage a comeback. The US team has recorded 26 victories, while the European side has won 14 times. Europe was the winner of the 2018 Ryder Cup in France, beating team USA by a score of 17 ½ to 10 ½. There have also been two ties in the event, with the winner of the previous Ryder Cup getting to keep the coveted trophy.
Steve Stricker is the projected captain of the American team in 2020, and Padraig Harrington will lead the European team. The United States team has been great on American soil in past years, but the European side will be loaded with talented players. Let’s move on from the Ryder Cup history and focus on some ways to make some money on the 2020 event.
How to Bet on the Ryder Cup
Betting on the Ryder Cup is a little different than betting on a traditional golf tournament. Since the Ryder Cup is played in teams, the style of bets that are available are different than with a normal PGA Tournament. Let’s take a look at some examples of bets available surrounding the Ryder Cup.
Futures Betting: This is probably the simplest bet that can be made for the Ryder Cup, and it is similar to the type of bets available for other major golf tournaments. This type of bet is simply picking the team winner of the Ryder Cup, and bets can be made as of now on who the winner will be. Here are the current odds on the 2020 Ryder Cup:
- Team USA -150
- Team Europe +150
- Draw +1400
Since the teams won’t be announced until much closer to the event, it is hard to pick a winner at this time. Judging from past history, Team USA should be the favorites to win on American soil, but the European team will make this interesting.
Foursome Matches: The first two days of the Ryder Cup are played in foursomes, with two different styles of scoring being implemented. Again, you have the ability to bet on a particular foursome, but this can be tricky. Captains don’t always place the best golfers together in a foursome, and traditionally put friends together. Below is an example of this type of bet.
- Team USA: Mickelson/Woods -110
- Team Europe: Garcia/McIlroy +115
Individual Pairings: The final day of the Ryder Cup features match play between a member of each team. This kind of betting is similar to other professional sports, giving the bettor the opportunity to pick a head to head winner. The pairings aren’t usually announced until the night before the final day, but there is still plenty of time to study the pairings and make a bet.
Over/Under Team Points: This is another bet that must be made before the Ryder Cup officially begins. A sportsbook will set an over/under for total team points for an event, giving a bettor a chance to pick a winner. The odds might look something like this.
- Team USA: Over/Under 15.5 points
- Team Europe: Over/Under 12.5 points
With any futures bet, keep checking the odds until you feel like you are getting a fair price for your bet.
Choosing the Right Sportsbook to bet on the Ryder Cup
With new sportsbooks popping up all of the time, it is hard to know which sportsbook to choose. Here are a few things to look for when selecting a sportsbook to place your bets.
Live Betting: Find an online sportsbook that has live betting options, especially for an event like the Ryder Cup. Most sportsbooks will offer this type of betting, but some are very limited in the amount of live betting options that they feature. It may also be beneficial to find a sportsbook that has a mobile app to make betting on live events more practical.
Deposit Bonuses: Most sportsbooks will offer some sort of deposit bonus, but find one that meets your needs. There are several different types of bonuses out there, and some sportsbooks will even offer you a “free” bet when you sign up.
Cheap Lines: You can make money before placing your bet by finding a sportsbook that has cheaper lines than the rest of the competition. For example, some sportsbooks will offer lines of -105 as opposed to -110, which could save you some money in the long run. This isn’t something that a lot of bettors think about, but it can be extremely beneficial financially.
Customer Service: Finding a sportsbook that has great customer service can save you a lot of time and headache. It isn’t always easy to determine the customer service availability of a sportsbook, but you can read our sportsbook reviews to find those that rank best on this crucial feature.
Best Betting Strategies and Betting Tips
Professional golf is one of the toughest sports to bet on. There is always a lot of luck involved with any tournament, but the Ryder Cup has a few unique options that are great ways to make some real money. The best bet to make is a Futures Bet on which team will lift the trophy at the end of the tournament.
It is best to wait until the actual teams have been announced, but then place a bet on which team you think will win. The earlier you place the bet, the better the odds, but it will also be harder to predict the winner.
The second best way to make money on the Ryder Cup is on the match play portion of the final day. If you pay attention to how a golfer is playing on that particular course during the weekend, you should have a better idea of how they will fare in the match play round. Pick a few of your best matchups and place a bet on each one. The Ryder Cup is one of the best sporting events of the year when it is played, and it can be a great way to make money for a person who enjoys betting on golf.
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