The PGA Tour has traveled more than 2,500 miles across Asia to reach Jeju Island of South Korea for this week’s CJ Cup at Nine Bridges event. The field of contenders isn’t exactly very deep this week but that could be a major advantage from a sports betting perspective. Defending champion Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka are the two Americans ranked in the top-10 that will tee off this week. Meanwhile, Hideki Matsuyama will be among the hometown favorites following a short three-week break as he makes his debut at this tournament. We took the time to break down the field for the second renewal of this event and provide you with a look at the best betting options in terms of both the favorites and some intriguing sleeper picks to consider. Here is a look at the best bets to win the CJ Cup this week.
Event Details
Event: CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges
Date: October 18th-21st, 2018
Category: PGA
Location: Nine Bridges Golf Club, Jeju Island, South Korea
Justin Thomas +550
Thomas will be chasing his fourth title on Asian soil following a top-five finish in Kuala Lumpur last week. The red-hot American has finished in the top-10 in five of his last eight starts, which makes him an obvious sports betting favorite for this week’s event. The defending champion at this tournament is coming off a low final round score of 64 at the CIMB Classic, so he should be able to pick up from where he left off with a strong start to this year’s CJ Cup.
Brooks Koepka +805
This will be Koepka’s season and tournament debut, but expectations are high. The Jack Nicklaus Award winner placed in the top-10 at Dunhill Links two weeks ago and he has the skill set to challenge for the outright win this week. At an event where there really aren’t as many big names as we are accustomed to seeing, it won’t be a surprise if Koepka delivers an excellent performance and contends for the outright win.
Jason Day +1050
The CJ Cup will be Day’s first action since a quiet FedEx Cup Playoffs in which he failed to crack the top-15 in any of the events. Day had been a lock to finish in the top-20 at most events before that rough stretch, so it will be interesting to see if he bounces back. Day did finish T-11th at this event a year ago, so there is reason to expect he will be trending in the right direction when he tees off in South Korea. At +1050 odds, Day could turn out to be a strong value betting option.
Hideki Matsuyama +1250
Matsuyama didn’t play in last week’s CIMB Classic so he should be well rested and focused this week. The top Japanese golfer on the PGA Tour registered a pair of top-five finishes during the FedEx Cup Playoffs and as long as he is no longer bothered by the undisclosed injury that forced him to rest over the past three weeks, he should be a quality value play this week.
Marc Leishman +1250
Leishman has his eye on redemption following last year’s playoff loss and there is reason to believe he can do it following a five-shot win at Kuala Lumpur in which he absolutely dominated the field on the greens. Leishman has the type of skill set that should translate well at this course. Look for him to contend for the outright win after finishing as a runner-up in his debut here a year ago.
Paul Casey +2050
Casey ranked in the top-15 in Scrambling, Greens In Regulation and Par-5 Scoring when he placed T-19th at this tournament a year ago. If he can perform at a high level in those areas and figure out the rest of his game then he could be an excellent value pick to contend this week. At +2050 odds, Casey is definitely worth taking a chance on.
Louis Oosthuizen +2550
If you are looking for a sleeper pick, Oosthuizen offers intriguing value at +2550 odds to win outright. Oosthuizen thrived in his first look at TPC Kuala Lumpur last week on his way to a T-5th. If he can deliver another strong performance in Greens In Regulation and Par-5 Scoring, Oosthuizen should be on the short list of contenders this week on Jeju Island.
Kyle Stanley +4550
Stanley is starting to perform at a high level more consistently and is now No. 27 in the World Ranking. He delivered a strong performance when he finished in the top-20 at the CJ Cup a year ago so it will be interesting to see if he can build off that performance this week. With three top-15 finishes in his last four starts, Stanley could be poised to contend in South Korea this week. If you are looking for a quality sleeper option at long odds, consider Stanley as an excellent betting pick.
Odds To Win 2018 CJ Cup
Justin Thomas +550
Brooks Koepka +805
Jason Day +1050
Hideki Matsuyama +1250
Marc Leishman +1250
Paul Casey +2050
Xander Schauffele +2250
Louis Oosthuizen +2550
Billy Horschel +2550
Tyrrell Hatton +2850
Adam Scott +2850
Cameron Smith +2250
Alex Noren +3250
Gary Woodland +3250
Emiliano Grillo +3250
Byeong Hun An +3550
Joaquin Niemann +5050
Kyle Stanley +4550
Brandt Snedeker +4550
Sungjae Im +4050
Ryan Moore +4550
Kevin Na +4550
Ian Poulter +5050
CT Pan +5050
Charles Howell III +5050
Rafa Cabrera Bello +5500
Chesson Hadley +5500
