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Scottie Scheffler tees off on the second hole during the final round of the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club as we look at our U.S. Open matchup picks.
Scottie Scheffler tees off on the second hole during the final round of the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Photo by Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch /USA TODAY NETWORK.

Up next in the 2024 PGA Tour season is the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. Check out the odds from our top golf betting sites for some recommended matchups picks to bet on before Round 1 on Thursday.

Oddsmakers are very optimistic about Scottie Scheffler’s future after his fifth victory at Muirfield Village over the weekend. Despite only playing in 13 events on the PGA Tour this year, the World No. 1 golfer has already secured five wins. This includes his recent victory at the Memorial Tournament, which was his first career win since April.

The U.S. Open field includes other golfers who are favored by oddsmakers, such as Rory McIlroy (+1000), Xander Schauffele (+1000), Collin Morikawa (+1400), Viktor Hovland (+1800), and Bryson DeChambeau (+2000). DeChambeau has had a strong showing in the previous majors of 2024, finishing T6 at The Masters and coming in second at the PGA Championship.

It has been ten years since Pinehurst No. 2 last held a U.S. Open tournament, where only three golfers finished under par. This challenging par-70 course will require players to utilize every club in their bag, focusing on accurate ball-striking and skilled scrambling on the intricately contoured greens.

In addition to our U.S. Open expert and long shot picks, we are also offering our U.S. Open matchups picks for Pinehurst No. 2, based on the odds from top sports betting sites.

U.S. Open matchups

(confidence rating based on a scale of 1 to 5 stars)

  • Collin Morikawa (-125 via FanDuel) vs. Ludvig Aberg 18-hole matchbet (Round 1) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • 1st Round 3-Balls: Scottie Scheffler (+125 via BetMGM) vs. Rory McIlroy vs. Xander Schauffele ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Tony Finau (-115 via DraftKings) vs. Patrick Cantlay 18-hole matchup ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Collin Morikawa vs. Ludvig Aberg 18-hole matchbet (Round 1) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

We’re backing Collin Morikawa over Ludvig Aberg in the 18-hole matchbet betting market for Round 1. While both golfers are in good form, Morikawa has been particularly impressive, pushing Scheffler to the final stroke at the 72nd hole during the Memorial Tournament.

Aberg is a challenging player to overlook due to his consistency in avoiding mistakes, but Morikawa’s impressive rankings in strokes gained: off-the-tee and around the green, as well as his accuracy off the tee and skill in scrambling, make him a strong contender at Pinehurst No. 2.

Morikawa has scored 68 or lower in the first round of his last six events, so we are placing a bet on him to win the 18-hole match against Aberg in Round 1.

Top odds: -125 on FanDuel

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First round 3-balls: Scottie Scheffler vs. Rory McIlroy vs. Xander Schauffele ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It comes as no shock that we are backing Scheffler to maintain his strong performance at Pinehurst No. 2 by placing a bet on his 3-ball matchup odds in Round 1 against Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele.

All three of these golfers have each secured a victory in 2024, with a total of two major wins between them. However, Scheffler stands out as the most formidable scoring contender, despite having only average putting abilities. With rankings in the top five for SG: tee-to-green, SG: approaching the green, and SG: around-the-green, Scheffler is the clear favorite in betting circles to win his 3-ball matchup on Thursday.

McIlroy excels in driving the ball, but struggles with his approach shots. Schauffele is a well-rounded player with exceptional putting abilities, though he falls short compared to Scheffler’s strength and accuracy on approach shots.

A single-unit bet is all you need for this Round 1 3-ball matchup bet on Scheffler.

Top odds: +125 on BetMGM

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Tony Finau vs. Patrick Cantlay 18-hole matchup ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

DraftKings is offering Tony Finau and Patrick Cantlay in the 18-hole matchup betting market, with both golfers having -115 odds assigned by oddsmakers.

Cantlay has had an unusually quiet season, currently ranking outside the top 50 in all strokes gained metrics. While he typically starts strong in Round 1, Finau’s skills are better suited for a course like Pinehurst No. 2.

Finau is ranked fourth in SG: approaching the green and 31st in SG: around the green, but he needs to work on his putting and off-the-tee skills. Cantlay has struggled to score under 70 in the first round for three consecutive events, and facing a challenging course like Pinehurst No. 2 will not make it any easier.

Finau is ranked 30th in total driving, 21st in greens in regulation rate, and 16th in hole proximity. Additionally, he is eighth in birdie average and 43rd in scoring average, solidifying him as a top choice for Round 1 matchups on Thursday. This makes him a five-star pick that deserves one final unit to complete our selections.

DraftKings offers the best odds at -115.

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How to bet on golf

To bet on golf successfully, it is important to learn about the different types of bets and how to evaluate player performance. Start by getting acquainted with common golf bets like outright winners, each-way bets, head-to-head matchups, and proposition bets that focus on specific events during a tournament, such as hole-in-one occurrences or individual player performances on certain holes.

After determining the types of bets you’re considering, take the time to investigate the players, course conditions, recent performances, and other key factors that could impact results. Be sure to consider player stats, recent tournament showings, past performance at the course, and any injuries or changes in form that might affect a player’s play.

Here are our best golf betting sites:

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