The Ryder Cup is one of the most entertaining tournaments in golf — a team-based event featuring top US golfers going up against the best of Europe. The tournament typically takes place in late September every two years. The venue alternates back and forth between courses in the United States and Europe.
One of the distinguishing aspects of the Ryder Cup is the way fans in attendance take in the event. Fans will usually cheer for any good shot no matter who is playing during a more traditional golf tournament. That’s not the case at the Ryder Cup, though, because there is a clear rooting interest. The tournament is similar to the Olympics, where fans cheer based on national pride.
With the legalization of sports betting in a variety of states, including potentially Ohio, the Ryder Cup will likely see an increase in wagering action and interest. In this guide, we will take you through some of the basics of Ryder Cup betting, including odds, fun prop bets and more.
Ryder Cup odds 2023
How Ryder Cup odds work
You’ll find some different bets for this tournament than you will for other events due to the nature of the Ryder Cup, with foursomes, four-balls and singles matches throughout the weekend. The most basic Ryder Cup bet is which team will win — the Americans or the Europeans. Here’s what the Ryder Cup team odds might look like as you scan the potential wagers:
- USA (-165)
- Europe (+150)
- Tie (+1200)
If you already have a full grasp on payouts and how sports betting odds works, this is just a review, but here’s an explanation of how to calculate odds for beginners and those who need a quick reminder.
The US is the favorite to win in this example at odds of -165, and the easiest way to calculate the payout is by using $100. To net a $100 profit, you would need to wager $165 and be correct. However, if you thought Europe would come away with the victory as a +150 underdog, the payout calculation is slightly different. If you wagered $100 on Europe at odds of +150, you would win a $150 profit if correct.
Similarly, if you’d like to wager on the longshot of the Ryder Cup ending in a tie at +1200 odds, a $100 wager would result in a $1,200 profit if that happened. Odds on which team will win can sometimes be available even two years before the next cup.
Ryder Cup prop bets
Outside of the usual “which team will win” wagers, sportsbooks have additional prop bets that you can place on the Ryder Cup. Here are some of the most popular betting options that will be available at most Ohio sports betting apps, with an explanation about each:
- Top US points scorer: You can bet on which golfer will collect the most points for Team USA. With a decent number of golfers to choose from, predicting the correct option could lead to a decent payout.
- Winning margin: You also can bet on how many points a particular team will win by. For example, you could bet on the US to win by 4-6 points. These bets also tend to offer large payouts due to the number of potential outcomes.
- Individual total points won: Oddsmakers may set a number for how many total points each golfer in the field may have. If a golfer’s individual point total is set at 1.5, you can bet on whether he will go over or under that number.
- Will there be a hole-in-one? This is a simple yes or no proposition, and “no” will have a much greater chance of winning, but “yes” would pay out significantly more.
- Which team will score first? This is pretty self-explanatory, but you can bet on which team will earn the first point in the tournament.
- Top rookie: There often will be newcomers to the Ryder Cup, and if there are enough of them, sportsbooks will place odds on who will perform the best.
- Leader after day one: Instead of projecting the entire tournament, you can wager on which team will be in the lead after the first day.
- Player matchups: Oddsmakers could put two golfers against each other, and you can bet on which individual player will finish with more points.
Ryder Cup live odds
Live betting has changed the game for sports betting in various ways. Now, if you’re in a legal sports betting state, you can pull out your phone and place a bet as the tournament takes place.
The Ryder Cup betting odds will change throughout the tournament — sometimes by the second — depending on what’s happening. Numbers likely won’t shift as much as they might in basketball betting or football betting because of golf’s slower pace, but you will still need to be quick if you see odds that you like.
Many of the same betting options that we talked about above will be available for live betting. If you have done your research or are a die-hard fan of the PGA Tour, live betting may be a fun challenge. If a golfer gets off to a slow start and traditionally struggles to get back on the right track, it might be a good time to bet on that player to continue to play poorly. On the other hand, if a golfer can hold it together after a rough start, that may be a player to place some money on to do well.
Ryder Cup odds boosts at Ohio sportsbooks
When signing up at an online sportsbook, check the boosts and bonuses you can claim. Sportsbooks are handing out many promotions as they compete for customers. You may be able to benefit from bonus bets, welcome bonuses or other promotions.
Sportsbooks will focus many of their boosts on popular betting events like the World Series, Super Bowl, NBA Finals, etc. The Ryder Cup falls into that category, as well. Some of the odds boosts that books have given out in the past include FanDuel Sportsbook bumping the odds for the US to win the first day from -125 to +125. Similarly, Caesars sportsbook increased the odds to +225 for the US to win by more than 4.5 points.
Ryder Cup betting data and trends
As sports betting continues to grow and become more mainstream, information has never been more plentiful. Because of this, there is no reason to place a bet without doing some research.
One of the most important items to track leading up to the Ryder Cup is recent performance. If a golfer consistently misses the cut in the past month or two, that’s something to keep in mind. The same is true for the opposite — a player coming in on a hot streak could be someone to watch.
Unlike betting on other golf tournaments, the team playing at “home” matters significantly. It is one of the few occasions when the fans can really impact golf. The home team has won six of the last seven Ryder Cups, including each of the last four events. Additionally, the team that entered the Ryder Cup as the favorite has won five of the last six times.
Ryder Cup scoring
Ryder Cup scoring can be a little confusing. You may need to look up online for a quick refresher if the TV coverage doesn’t explain the rules. The first two days of the Ryder Cup will feature one four-match session of four-ball and a four-match session of foursomes before 12 singles matches take place on the final day. Here’s a look at what each day consists of:
- Four-ball: Two Americans will team up to play against two Europeans, and everybody will play their own ball. On each hole, each team will count only the lowest of its two scores. The player who has the lowest score wins the hole for the team.
- Foursomes: The two-man teams will play one ball per hole. Team members will alternate shots until the ball reaches the hole. The team with the lowest score on each hole wins that hole.
- Singles: Every match will feature one player from each team, and the player who finishes with the lower score on the hole is the winner of that hole.
Every match is worth one point, and tied matches are worth 0.5 points to each side. With 28 total matches, the first team to reach 14.5 points is the winner. In the event of a 14-14 tie, the team that won the previous Ryder Cup will retain it.