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The Open Championship Preview
By Dan Daly

With Rory out this week, and quite frankly, even if Rory was playing, the 2015 British Open is a one man story. Golf.com wrote a 3000 word article after the US Open entitled ‘Here's How Jordan Spieth Can Win the Grand Slam’. Apparently I need to be an editor at Golf.com because I can do it in 6….Win the British Open and PGA.

Everyone claims to root for the underdog and dynasties are no fun to watch, but ratings (and common sense) says otherwise. American Pharoah became the first horse in 37 years and just the 12th horse ever to win the Triple Crown earlier this year and the ratings for the Belmont were through the roof. The highest PGA Tour ratings ever were at the peak of Tiger’s domination. The point is, whether people want to admit it or not, things like dynasties, Triple Crown’s and 'The impregnable quadrilateral of golf' (as that ass clown from FOX called it), make sports much more interesting to watch than the underdog.

Let me put it this way, the two biggest Jordan Spieth fans on the planet this weekend are the PGA of America and CBS, because if he is able to win the British Open this weekend the overall interest in the PGA next month will be at an all-time high. And that’s a great thing for golf.

So the obvious question then, does Jordan Spieth (11/2) win the British Open this week?

Well, in the words of the great Roy MacAvoy, ‘You ride her ‘til she bucks you…or you don’t ride her at all.’

I know, I know, what a boring and easy pick. No one likes betting on the favorite…until they win. Sometimes in life the most obvious answers are the ones staring you in the face though. The guy has cashed in the first two majors of the year and just won a semi-PGA tournament at twenty-under par after spotting the field the first round for his 6th win in his last 20 starts (with 11 top-3 finishes in that span). He is favored to win again this week for a reason. Let me put it this way…do you really want to bet against him at this point? I don’t know about you but five and half times my money sure sounds a hell of a lot better than losing my money…but that’s just me. And again, if by some chance he doesn’t win, take him Top 5 and Top 10 as well for a hedge. #SpiethSlam

Henrik Stenson (25/1) – Stenson might actually be the biggest threat to Spieth this week now that Rory is watching from his couch. Stenson loves links golf (don’t underestimate that), was runner up in the 2013 British Open and was T-3 in the 2010 British Open at St Andrews; and quite frankly is due to win a major sooner than later. I can absolutely see him contending this week and would take him in a top-5 bet for sure.

If you are the kind of person that only likes to take long shots though, here are two guys to look at, both at 55/1.

Branden Grace – You remember him right, tied with Spieth standing on the 70th tee box at the US Open last month before hitting a ball so far right it still hasn’t landed. So he’s obviously playing well and has a win in the 2012 Dunhill Cup at St. Andrews (2 of the 4 rounds were at St Andrews anyway). Plus, he'll have the same caddie that Louis Oosthuizen had when he won in 2010 for whatever that’s worth.

Shane Lowry – A very quiet T-9 at the US Open and his record in the Dunhill Cup at St Andrews the last few years is pretty strong. In other words, he is playing well (under the radar) and really likes this course.

If you are the kind of person that only likes to take really, really long shots, two names to consider are Tommy Fleetwood (100/1) and Peter Uihlein (250/1). If someone you have never heard of wins this week it will be one of these two players but they are 100/1 and 250/1 for a reason.

Or

Miguel Angel Jimenez (150/1) – Via the European Tour, Miguel A. Jimenez averages 1 win every 31 starts. The British Open will be his 31st start since he last won. Just saying…

As for everyone else…

Adam Scott (15/1) – While his 2015 has been average at best, he did show some promise in the final round of the US Open. That, and his last three British Open starts are T-5, T-3 and 2nd, respectively. In other words, the guy likes playing in the British Open. He will be there again come Sunday afternoon and another top 5 this week wouldn’t surprise me at all.

Rickie Fowler (30/1) – I’m not sure if Fowler winning the Scottish Open last week is a good or bad thing for him. All I know is I bet on him to win the British last year and he came in second. I bet on him to win the US Open last month and he came in second to last. He will win a major at some point but I’m not going to go broke waiting for it to happen. Fowler obviously loves links golf and I think the US Open was a total fluke so I look for him to at least get a top 10 this week.

Dustin Johnson (10/1) – He clearly has the game to win this week. However the guy has to be coming off one of the biggest benders of his life following the 72nd hole at the US Open. I’m not sure it’s possible to recover mentally or physically this quickly. He could finish second or second to last and neither would surprise me at this point. My point is, betting on DJ this week is like hanging out with Jason Pierre-Paul on the 4th of July…do so at your own risk. (Too soon?)

