Like sand in an hourglass, the betting line for the 2023 Ryder Cup has slowly but surely gone from one side to the other. Despite Europe being listed as long as 2-1 underdogs just three months ago, oddsmakers have since moved the line closer and closer to a pick ’em as the 44th edition of the international competition draws near.
The reason for this one-way traffic is simple: The Europeans have found their groove. After enduring a 19 to 9 drubbing at Whistling Straits in 2021, the Europeans were left scrambling with veterans moving into the shadows and young, up-and-coming players beginning to prove themselves.
They have done just that as European stalwarts Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Justin Rose are now joined by stars such as FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland, U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, 23-year-old Ludvig Aberg and the rest of the 12-man cast. They are being tasked with upholding a 30-year home winning streak against a retooled and refreshed United States side.
Led by world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, the Americans arrive at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome with a chip on their shoulders. Told ad nauseam of the three-decade drought, the visiting side will lean on the veteran leadership of Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas while trotting out reliable partnerships like that of Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay.
It all sets up what may be the closest Ryder Cup in more than a decade, and the betting lines tightening by the day only adds fuel to the fire.
Don’t miss our 2023 Ryder Cup predictions and expert picks before the big event begins. Plus, Kyle Porter offers his complete 1-24 ranking of the 2023 Ryder Cup teams mixing the Americans and Europeans together.
The Europeans were in a dire situation a handful of months ago when many of their Ryder Cup heroes resigned from the DP World Tour and forfeited their opportunity to play. Out with the old and in with the new as this team will feature rookies Aberg, Sepp Straka, Nicolai Hojgaard and Robert MacIntyre alongside players like Hovland, Fitzpatrick and Shane Lowry all making their debut on home soil.
The correct play was to grab a piece of the Europeans around the PGA Championship as they had drifted to 2-1. Ever since, this collective group has played well with Hovland racing through the FedEx Cup Playoffs, McIlroy besting MacIntyre at the Scottish Open and both Straka and Aberg picking up victories. Add in Masters champion Rahm, and the Europeans suddenly have three of the top four players in the world.
Oddsmakers have taken notice, but they may have swung the pendulum too far. This U.S. team is not all that different from the historic 2021 squad with Spieth and Thomas leading the charge. They will rely heavily on numerous rookies, including Scheffler, Schauffele, Cantlay and Collin Morikawa.
Factor in three of the four major champions from this season with Brooks Koepka, Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman, and this U.S. team has the makeup and moxie to once again pull off a historic feat.
Top points scorer
- Scottie Scheffler: 8-1
- Jon Rahm: 9-1
- Viktor Hovland: 9-1
- Rory McIlroy: 9-1
- Patrick Cantlay: 12-1
- Tommy Fleetwood: 14-1
- Jordan Spieth: 14-1
- Matt Fitzpatrick: 14-1
- Xander Schauffele: 15-1
- Brooks Koepka: 15-1
The three European horses trail the American thoroughbred and make up the only four players with single-digit odds. Scheffler could storm through Rome if his putter cooperates, but that is a mighty if. Rahm was the most impressive player for Europe in 2021, but Hovland is currently the hottest with McIlroy among the steadiest. The eye-catching price is Schauffele’s at 15-1 as he is expected to team up with Cantlay and have a high usage rate for the U.S.
- Ludvig Aberg: 16-1
- Tyrrell Hatton: 16-1
- Collin Morikawa: 16-1
- Justin Thomas: 18-1
- Rickie Fowler: 18-1
- Max Homa: 20-1
If you are a believer in Thomas, it is time to put your money where your mouth is. Collecting a 4-1-0 record in his Ryder Cup debut in 2018, the two-time major champion was one of the lone bright spots for the U.S. team in Paris. Someone who could follow in the footsteps of Thomas in impressing in his debut is Homa. In fine form and potentially teaming up with Morikawa, the Californian now makes his Ryder Cup debut after a 4-0-0 record at the 2022 Presidents Cup.
- Justin Rose: 22-1
- Shane Lowry: 25-1
- Wyndham Clark: 28-1
- Sam Burns: 30-1
- Sepp Straka: 30-1
- Nicolai Hojgaard: 50-1
- Robert MacIntyre: 65-1
- Brian Harman: 65-1
There are two players north of 20-1 who may be worth a sprinkle given some early-week murmurs on potential pairings. It is thought Lowry may join forces with McIlroy, and should the Irishman impress, he may be given the nod over and over again. The same goes for Burns as the WGC-Match Play winner may pair with Scheffler. The two fell short of expectations at the Presidents Cup but at no fault of Burns who was the only American to play all five sessions at Quail Hollow.
Source : CBS Sport
