2020 Houston Open Betting Preview
There was a time when the Houston Open preceded the Masters on the PGA Tour schedule. Last year, the tournament was moved to the fall with the schedule reshuffle and uncertain tournament sponsorship.
With the postponement of the Masters until November, the tournaments once again find themselves on adjacent weekends. Unlike the past, this week’s Vivint Houston Open will have no impact on the field for next week’s tournament.
Let’s take a look at some of the Golf betting odds for this week’s tournament.
Last Week
Forty-eight-year-old Brian Gay defeated Wyndham Clark with a birdie on the first playoff hole in the Bermuda Classic. It was Gay’s first Tour title since 2013 and the fifth of his 26-year professional career. The win gave him exempt status on the PGA Tour through the 2022-23 season.
Stewart Cink, who is also seeing a resurgence in his career at the age of 47, finishing in a tie for fourth. He moved into second place in the FedEx Cup standings behind U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau.
2020 Houston Open Betting Preview Favorites
World No. 1 Dustin Johnson is entered at Houston in his first start since the U.S. Open. His sixth-place finish has him 74th in the FedEx Cup standings. Johnson’s golf odds to win the tournament are at +700, by far the best in the field.
Since missing the cut at the U.S. Open, Tyrrell Hatton has a win at the BMW PGA Championship. He also has a top-five PGA Tour finish at The CJ Cup at Shadow Creek. He is 10th in the Official World Golf Rankings and playing well heading into the week.
Hatton, winner of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March, has odds of +1300 to win in Houston.
Brooks Koepka returned from injury at The CJ Cup and finished in a respectable tie for 28th. The four-time major champion has odds of +1700 at BetUS Sportsbook to grab his first victory since the 2019 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.
Golfers To Watch
Cink won the Safeway Open in September and has yet to miss a cut in four 2021 Tour events. For some reason, the 2009 Open Champion is at +7000 odds in Houston. He has six other Tour victories and finished in a tie for ninth at the Houston Open last year.
Defending champion Lanto Griffin has had a solid start to the 2021 season with a top 10 in The CJ Cup. There isn’t anything in his performance that would point to a repeat in Houston. His +4500 odds are probably fairly indicative of his chances to win again at Memorial Park.
Former Masters and three-time major champion Jordan Spieth is looking to find the magic of his early years on the Tour. He’s still in search of answers to his game and is coming off a pair of mediocre made cuts. At +5000 odds, it’s apparent there is little confidence among the betting community that he will break through in Houston.
Fifty-year-old Phil Mickelson, already a two-time winner on the Tour Champions, is a former Houston Open winner. Despite his age, Mickelson is competitive and has two made cuts on the big Tour this season. He has odds of +7000 in case anyone is looking for a longshot sentimental play.
2020 Houston Open Betting Preview: Matchup Bets
Sports betting pros know that in golf, it’s also possible to place golf matchup bets, which are moneyline wagers on matchups between two players. It’s a great way to maintain interest in the tournament even if a favorite player is out of contention.
One of the more compelling pairings is Johnson against Koepka. Johnson is the favorite at -160 with a winning bet on Koepka paying +140.
Hatton is matched up with Hideki Matsuyama in another great bet. Matsuyama has three top 30 finishes and by himself is +1700 for the tournament. In the matchup, Hatton pays -115 and Matsuyama -105, essentially a tossup.
