The Ryder Cup is always a spectacle but this year’s version is going to be a special treat. Tiger Woods ended a five-year winless drought by capturing The Tour Championship on Sunday. The gallery roared for every shot he made and the final hole was a scene of pure jubilation — almost as if the fans were just as hungry for the win as he was. All of that sets up beautifully for the 2018 Ryder Cup, which will pit Woods and his American teammates against the Europeans. Can Woods lead the charge and carry the United States to a win? Let’s take a closer look at the 2018 Ryder Cup betting odds.
Event Details
Event: Ryder Cup
Category: PGA Tour, European Tour
Date: September 28th-30th, 2018
Location: Albratros Course, Paris, France
Related: Ryder Cup Betting Guide
Past Five Winners
2016: United States 17-11
2014: Europe 16.5-11.5
2012: Europe 14.5-13.5
2010: Europe 14.5-13.5
2008: United States 16.5-11.5
Ryder Cup Events
As a reminder, the Ryder Cup is a team event, so the goal is to gather as many wins (points) as you can across the events to earn the win. In terms of Ryder Cup betting, that means you’ll be able to bet on either Europe or the United States to win it, but you’ll also have ample betting opportunities for the matchups as we learn who each side will insert into each competition. You can also bet on various props like who will participate in the most events, the top points scorer and much more.
How Much Do World Rankings Play a Factor?
Although Justin Rose snuck in late to win the FedEx Cup, there’s no question that the United States has more of the top players in the world on their roster right now. Guys like Dustin Johnson (1), Brooks Koepka (3), Justin Thomas (4), Bryson DeChambeau (7) and Rickie Fowler (9). And missing from that list is a couple of studs like Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth.
It’s not as if the Europeans are slacking themselves. They boast Rose (2), Francesco Molinari (5), Rory McIlroy (6) and Jon Rahm (8), which gives them four players in the Top 10.
But that begs that question whether it matters? Not as much as you would think. The team with the lowest aggregate ranking (a combined average ranking of the players) has won just three of the last 10 Ryder Cups.
How Do The Favorites Do?
Of course, on the heels of Woods impeccable performance on Sunday, the United States is favored. They were already favored but are now up to -160 as Woods’ win has charged up the betting base. So how do the favorites fare? Let’s take a look at the last 10:
2016: United States (WON)
2014: Europe (WON)
2012: United States (LOST)
2010: Europe (WON)
2008: Europe (LOST)
2006: Europe (WON)
2004: United States (LOST)
2002: United States (LOST)
1999: United States (WON)
1997: United States (LOST)
As you can see, the favorites have cashed just 50 percent of the time in the last 10 years, which is a bit disappointing considering you’d lose on the juice. However, it’s worth noting that three of the last four favorites have cashed.
Home-Course Advantage
One other factor to keep in mind is the home-course advantage. While it’s something that is really relevant in other sports, it’s never talked about in golf outside of the Ryder Cup. Since this is a team event, it’s important to note where the event is because the fans will be more supportive of their boys. This year’s event is in Paris, which means the Europeans will have an edge. And it is a notable edge. Since 1927, 27 of the 41 host teams have won. That means that the home team is cashing at about a 65 percent% clip. Since 1983, it’s an even higher rate at 70 percent, so keep that in mind when you’re placing your bets.