Tiger Woods (20/1) – I said at the beginning of the year that if Tiger could get it even remotely figured out heading to St Andrews I liked his chances. This is his favorite course in the world (according to him) and he has dominated here twice. Well, I’m not sure his play at the Greenbrier constitutes “figuring it out”, but just like at Augusta I think he at least hangs around for the weekend and could very possibly backdoor a top 10 to 15 this week. Which for Tiger, would be huge at this stage in the game.

Justin Rose (17/1) – One of the biggest British Open enigmas to me year in year out. Rose finished T-4 at the 1998 British Open as an amateur and doesn’t have a top 10 in the British Open since (including a MC in the 2010 British) despite playing well in the Scottish Open (including a win in 2014). Until he figures out how to contend in a British Open again, I’ll pass.

Louis Oosthuizen (18/1) – This will be everyone’s “sleeper” or “dark horse” this week because of his win here 5 years ago and his finish at the US Open last month. He is the definition of fool’s gold this week.

Bubba Watson (35/1) – He’s just a fool. Plus he missed the cut here in 2010 and openly hates links golf…along with old people, children and dogs.

Paul Casey (40/1) – T3 in 2010 and playing well in 2015. He will be on the leaderboard come the weekend, just not at the top of it.

Patrick Reed (45/1) – Wake me up when he actually contends in a major. Steve Stricker – Crazy stat of the week: after his round on Thursday Stricker was a +11 course handicap (+8.8 index) at the John Deere over his last 20 rounds. Well, we’re not in Silvis, IL anymore. Ok, so Stricker is not even playing this week but speaking of guys that make a living at the John Deere… Zach Johnson is 85/1 and has about as good a shot to win this week as Stricker does.

Jason Day (30/1) – In the words of U2…”Hello, hello...I'm at a place called Vertigo.”

Phil Mickelson (35/1) – His record at St Andrews is terrible, plus he can’t putt anymore. That and he has 2,750,000 distractions off the course as well.

Sergio Garcia (35/1) and Lee Westwood (65/1) – And the award for best player not to have won a major will still be a tie come Sunday afternoon. Although you know one of them will contend this week before ultimately remembering they are in contention in a major and finishing somewhere in the top 10. The real question is…which one?

Actually, forget everything I just said. The only two people you really need to bet on this week are…

John Daly and David Duval both getting (500/1)

Wager on the first-round matchups
Stephen Campbell

Thursday marks the first day of action at the British Open, and if you're in Vegas and are looking to get in on first-round pairings action, the Westgate LV SuperBook as you covered.

Graham DeLaet -110, Russell Knox -110

Charley Hoffman -110, Kevin Na -110

Hunter Mahan -125, Webb Simpson +105

Sergio Garcia -115, Bubba Watson -105

Ian Poulter -110, Charl Schwartzel -110

Jordan Spieth -125, Dustin Johnson +105

Jason Day -115, Hideki Matsuyama -105

Tommy Fleetwood -115, Bernd Wiesberger -105

Henrik Stenson -105, Adam Scott -115

Rickie Fowler -110, Justin Rose -110

Spieth's Open Championship odds keep rising
Andrew Caley

It would have nice to grab Jordan Spieth to win next month's Open Championship, before he won the first two majors of the year.

According to PaddyPower, Spieth opened 16/1 to to with the third major of the year, scheduled to get underway July 16 at historic St. Andrew's in Scotland, but after his U.S. Open victory Sunday he is now listed at 6/1.

Spieth still has some work to do to complete Grand Slam
Andrew Caley

If you think Jordan Spieth can complete the Grand Slam, simply put, the odds aren't in your favor.

After capturing his first U.S. Open title Sunday, A sportsbook opened Spieth at 30/1 to be just the second man to complete the Grand Slam since Bobby Jones did it way back in 1930.

Spieth to not complete the Grand Slam opened as the heavy favorite at 1/60.

McIlroy out of the Open Championship with ankle injury
Andrew Caley

World No. 1 and defending champion, Rory McIlroy, has officially pulled out of this year's Open Championship after injuring his ankle playing soccer with some friends.

McIlroy posted on Instagram Wednesday that although the rehab for the ruptured ligament in his ankle has gone well, he would not be 100 percent healthy for the Open.

According to the Westgate LV Superbook, McIlroy was the 5/1 favorite before the news of his injury broke and 8/1 after.

Day vertigo cause found; will be ready for British Open
The Sports Xchange

Jason Day should be healthy when he arrives at St. Andrews for the British Open next week.

