One of the oldest tournaments on the west of the Atlantic goes off on Thursday as the historic Genesis Open returns to the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California. First held in 1926, the roll call of winners includes some of the greats of the game and the event tends to see fewer absentees from the World’s top 10 players.
Tiger Woods is here along with defending champion Bubba Watson and the most recent winner, Phil Mickelson so let’s go about picking some profits from a strong field.
The 2019 Genesis Open outright winner betting market has been a little slow to fill up following the delayed finish to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am but it’s clear that Dustin Johnson (+900 or 9/1 with Bovada) will start as favorite with the U.S. sports betting websites. DJ was a two-time runner-up in consecutive years from 2014 before finally getting over the line with his first Genesis Open victory in 2017.
A tie for 45th at Pebble Beach will deter some punters but Johnson has six top three finishes here and clearly likes this course.
Then in the odds come Justin Thomas (+1200), who is just ahead of the European pair of Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm (both +1600 or 16/1). Thomas leads the Tour in two ‘Strokes Gained’ categories and that could be a useful stat this week.
Spain’s Rahm hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in his last six starts and has to be a candidate for a single figure finish at the very least. Meanwhile, Rory continues to appear at towards the top of the betting markets despite a lack of form and stats during his infrequent appearances on Tour. Rahm is a better option but neither really stand out as good value this week.
Bryson Dechambeau (+1400) has enjoyed a good spell on the European Tour and the defending champion Bubba Watson (+2000) will also attract support. That 2018 triumph was Bubba’s third Genesis Open title in five years and while his form isn’t as bettors would like, that record puts him at the head of the Power Rankings this week.
Just outside of the chasing pack are Tiger Woods (+2000) and Phil Mickelson (+2200). Phil claimed back-to-back wins here in 2008 and 2009 and has two runner-up finishes to add. Coupled with that win in Pebble Beach, Lefty will get plenty of support from bettors. Tiger has never won here and we are never sure what to expect after a break from the course but an impressive return last season means he has to be considered.
Paul Casey (+3300) hinted at a return to his consistent best and as a regular in the top 10 finisher markets, he is under the radar for another single digit finish. The Englishman will feel he should have won at Pebble Beach however and it’s all about how he responds to that disappointment.
Other names to consider among the outsiders include Tony Finau (+2800) who was a runner-up behind Bubba last year. His long game could suit but he has yet to rediscover the form he showed at the end of last season. Form isn’t an issue for Matt Kuchar (+3500) who is another generously-priced contender down the field. Kuch doesn’t have a great record in this tournament but will attract interest at long odds.
Look out too for Patrick Cantlay (+2800), Chez Reavie (+6600), Keegan Bradley (+8000) and Kevin Na (+9000) who all have the stats to mount challenges over in California.
Our Preview’s Genesis Open Betting Picks & Predictions Verdict with Course Trends
This golf tournament is back at the Riviera Country Club with its relatively lengthy par 71 course at a fraction over 7,300 yards. Accuracy is paramount however and it may therefore surprise some casual golf fans to see Bubba Watson’s incredible record. The left hander showed up strongly in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, Greens Hit and Bogey Avoidance last year.
Bubba completed that third victory here 12 months ago and, along with Phil Mickelson and Mike Weir, he forms a strong list of multiple winners in the 21st century. We shouldn’t write off any of our former champions and with that in mind, Dustin Johnson is making a strong case this week.
His poor return at Pebble Beach may act as a deterrent but if we look at Bubba’s stats from 2018, DJ is the man best placed to replicate them and deliver the profit. So our Genesis Open predictions for this preview are:
- The first of the picks is Dustin Johnson to win at +900 with Bovada or BetOnline. He is +854 with Bookmaker and 8/1 (+800) with Intertops.
- Tiger Woods, Keegan Bradley and Matt Kuchar for top 10 finishes (with Bovada when available).
Matt Harris is a golf and soccer expert for USA Betting. His other area of specialist knowledge is cricket. He is well known in sports journalism and contributes articles to a plethora of big-name websites and media outlets. Titles that he writes or has written for include: Betfair, BetVictor, Unibet & Just Bookies.