USA vs. International Team: Presidents Cup Odds, Analysis & Best Bets

by | Last updated Sep 25, 2024 | golf

Presidents Cup Picks & best Bets

Event Details

Where: The Royal Montreal Golf Club (Montreal, Quebec, Canada)

When: September 26-29

Watch: NBC, Golf Channel, Peacock

 

Event Overview

The 15th rendition of the Presidents Cup tees off this Thursday at The Royal Montreal Golf Club north of the border in Canada. This will be a fierce battle with the squad representing the United States set to challenge the international team, which is comprised of some premier golfers from the rest of the world (excluding Europe).

Coming into the Presidents Cup in 2024, the United States leads the all-time series with a record of 12-1-1. The US has also won 9 straight as they head to Canada to defend their title again. While the record indicates that the result of this event will be no different, from a betting perspective, there are a lot of key matchups and factors that are worth a look.

 

Betting Odds and Key Matchups

The bookmakers had some fun with this, and let’s be honest, they had no other choice as they set the line for the United States to win at -250. There are some long-odds bets that are quite tempting, as well as some intra-team plays that add an extra layer of excitement to the upcoming four rounds. Before we get into the picks that I’ve zoned in on, let’s review the Presidents Cup format as well as look at how the course will challenge the field.

 

Presidents Cup Format

There will be a total of 30 points available over the four rounds of play in the 2024 Presidents Cup, meaning that the first team to 15.5 will be the ones to raise the trophy. The format will shift back and forth between a four-ball format in rounds 1 and 3, and a foursome’s format in rounds 2 and 4.

Then, finally, on Sunday, the highly anticipated singles round will occur. As a refresher, the four-ball format means each golfer will play their own ball. Out of each twosome, the lowest score will count for that hole. In the foursome’s format, same-team pairs will alternate shots until the hole is complete. Each 18-hole matchup will be worth one point. If there is a tie, a half-point will be awarded per side.

 

The Royal Montreal Golf Club – Blue Course

The Blue course at The Royal Montreal Golf Club is as prestigious as they come in North America and the course conditions are upper echelon as well. The course is challenging but fair and should be a good test for both the US and the international players. The Blue Course is known for its challenging layout with narrow fairways, strategically placed water hazards, and subtly undulating greens.

This is a track that demands accuracy over distance. The narrow fairways require precise shots off the tee box, and the water hazards will force golfers to adjust their gameplan to avoid them at all costs. Approach shots into the greens will set golfers up with a chance to post low scores, but finding the best landing zones on the undulating greens will be critical as well. The golfers in the field who can read the greens best will consistently earn points for their team and will be etched in history come Sunday afternoon.

 

Predictions and Expert Picks

 

Top US Points Scorer – Scottie Scheffler (+450)

This is way too much value to pass up. Scheffler is the best golfer in the world, and from my perspective, it is a foregone conclusion that he will lead the US squad in points this weekend. Scheffler does not have a flaw in his game and can attack from anywhere on the course. If his putter is dialed-in he will dominate the blue course. He will be somewhat reliant on playing partners during the 2nd and 4th rounds, but the points he will be able to gain during singles and four-ball will lead him to the top of the individual leaderboard. I would even take a look at his line to be the overall points scorer across both teams, which Bovada Sportsbook is offering at +650. (They’ll give you a fat 50% bonus or 75% bonus too!)

 

Handicap – USA -3.5 (-125)

While there is absolutely no return value on taking the US squad to win the Presidents Cup with the line set at -250, the handicapped line has to be in play. The International team will be heavily outmatched, and I expect the US to put out a similar performance to the 2022 Presidents Cup, in which they won 17.5 to 12.5. Three and a half points should be easily attainable.

 

Top International Points Scorer – Corey Conners (+750)

Conners has been playing some tremendous golf lately. Coming off of a T7 at the Procore Championship, he is poised to keep the momentum rolling. Conners excels in driving accuracy and approach play. As one of the Canadian team members on the international squad, I expect this one to mean a little bit more. Look for Conners to elevate his playing partners and strike during four-ball and singles play and defend his home turf.

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