Day collapsed during the second round at Chambers Bay because of vertigo but continued his round and contended at the U.S. Open last month in Washington.

The Golf Channel reported Thursday that Day was diagnosed with a viral infection attacking his inner ear. He was treated by a specialist in Columbus, Ohio, according to the report.

Day could continue to suffer from vertigo but the likelihood of episodes is reduced greatly with medication.

Johnson over missed U.S. Open three-putt
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

Dustin Johnson, a runner up at Royal St. George's in the 2011 British Open, is paired with U.S. Open and Masters champion Jordan Spieth on Thursday when play begins in the 144th Open Championship at the Old Course at St. Andrews.

Johnson said Tuesday he won't be thinking about the three-putt on the 18th hole at Chambers Bay that cost him the 2015 U.S. Open and gave Spieth the trophy and wins in the first two majors of the season. But he couldn't help but relive it in a media session that focused mostly on how that event unwound in Washington.

"I hit the second shot right where I wanted to. I hit two great shots, and unfortunately my ball -- I don't know how it stayed where it did, above the hole up there, but unfortunately it stayed there, and it was just a tough putt," Johnson said. "I mean, I thought -- I was trying to just -- I was trying to make it, but I wanted it -- if it went in, I wanted it to barely go in, and it still went four feet by. Hit a good putt on the way back, and it just bounced and missed left."

Johnson did not attend the trophy ceremony at the U.S. Open and said he wasn't aware that he was supposed to attend. Johnson said "it was time to go" but he did congratulate Spieth, who is in his early grouping Thursday at St. Andrews.

"Jordan is a good buddy of mine, and so we have fun playing together," Johnson said. "I think we've got a good group. I think I just saw it's me and Spieth and (Hideki) Matsuyama, so it'll be a good day. I like playing with Jordan. No pressure, though."

Bad weather could play a role in Open
Stephen Campbell

Bad weather and the British Open go together like peanut butter and jam, and it's looking like the 2015 edition of the renowned tournament will be no different.

Thursday is expected to be relatively tame with mainly overcast skies, but Friday looks to be messy as there's currently a 100 percent chance of precipitation with Southern gusts of 22 mph.

Saturday could be another windy day with 23 mph winds expected to hit St. Andrews. Weather reports are expecting it to be a bit calmer on Sunday with 15 mph winds and a low 20 percent chance of rain.

Vegas odds on Spieth winning The Open
Stephen Campbell

Unless you've been living under a rock recently, you're aware by now that young gun Jordan Spieth is setting the golfing world on fire.

Heading into the 2015 edition of the British Open, Spieth has already collected two major titles this year and doesn't appear to be slowing down any time soon. Last week, the 21-year-old won the John Deere Classic thanks in large part to a third round score of 61 - the lowest round of his professional career to date.

Do you think Spieth can do it again? The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook is offering odds on if the Texan will win at St. Andrews, with the YES priced at +500 and the NO -700.

The Open is scheduled to get underway on Thursday, July 16.

Big odds move for this Claret Jug contender
Andrew Avery

The Westgate LV Superbook has updated British Open odds and perhaps most notable is Adam Scott going from 20/1 to 15/1.

The Aussie has a string of strong finishes at The Open Championship with a second-place result in 2012, followed by a T3 in 2013 and T5 in 2014.

U.S. Open and The Masters champion Jordan Spieth has moved from 5/1 to 6/1 while Justin Rose goes from 15/1 to 20/1.

2015 British Open Picks: Odds and Expert Golf Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews

I have no problem admitting when I am flat-out wrong, and boy was I wrong at last week's John Deere Classic in Illinois. I questioned why world No. 2 Jordan Spieth was even playing instead of being overseas and either practicing for the British Open at the Old Course at St. Andrews or at least competing in the Scottish Open to get used to links golf.

Each of the past five Open Champions played the Scottish Open the week before his win. The last guy to play the John Deere Classic the week before winning the British was one-hit wonder Todd Hamilton in 2004. I figured Spieth wouldn't be all that focused at the John Deere, but kudos to him for being loyal to a tournament that always has treated him well and that he won two years ago his first PGA Tour victory. Spieth won again Sunday, beating someone named Tom Gillis on the second hole of a playoff for his fourth victory of the season. I gave Spieth just about no shot before the tournament and even less of one after he shot a first-round 71. So all he did was shoot a combined 20 under over the next three days.

