{"id":3554,"date":"2022-02-09T08:38:23","date_gmt":"2022-02-09T13:38:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/?p=3554"},"modified":"2022-02-09T08:38:28","modified_gmt":"2022-02-09T13:38:28","slug":"wm-phoenix-open-betting-preview-feb-10-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/golf\/wm-phoenix-open-betting-preview-feb-10-13\/","title":{"rendered":"WM Phoenix Open Betting Preview Feb 10-13"},"content":{"rendered":"

WM Phoenix Open Predictions and Odds<\/h2>\n

WagerTalk golf handicappers Nick Borrman and Andy Lang offer their thoughts on this week’s WM Phoenix Open\u00a0from TPC Scottsdale in Arizona. Nick and Andy discuss the guys at the top of the odds board, some potential longshots that could crack the leaderboard and some intriguing head-to-head matchups.<\/p>\n

Stay on top of the latest Golf<\/a> updates direct from Las Vegas!<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
WM Phoenix Open<\/th>\nPGA Tour Betting Notes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
When:<\/td>\nFebruary 10-13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Where:<\/td>\nTPC Scottsdale<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Defending Champ:<\/td>\nBrooks Koepka<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Current Favorite:<\/td>\nJon Rahm (+600 at DraftKings<\/a>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
TV:<\/td>\nGolf Channel on Thursday and Friday; CBS on Saturday and Sunday<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

WM Phoenix Open Odds Board<\/h2>\n

Last week at Pebble Beach we saw another winner ranked inside the Top-10 Strokes Gained Tee to Green or Approach coming into the tournament. Tom Hoge ranked 5th and 6th respectively in those two metrics. Here is the current top-10 in this week’s WM Phoenix Open field in Total Strokes Gained over the last six months, with their current betting odds from DraftKings<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Daniel Berger +2.29 (+2500)
\nJustin Thomas +1.85 (+1000)
\nPatrick Cantlay +1.69 (+1600)
\nLuke List +1.66 (+6000)
\nJon Rahm +1.55 (+600)
\nHideki Matsuyama +1.48 (+1400)
\nRussell Henley +1.45 (+3000)
\nSam Burns +1.41 (+3000)
\nScottie Scheffler +1.31 (+2200)
\nTon Finau +1.30 (+3500)<\/p>\n

The WM Phoenix Open Course and Field<\/h3>\n

From Nick Borrman<\/a>: What\u2019s not to say about this event. Let\u2019s start with this, TPC Scottsdale has the largest crowds of any single day sporting event in the world, several times surpassing over 200,000 fans in attendance in one day. Every golfer in the world knows this event and many people that attend this event, don\u2019t even watch the actual golf that is occurring.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a party for most with Arizona State students in full attendance, chugging beers like a frat party and creating the most raucous atmosphere at the most famous hole in golf. I\u2019m speaking of course about the Par-3 16th hole where, as a player, you better have the nerves to step up and hit a good golf shot or be ready for the boos coming your way.<\/p>\n

My absolute favorite golf highlight video came on this hole 25 years ago which of course was a young 21-year-old Tiger Woods, thrice a winner on the PGA Tour already in just nine starts, but not yet a major champion (that would happen three months later at Augusta). He did the impossible, as he always seemed to do, and hit a hole-in-one. What happened after was absolute mayhem and unlikely to ever be seen again. If you have never seen the video, Google it. I promise it is well worth your time.<\/p>\n

As far as the field, this is no doubt the best field we have seen so far this year with 15 of the Top-20 teeing it up in Scottsdale and it\u2019s hard to imagine a longshot coming through this week with so many big names likely in contention. Temperatures are supposed to be a balmy 80 degrees all week with sunshine and hardly any wind.<\/p>\n

Nick\u2019s Top Picks<\/h3>\n

There is little reason to stray from what has proven to be a winning recipe so far in 2022, so here are my favorites to be in contention on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Daniel Berger<\/strong> +2500 | +200 Top-10<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a little worrisome that Berger WD last week citing his back, but a healthy Berger is too good to ignore, so let\u2019s hope he is just that.<\/p>\n

Berger is #1 in this field in both Strokes Gained Approach and Strokes Gained Tee to Green by a wide margin and has finished in the Top-20 in all three starts this year. Granted two of those were in small fields at the Hero (T-7) and the Sentry TOC (T-5), it follows a longer trend where he hasn\u2019t missed the weekend since the Masters last April.<\/p>\n

