The likelihood of complete and utter carnage at this week’s daunting U.S. Open has golf bettors relying on two of the game's best players.
Key takeaways
- Bettors are putting more money on Scottie Scheffler to win the U.S. Open than the rest of the 155-golfer field combined.
- Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson are getting some love, while Rory McIlroy isn’t, heading into Thursday’s first round.
- Bettors are all over the place with Collin Morikawa.
Not surprisingly, three-time major winner and No. 1 world golfer Scottie Scheffler and last year’s U.S. Open winner Bryson Dechambeau saw significant odds shifts and are the most-bet players in the field at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania.
“A U.S. Open at Oakmont is one of the toughest tests these players will face,” BetMGM senior trader Matt Wall said. “BetMGM customers are leaning towards the proven quality in the field with Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau becoming significant liabilities.”
At a course with incredibly deep rough and difficult conditions, Scheffler leads all participants with 16.4% of BetMGM's bets and a whopping 30.2% of the handle. ESPN BET reported bettors wagered more money on Scheffler than on the other 155 golfers combined. Early in the week, the sportsbook said 44% of the money was on the heavy favorite.
After opening with +500 odds, Scheffler moved to +275 at BetMGM, making him the biggest favorite since the great Tiger Woods in 2009. However, it’s not something Scheffler, who recently discussed dealing with bettors, is mindful of heading into the first round.
“I don’t pay attention to the favorite stuff or anything like that,” Scheffler said. “Starting Thursday morning, we’re all even par, and it’s up to me to go play the golf course and see what I can do.”
The other popular pick
DraftKings told Covers Wednesday that 27% of the handle and 22% of the tickets were on Scheffler, but DeChambeau wasn’t far behind with 19% of the money and 13% of the bets. No other golfer is above 5% in either category, as that duo accounts for nearly half the entire handle.
DeChambeau got 17.5% of ESPN BET's early handle, nearly triple that of third-place Rory McIlroy (6.1%).
The LIV golfer is also second at BetMGM with 12% of the tickets and 15.3% of the money. DeChambeau opened at +1,400, but his odds got shorter at +750, and he’s the biggest liability in the non-Scheffler outright winner market.
“Our ‘Without Scottie Scheffler’ market is proving very popular as BetMGM customers look to insure against another dominant performance from the world's No. 1,” Wall said.
Holding them liable
Collin Morikawa (+2,500) is BetMGM’s third biggest liability and is getting 4.8% of the bets and 4.6% of the money. However, he’s not in the top five at ESPN BET, and DraftKings has the two-time major winner getting 4% in both categories.
SuperBook Vice President of Risk Jeff Sherman posted on X that Morikawa is second behind Scheffler in ticket count but fifth in money to win the U.S. Open.
US Open wagering stat leaders @SuperBookNV
— Jeff Sherman (@golfodds) June 11, 2025
ticket count
S Scheffler
C Morikawa
B DeChambeau
L Aberg
R McIlroy
money wagered
S Scheffler
B DeChambeau
S Lowry
T Fleetwood
C Morikawa
BetMGM said LIV golfer and six-time major winner Phil Mickelson is getting love with +25,000 odds in what Wall said “could be his last attempt at the grand slam.” Mickelson is getting nearly 1% of the tickets and 0.5% of the handle.
“Lefty will definitely be one we want to avoid,” Wall said.
Maybe it's because bettors haven’t seen much of McIlroy or because his form hasn’t been ideal this summer, but the 2025 Masters champion and career grand slam winner is only getting 2% of the bets and 3% of the handle at DraftKings. ESPN BET reported 6.9% of the bets and 6.1% of the handle on the five-time major winner.
Jon Rahm (+1,200), another LIV golfer, is getting 6.6% of the handle, ahead of McIlroy at BetMGM, and along with Shane Lowry are the second and third biggest liabilities in the without Scheffler winner market. Ludvig Aberg (+2,200), another popular name, is getting 5% of the tickets and 3.8% of the money at BetMGM.
Market mayhem
Scheffler is unsurprisingly the handle leader (11%) in BetMGM’s first-round leader market, but Lowry, Justin Rose, and Chris Gotterup are the biggest liabilities to be in front at the end of Thursday.
The most-bet players to finish in the top 20 betting market include Harris English (+225), Sepp Straka (+150), and Lowry (+130). The most-bet player to make the cut is Brian Harman (-110), followed by Mickelson (+150) and McIlroy (-285). However, McIlroy is also the most-bet golfer to miss the cut with +220 odds. Dustin Johnson (-118), who won the last time the U.S. Open was at Oakmont, is third behind Taylor Pendrith (+140).