It was Spieth's fifth career win, and he is now just one shy of Tiger Woods' record for most PGA Tour victories before the age of 22. Spieth turns 22 on July 27, meaning he can tie him with a win at St. Andrews. However, only 11 players have won on the PGA Tour the week before winning a major. The last was Rory last summer before the PGA Championship. Spieth already has earned more FedEx Cup points during any Tour season under the current format (which dates to 2009) than any player ever.

Gillis, 46, was trying to become the oldest first-time winner on the PGA Tour in 20 years. At least he earned a British Open spot with his finish. My pick to win was Zach Johnson, and I wasn't exactly far off as Johnson finished third, just a shot out of the playoff. So I got him on a Top 10 at -135 along with Justin Thomas at +300. I also got a playoff at +275 as the winning margin, so the week wasn't a total loss.

So now it's off to the home of golf, St. Andrews, for the British Open -- golf's oldest tournament -- and obviously Spieth is the top storyline as he looks to win the third leg of the calendar-year Grand Slam. No one has done that since a pretty good golfer named Ben Hogan in 1953. In addition, Spieth can take the world No. 1 ranking from McIlroy, who of course isn't playing this week due to his ankle injury. Spieth would only become No. 1 with a win. He had played at St. Andrews just once prior to this week, just before the 2011 Walker Cup.

The last time the British Open was held at St. Andrews was 2010, and South African Louis Oosthuizen won at 16-under 272. Oosthuizen led over the final 48 holes and won by seven shots. We could be looking at another mini-rout here. Including Oosthuizen's win here, eight of the last 20 majors, three at The Open, have been won by a differential of at least three strokes.

The Old Course this week apparently will look less like a links course than last month's U.S. Open at Chambers Bay as it's quite green with more grass and less bounciness than usual. That should mean a ton of scoring -- some think the all-time major championship best round of 63 is in jeopardy. It's too bad McIlroy can't play because the conditions seem to suit him perfectly, and he shot a 63 here in the first round in 2010 before a second-round 80 when the wind kicked up. McIlroy is the only player in the Top 80 of the world rankings not playing. This will also be the final British Open appearance for Tom Watson.

If you are wondering, only three players have made the cut at the past five British Opens: Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott and Zach Johnson. That stat totally shocked me. Only three? Tiger Woods has won two of his three Claret Jugs at St. Andrews.


Golf Odds: British Open Favorites

Do I really need to say who the bovada favorite is? That would be Spieth at +450. This is only his third British Open with a best finish of T36 last year at Royal Liverpool.

Dustin Johnson is next at +1100, and I honestly am rooting for the guy after he choked away the U.S. Open by three-putting on the 72nd hole. Johnson was 14th here in 2010. His best result was a T2 in 2011. Rickie Fowler (+1600), Justin Rose (+1800), Scott (+2000) and Henrik Stenson (+2000) round out the favorites. Fowler just won the Scottish Open on Sunday; Phil Mickelson won that event two years ago and then the British Open. Fowler was T2 in last year's Open. Somehow, Rose hasn't had a Top 10 at the Open as a pro yet. Scott has three straight Top 5s in this tournament. Stenson was T3 here five years ago and second in 2013.


Golf Odds: 2015 British Open Picks

A ton of props as usual for a major. You can get Spieth to make the cut at -1000 and not to at +550. I don't see how he misses it. Rose is more interesting at -650 to make it and +400 not to. Tiger is just -220 to make it and +165 not to. I think he does. For a Top 10, I'm not taking Spieth but Dustin Johnson at even money, Fowler at +150, Scott at +175 and Stenson at +187.5.

I like Sergio Garcia at +330 as the highest-placed finisher against Martin Kaymer (+330), Hideki Matsuyama (+330), Shane Lowry (+400) and Branden Grace (+400). I'll go Oosthuizen (+250) over Rose (+250), Tiger (+450), Mickelson (+450) and Paul Casey (+450). Take Bernhard Langer (+333) as the top senior player and Garcia (-138) as the top Spaniard. Dustin Johnson is my top American pick at +550.

My pick to win is Stenson, who is way overdue for a major. I might back it up with a Big 4 of Spieth, Johnson, Fowler and Rose at +185 against the field (-225). You can also get a Big 4 of Stenson, Oosthuizen, Scott and Mickelson at +500 vs. the field (-900).

18 need-to-know golf betting notes for the 2015 Open Championship
By JOE FORTENBAUGH

Professional golf’s third major of the season kicks off Thursday at one of the sport’s most historic and legendary venues as the 144th installment of The Open Championship returns to the Old Course at St. Andrews for the 29th time.