In seven starts at this event, Berger does have two MCs, but he also has four finishes of T-11 or better. As is usually the case with Berger, if he can put together just an average putting week, he will have a chance on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Seamus Power<\/strong> +4000 | +300 Top-10<\/p>\n

Power stormed out of the gates last week at Pebble Beach to the tune of a tournament record, five shot lead through 36-holes and he didn\u2019t even play the easiest course yet in Monterrey Peninsula. However, he had a terrible Saturday and lost the lead but still had a chance on Sunday, just couldn\u2019t get anything going.<\/p>\n

He still finished T-9 which is his 5th straight Top-15 finish. On the season, he has two MCs in ten starts with his worst finish when playing all four rounds a T-21. He ranks 4th in scoring average and 16th in Greens in Regulation and falls just outside the Top-10 in Total Strokes gained, ranking #11 in this field at +1.33 per round, gaining strokes in all 5 statistical categories.<\/p>\n

Brendan Steele<\/strong> Top-10 +1100 | Top-20 +450<\/p>\n

Last week\u2019s longshot on Hayden Buckley was close as he was in the Top-10 after 36-holes, but faded on the weekend. This week I\u2019ll ride with Brendan Steele, all based on his past history at this event, which is very good. Granted, he has missed the cut in two of the last three years, those are his only MCs in 11 career starts with six Top-20 finishes including four Top-10s. If we were getting 11-1 on our money and bet that blindly on all 11 starts here, we would be up a cool 37 units.<\/p>\n

He hasn\u2019t shown much of anything so far this season, aside from his Runner-up at the Zozo Championship in October, but this is a horse for the course play and sometimes just having great course history is all you need to elevate your game.<\/p>\n

Golfers to Watch<\/h3>\n

From Andy Lang<\/a>: Bubba Watson<\/strong> – He looked great last week finishing second to Varner at the Saudi International, and this will be his 2022 debut on a course he loves. He finished 22nd last year and 3rd and 4th the two years previous. I think he\u2019s underpriced on daily fantasy sites, and I hope to get a good head to head matchup with him.<\/p>\n

Sam Burns<\/strong> – Don\u2019t panic about him missing the cut at the Farmers. He had three bad holes right in a row, and missed the cut by two shots. He was playing great golf going into that round, and I chalk it up to a bad day. He finished 22nd here last year, and ranks top 25 in Strokes Gained off the tee, approach, tee to green and total.<\/p>\n

Golfers to Fade<\/h3>\n

Tom Hoge<\/strong> – After getting the win, he\u2019s probably on cloud 9, and I see a let down spot. Fading random winners of tournaments the next week they play has been a good strategy for me over the years, and Hoge is inconsistent. Last week he finished top 4 in Strokes Gained putting, approach, tee to green and total. The putting stat is very unlike him as he\u2019s 127th on tour this season putting and last year was 130th. He\u2019s had two top two finishes and two missed cuts in 2022, he missed the cut last year, I\u2019ll be fading him.<\/p>\n

Brooks Koepka<\/strong> – 2022 hasn\u2019t gotten off to a good start as Koepka finished 28th out of 37 golfers at the Tourney of Champions, and then missed the cut at the Farmers. He\u2019s not hitting fairways or greens, and his putting is 125th this season so I\u2019ll be fading the defending champ of this tourney.<\/p>\n

WM Phoenix Open DFS Bargains<\/h2>\n

Sahith Theegala – He\u2019s made the cut in four straight weeks and is only $6700.
\nNate Lashley – Finished 28th last week and has finished 17th and 3rd here the last two years. $6700.
\nAdam Hadwin – Two top 25s the last three tourneys, and he\u2019s made the cut every year since 2016. $6900.
\nBilly Horschel – Made the cut here in eight out of nine years, and hasn\u2019t missed a PGA Tour cut since June of 2021. $7900.<\/p>\n

Interested in placing a bet on this week’s WM Phoenix Open tournament? BetMGM is offering a $1,000 Risk-Free Bet<\/a> for first-time bettors in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, Colorado, Tennessee, Iowa, Michigan, Virginia, Washington DC, Wyoming, Mississippi, Arizona and Louisiana.<\/em>\"BetMGM<\/a><\/p>\n

Tee Time from Vegas | WM Phoenix Open Preview<\/h3>\n

On this episode of WagerTalk’s Tee Time from Vegas, golf handicappers Andy Lang and Nick Borrman preview the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. Join Nick and Andy every Wednesday morning at 10am ET \/ 7am PT for their PGA picks and predictions.
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