FollowThe playoffs begin Thursday and for golf, things look a little different. There are no brackets, no seeds and no such thing as home field advantage.
The top 125 in the PGA’s FedExCup points standings are all playing in the Northern Trust at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey.
After the tournament, the top 70 in FedExCup points move onto the second round at the BMW Championships in Maryland.
So everyone certainly wants to win, but there is a secondary goal too: survive and advance.
It all makes for a pretty compelling weekend of golf, with the tournament starting Thursday.
In this week’s installment of Penn Sportsbooks Pick Play, we’ll get you ready for the action with a rundown of all the odds and wagers at Pennsylvania’s sportsbooks.
Top-ranked Rahm the favorite to win Northern Trust
Jon Rahm has had a huge season in 2021 with 12 top 10 finishes, one win and total earnings of over $6.79 million. BetMGM has Rahm as the favorite at the Northern Trust, with a price of +900. BetMGM also has some first-round specials on Rahm for those looking for faster returns.
Jon Rahm
- Make 5 or more birdies/eagles: -150
- Shoot 67 or lower: +100
- Birdie the 1st hole: +275
- Make an eagle: +400
- Bogey free: +700
Behind Rahm are some other big names. In fact, DraftKings Sportsbook has a prop for the Northern Trust titled “Big Guns vs. The Field.” That wager has pricing of +265 for Rahm, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson (the defending champion), or Collin Morikawa to win. The rest of the field has a price of -390.
Odds to win the Northern Trust
- Jon Rahm: +900
- Jordan Spieth: +1200
- Collin Morikawa: +1600
- Dustin Johnson: +1600
- Xander Schauffele: +1800
- Rory McIlroy: +2000
- Bryson DeChambeau: +2200
- Brooks Koepka: +2200
- Justin Thomas: +2500
- Abraham Ancer: +2800
- Paul Casey: +2800
- Scottie Scheffler: +2800
- Daniel Berger: +2800
- Viktor Hovland: +3000
- Webb Simpson: +3500
- Patrick Reed: +4000
- Cameron Smith: +4000
- Harris English: +4000
- Adam Scott: +4000
- Hideki Matsuyama: +4000
- Several golfers tied at +5500
DraftKings also has pricing listed for finishes in the top 5, 10, 20 or 40. Wagers are also available on group betting, tournament props (including holes in one, winning margin, playoff specials), and whether or not golfers will make/miss the cut.
Rahm leads for handle, Morikawa is tops in tickets
As of Wednesday night, Rahm leads BetMGM in handle percentage with 9.1%. This year’s Open Champion, Collin Morikawa, is the frontrunner in tickets with 6%. Here are some other notable numbers from BetMGM:
Highest Handle (money) Percentage to win the Northern Trust
- Jon Rahm 9.1%
- Jordan Spieth 8.9%
- Rory McIlroy 7.7%
Highest ticket percentage
- Collin Morikawa 6.0%
- Jordan Spieth 5.8%
- Jon Rahm 4.7%
Biggest liabilities at BetMGM to win the Northern Trust
- Jordan Spieth
- Adam Scott
- Rory McIlroy
Keep an eye on weather before making your wager
The Liberty National Golf Course, which is home to the Northern Trust, lies near the Hudson River, making wind and weather a potential factor in tournament play. This preview provides some good insight as well, including tips for daily fantasy contests, which can be found at both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Television coverage of the Northern Trust will be shared between the Golf Channel (Thursday, Friday, and early afternoon on Sat. and Sun.) and CBS (later on Saturday and Sunday). Web streams are also available with your cable credentials or a subscription to PGA Live.
And for those seeking even more action, new users at BetMGM can get a risk-free wager of up to $1,000 by creating an account, making an initial deposit (minimum $10) and placing a qualifying bet.
Additional terms: (If your Qualifying Bet loses and it is greater than $50, you’ll receive free bets back in denominations of 20% of the total number of free bet earnings you’re eligible for. If your Qualifying Bet loses and it is less than $50, you’ll receive free bets back in a single denomination equaling the total number of free bet earnings you’re eligible for).
Golf betting can provide the perfect bridge to football
College football and the NFL season starts soon. Sports bettors will be awash in action, with numerous spreads and betting lines covering the walls of Pennsylvania’s sportsbooks.
But no one needs to wait for all that excitement. Because the PGA playoffs begin Thursday.
Professional golf’s best players and biggest names will hit the links in New Jersey. The top 125 will tee it up. But only 70 will advance.
Lead photo of Jon Rahm by Gregory Bull/AP