Referred to by many as “The home of golf,” the par-72, 7,297-yard monument to the sport has produced some incendiary performances over the years, highlighted this millennium by Tiger Woods’ three Open Championship victories. Below, we take an in-depth look at the course, what it will take to win here and which golfers best fit the bill for a profitable weekend.

*Note: All futures and proposition odds courtesy of the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.

1. The “Winning Score” proposition is currently listed at 275.5 (-110 both ways). As a par-72 track, the winner of The Open Championship at St. Andrews would need to shoot -13 or lower in order for the under to cash. The last three Open Championships held at St. Andrews have seen winning scores of -16, -14 and -19, respectively. Of the last five Open Championships to be held at St. Andrews, only John Daly in 1995 tasted victory with a final score that clocked in higher than -13 (-6).

2. One of the toughest questions golfers on TOUR face every year is which tournament to play before The Open Championship: The Scottish Open or the John Deere Classic? The advantages to playing in the Scottish Open are aplenty, beginning with the fact that participants are playing a links style course in the same time zone as The Open Championship with at least ten days to adjust to both the time zone difference and weather. Of particular note is this little tidbit: Each of the last five Open Champions played in the Scottish Open the week prior. In addition, according to The Sporting News, golfers who played in the Scottish Open in 2013 performed at an average of 0.65 strokes per round better at The Open Championship than those who played in the John Deere Classic, which translates to an average of 2.6 strokes for the tournament. Be advised that Rickie Fowler (15/1) edged out Matt Kuchar (40/1) at this year’s Scottish Open.

3. Speaking of which, since 2005, of the 118 players who finished in the top-10 at The Open Championship, only six played in the John Deere Classic the week before.

4. An important statistic worth educating yourselves on this week is 3-putt avoidance, as St. Andrews features some of the largest putting surfaces on planet Earth. In fact, 14 of the greens at the Old Course are shared, so don’t be surprised if you witness golfers facing putts in excess of 100 feet. Three golfers who excel in this category include Jonas Blixt (T9), Jordan Spieth (T9) and David Hearn (T15).

5. WEATHER REPORT: The forecast for this year’s Open Championship is calling for both rain and high winds (shocker!). This tournament isn’t won by pretty boys, it’s won by grinders. Always keep that piece of information in the back of your mind. CLICK HERE to monitor the latest weather updates from the United Kingdom.

6. Here’s a list of the players who have triumphed at The Open Championship over the last ten years: Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Darren Clarke, Louis Oosthuizen, Stewart Cink, Padraig Harrington and Tiger Woods. One thing all of these golfers have in common is that they are hardened pros who have faced the most pressure-packed situations on the biggest of stages in the toughest of spots. The Open Championship is a different beast entirely than what golfers face during the course of the 11-month TOUR season. When analyzing futures bets and matchup propositions, you always want to pay particular attention to the sharper pros.

7. 2015 Masters and United States Open Champion Jordan Spieth (5/1) bought and installed in his home a full-swing simulator that features holes from the Old Course at St. Andrews. While it’s true that the value has been sucked out of the odds for the TOUR’s hottest golfer, bettors cannot afford to overlook a healthy 21-year-old who has already notched a staggering five victories this season. Also note that Spieth’s U.S. Open victory at Chambers Bay in June came on a links style golf course, which is similar to the type of layout he will face this weekend at St. Andrews.

8. One golfer to keep a very close eye on this week is 28-year-old Irishman Shane Lowry (40/1), who shot 10-under to finish T9 at The Open Championship last summer. Lowry fits the profile of an Open Champion, won’t be fazed by the weather or course conditions and posted a T9 at the United States Open in June.

9. Speaking of Lowry, two four-round matchup props we like include: Lowry (-120) over Branden Grace (EVEN) and Lowry (-120) over Brandt Snedeker (EVEN).

10. There are 112 bunkers dotting the layout of the Old Course, so it will be imperative for the eventual champion to avoid these hazards. When Tiger Woods shot -19 to win The Open Championship in 2000, he played 72 holes without hitting a single bunker.

11. Big hitters off the tee tend to fair very well at The Open Championship. Dustin Johnson (1), Adam Scott (3), Jason Day (4), Bubba Watson (7) and Brooks Koepka (10) all currently rank in the top-10 in driving distance this season. In terms of driving accuracy, keep an eye on Henrik Stenson (T8), who is a very popular pick to win this week at a price of 20/1.

12. Adam Scott (15/1) has recorded four consecutive top-25 finishes in this event, which includes three consecutive top-5 finishes. Justin Rose (20/1), on the other hand, has missed the cut at The Open Championship in three of the last five years while finishing T44 (2011) and T23 (2014) when advancing past the first 36 holes. Based on that information, as well as the fact that Stevie Williams is back on the bag for Scott, we’ll side with the Australian (-110) in a four-round matchup with Rose (-110).

13. Along that same line of thinking, we’ll also side with Rickie Fowler (-110) over Rose (-110) this week, as Fowler not only won the Scottish Open last weekend, but has notched two top-5 finishes (2014, 2011) in his last four starts at The Open Championship.

14. As always when it comes to a major championship, putting will be at a premium. We mentioned earlier the importance of the 3-putt avoidance statistic, but the ability to convert in one stroke from inside ten feet will also play an integral role in determining this week’s champion. Golfers who excel in this category include Brendon Todd (2), Rickie Fowler (T19) and Bubba Watson (23).

15. It’s worth mentioning that no matter how many hours you spend handicapping The Open Championship, the fact remains that this event produces the most random results of golf’s four major tournaments. Look no further than the odds on some of the recent winners for proof, as Darren Clarke (125/1 in 2011), Louis Oosthuizen (200/1 in 2010) and Stewart Cink (125/1 in 2009) all came from out of nowhere to outlast the field. So don’t be afraid to take a chance on a longer shot like Jonas Blixt (250/1), Eddie Pepperell (200/1) or Victor Dubuisson (60/1) this week.

16. TIGER WATCH: We’re mentioning the 14-time major championship winner (30/1) because he will attract more attention than any other player in the field this week, including Jordan Spieth. The bottom line here is that while the media and several fans believe Tiger can contend at St. Andrews, I still feel his game is a long way from Open Championship form, even if Woods has won this event three times, including twice at the Old Course (2000 and 2005).

17. Bubba Watson’s name has surfaced in a positive light multiple times throughout this article, but the truth of the matter is that bettors should steer clear of the two-time Masters Champion this week. Watson has missed the cut at The Open Championship in three of his last six trips across the Atlantic Ocean while never finishing better than T23 (2012) in this event.

18. And with that in mind, we’ll go ahead and back Sergio Garcia (-125) in a four-round matchup prop over Watson (+105), as Garcia has notched five top-10 finishes in this event over his last ten starts. Also, take note that the last two times The Open Championship visited St. Andrews, Garcia finished T14 (2010) and T5 (2005).

Who are the 10 most wagered golfers at The Open?
Justin Hartling Jul 15, 2015

To the surprise of nobody, Jordan Spieth is seeing the biggest action when it comes to future tickets at The Open. Spieth is receiving 12 percent of future dollars and eight percent of all the tickets at William Hill U.S.

Below are the Top 10 active golfers by Open Championship futures dollars wagered courtesy of William Hill U.S.:

Jordan Spieth - 12%
Dustin Johnson - 9%
Rickie Fowler - 8%
Louis Oosthuizen - 8%
Tiger Woods - 5%
Henrik Stenson - 5%
Adam Scott - 5%
Justin Rose - 4%
Phil Mickelson - 3%
Sergio Garcia - 3%

Yonkers: Thursday 7/16 Analysis
By Derick Giwner

MEET STATS: 33 - 82 / $157.90 BEST BETS: 3 - 7 / $12.20

Best Bet: CRACKER COFFEE (1st)

Spot Play: ARQUE HANOVER (6th)



Race 1

(1) CRACKER COFFEE ships in from Northville where her times match up very competitively with this group. She should only improve moving into a high percentage barn. (6) QUICKSILVERCANDY A has good early speed and faces a mostly blank field; good combo. (5) SADIES PLACE can't be as bad as her latest effort.

Race 2

(6) MASTERSON moves back down to the Excelsior Sire Stakes division and gets a major barn change to Brainard that is hard to ignore. (2) GOLD COAST MUSCLE has gone some big miles and also some duds; capable. (1) JOVIAL NATION should flash speed from the cones and get at least a small piece.

Race 3

(2) ROSE RUN QUEST looks like the clear horse to beat but I'd stop short of saying he is a lock. (3) SILVER FOX J has proven capable of going a big mile and wouldn't be a shock. (1) MONTERA is in deep but draws best; could sneak into the number.

Race 4

(2) NOBETTORPLACETOBE has won both of his starts in this Excelsior A class and should still provide value because of the lack of a catch-driver. (7) AMERICAN LEGEND picked up some confidence at Pocono and might finally be ready to show his best. (3) JK ALLNITELONG has hit the board in 9 of 11 starts this year; using underneath.

Race 5

(4) MAJOR CAMBY has won his last two starts at this level and really doesn't face the toughest field around. (3) BET YOU qualified reasonably well and certainly finds a good spot; worth using. (7) BRINKMAN could be a factor if Bartlett can secure good early position.

Race 6

(2) ARQUE HANOVER finally takes a shot on the NYSS circuit after an unsuccessful run versus open foes. He blitzed a field here last week to prepare and has an inside post advantage tonight. (6) NATIONAL SEELSTER is undefeated in NYSS company; one to beat. (4) CARTOON DADDY hasn't lived up to his 2014 form, but I wouldn't completely count him out, at least not for the exotics.

Race 7

(3) BETTING EXCHANGE has banked a bunch of dough as an also-ran versus the best 3-year-old pacers in the country. Now he moves to the NY circuit and should be very tough to beat. (4) GOLD STAR LAMBEAU adds Lasix and moves into the Bamond barn; improvement very possible. (5) PENJI HANOVER has displayed flashes of ability and could potentially pull off an upset. (2) SOTO has dangerous inside speed.

Race 8

(1) MY SPIRIT SOARS won his previous two starts against NYSS foes and deserves the call from pole position. (4) A BETTOR HAT was up against it in the Hempt. This is more his comfort zone. (2) ONEISALONELYNUMBER seems capable if the trip works out. (7) ROCKIN IN HEAVEN just missed in his only attempt in NYSS this year.

Race 9

(8) GLAM CAM showed crazy speed in her first start for this barn before a dull effort most recently. I think she is worth a shot at what should be a decent price. (4) BITTERSWEET DREAMS is down in class but coming off a scratched-lame line; tough call. (1) MY IDEAL HANOVER gets a better post and did missed a few weeks prior to her last start.

Race 10

(2) HAYWORTH BLUE CHIP was short in the stretch after a two month break and should offer good value with Dube choosing off. (5) ALITTLEEASTERMAGIC scored at first asking for this barn. (1) CHEYENNE ROBIN could find some speed from post one.

Race 11

(5) DUNE IN RED returns to Yonkers at a reduced level and looks as good or better than the competition. (2) HIT BY LIGHTNING gets a better post to work with this week; capable. (3) ELM GROVE INARUSH ships in off a decent effort and adds Sears.

Race 12

(1) MY TALLIA IDEAL has speed and moves inside to the pylons this week; one to beat. (4) BEST BOSS could be very dangerous with a smooth trip. (2) MY SPRING FLING could leave away with the top choice and end up sitting pretty in the pocket.

Mohawk: Thursday 7/16 Analysis
By Garnet Barnsdale

Race 4 - $50,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool

EARLY PICK 4:

3,5/1,2,3,4,10/1,6,7,8/1 = $40



LATE PICK 4:1,7/2,3,8/5,9/1,3 = $24

MEET STATS: 166 - 549 / $967.00 BEST BETS: 20 - 49 / $71.10

SPOT PLAYS: 6 - 49 / $53.20

Best Bet: MUSCLE BABY DOLL (3rd)

Spot Play: STRIKING CHEETAH (5th)

Race 1

(3) WORLDCLASS HANOVER is from a dam that has thrown all winners in four that have raced so far and this one looks ready; top call. (5) ROYAL CHARM is a 1/2 sister to millionaire Lifetime Pursuit (1:50 4/5) and local winner Broadway Prince. She has shown good late speed in both qualifiers. (2) KRAFTY slowed the pace to a crawl then sprinted away to win his debut. There could be more speed available here.


Race 2

(6) UNIX HANOVER wasn't that far out of second when chasing a winner that came back to repeat Monday night here. He has improved his overall speed quickly and look as good as any in this weak group. (7) FULL TIME GIG shared both times he raced in this class last month and looks like the main threat. (1) RJB won easily in decent time at Georgian and may be putting things together now.

Race 3

(2) MUSCLE BABY DOLL has been the best in this division this summer and faces foes she should easily turn back here. (1) ELEGANT SERENITY was only 3 1/2 lengths behind the choice last time after leaving from a bad post at Georgian and looks like the one to complete the exacta. (5) JUANITAS FURY has been consistently grabbing minor shares and that trend should continue here.

Race 4

(5) ANISTON SEELSTER made two moves into a hot pace last week and predictably tired. A better trip puts her right there with these. (3) COTTONWOOD CREEK was 2nd in the same dash after leaving hard from the 10-hole and is the other main contender here. (1) OK HEAVENLY has raced well in several of her recent starts but still is a one-time winner in 15. The top 2 will be tough for her to get by here.

Race 5

(1) STRIKING CHEETAH got around okay first time with trotting hopples. Perhaps she can leave better and trip out here; price play. (4) DAYTROOPER is unbeaten in two starts out of town and facing this group isn't that big of a step up. (3) ONLY MY WAY was highly thought of last year but put away after only 4 starts. He is one of many to consider for pick 4 tickets.

Race 6

(7) DAZZLING ROCKETTE was a good third last week when dropped into this claimer for the first time; top call in another wide-open dash. (6) NANTYR MANOR took a life's mark last week at Georgian now is reclassified here to race with a tag but for a bigger purse. She looks like she fits. (1) MO MOLLY BLUE CHIP closed nicely last week first time in this class and a more aggressive steer wouldn't be a surprise here.

Race 7

(1) TABOO SEELSTER went a big trip from the worst post last week and was only picked off late by the pocket-sitter. She should be able to get a breather here and will be tough to overhaul. (7) BYE BYE MICHELLE was a fast-closing third in the same dash but she is more trip-dependent than the choice. (4) FROSTY DELIGHT was an aggressive winner last time but didn't appear the soundest in the lane; minor share predicted.

Race 8

(3) STUBBORN BELLE raced a bit better last time but the trip did her in. A big speed try is likely here. (8) LMC MARSHMELLOW finished close to the best filly in the division last time and her good form should be respected. (2) SECOND SISTER is capable of much better than what she showed in Ottawa last out and likely displays it here.

Race 9

(5) ACCENTURE HANOVER was an impressive debut winner then kind of went off the rails. He returns here from a break showing an okay qualifying line and may be a decent price; top call. (9) ONEIDA closed a ton in the lane last time but was too far back to threaten the winner. He looks like the one to beat. (1) MONOPOLY BLUE CHIP closed late into a slowing pace for an upset win. These are tougher but he can grab a share.

Race 10

(1) GLAMOUR SEELSTER brings an unbeaten record with her into the finale and hasn't even been threatened to date. She will be tough here starting from the inside. (3) NATIONALIZE drops from stakes and has enough speed to push the choice. (4) MACH MAGIC put it all together last time for a big win. These are tougher, however. (2) PROMESSE DUHARAS is a good one to use in the bottom rungs of vertical wagers at a price. (6) OK HEARTBEAT has shown improvement in her last few and could leave for position and hang around for a slice here.

Best last-minute golf bets for the 2015 British Open
By MATT FARGO

Tee off for the 2015 British Open is rapidly approaching. If you haven’t had time to cap the third major of the PGA season or you just can’t get your head wrapped around the odds, Covers Experts’ resident golf guru Matt Fargo has some great last-minute bets for the The Open Championship.

Tiger Woods makes the cut (-205)

While Woods has clearly struggled, he is coming off a very solid final three rounds at the Greenbrier Classic and you cannot ignore the fact he loves this place with two wins at a combined -33.

He looks confident, sounds confident and most everyone reporting on his practice rounds at St. Andrews have said that he is making shots now that he wasn't just a few weeks ago.

While this price may seem high, I think there is a lot of value in it still for him to make the weekend.

Tom Watson 1st Round score over 73½ (-140)

As much as I like Watson, even he thinks he needs some big time magic this week. This is his last Open Championship so it will be very emotional for the five-time champion, whether it is Friday or Sunday when he makes his last walk over Swilcan Bridge.

His length is a big disadvantage these days, especially here at St. Andrews, which means his iron game will have to be near flawless and in his press conference, he stated his iron game is no where near where it needs to be.

His last three Thursday's at St. Andrews have been 75, 73 and 73 and he has tailed off a great amount since those.

British Open no hole in one (-275)

We missed this one at the Masters where we said there would be a hole-in-one and we will be going the opposite this week at St. Andrews.

The average tour event has a maximum of 156 players for Thursday and Friday and that number is cut down to around 70 players for the weekend. That means there are roughly 1,800 opportunities throughout the course of the tournament for an ace to be made.

That number is cut in half this week as The Old Course has only two par threes so the probability is a lot less of there being an ace. Of course the odds have been adjusted because of this but they are still very favorable.

Winning 72 hole score under 275½ (-110)

This wager equates the over/under being 12½ and we should see a lower score than that. Four of the last five winning scores at St. Andrews have been -14 or better with the one exception being in 1995 when John Daly won the Claret Jug with a 282 (-6).

The weather plays a big part in this event and the weather is not going to be good the whole time. Friday afternoon and early Saturday are supposed to be the worst times with rain and heavy winds but Thursday and Sunday are both looking exceptional for low scoring.