Top 5 Bets on the Ryder Cup and Tonight's Football

Who is favourite to be Ryder Cup top points scorer?

The Ryder Cup gets underway tomorrow at Whistling Straights in Wisconsin with Team USA looking to win back the old trophy after their defeat in Paris three years ago. Team Europe, despite often being the underdogs, have won seven of the last nine Ryder Cups, and go into this encounter as second favourites again. Team USA contains eight of the top 10 players in the world, but it’s Team Europe who boast the world number one, and it’s that man Jon Rahm who is the favourite to be overall top points scorer at 6/1 with Spreadex fixed odds.

Sergio Garcia 25/1

While Rahm is currently the dominant force in world golf, it’s his fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia who is the record points scorer for Europe with 25.5 points in his nine appearances. Will Sergio partner Rahm in the foursomes and fourballs? If he does, would you rather be on Garcia at 25/1 or Rahm at 6s?

Top Debutant Points Scorer

Viktor Hovland (spread 15-18)

There are nine rookies in this Ryder Cup, six on the home side and three Europeans, and it’s one of the Europeans who has been drawing some interest. Norwegian Hovland, at 14 the second-top ranked player on the visiting team, has been mixing it with the big boys on the PGA Tour all season, having won the US Amateur in 2018. His unflappable attitude that can see him butcher one hole but birdie the next, is perfect for this format, and he’s expected to play most of the matches. This market awards 50 points for the top points scorer, 30 for 2^nd, 20 for 3^rd and 10 for 4^th. The favourite in this market is Patrick Cantlay (17-20), can Hovland outscore the man who won the Fed-ex just two weeks ago?

Tournament Specials

Total Multiholes (spread 149.5-155.5)

This market is made up of by multiplying holes won by holes remaining in each game, then totalling them up. A 5&4 victory has a make-up of 20, but a 1up victory adds 0. There are eight games each on Friday and Saturday, four foursomes and four fourballs each day, and 12 singles on Sunday. Punters who are predicting some one-sided games will be buying in this market, but those expecting a close clash will be selling at 149.5.

What football is on tonight?

Domestically there’s League Cup action in Scotland, and in Spain and Italy there are decent games in La Liga and Serie A.

Cadiz v Barcelona

Headed Goal Minutes (spread 24-27)

Under pressure boss Ronald Koeman has admitted that the days of tiki-taka football at Barcelona are over, and he has to play to the strengths of his current squad. That has shone the light on the Headed Goal Minutes market, given the Catalans fired in 45 crosses in open play in Monday’s home draw with Granada. Trailing to an early headed goal in that game, Barca ended with a forward line just like I take my tea – with three lumps. Will Koeman, with pressure growing because of the poor results and performances, try and change things and play more football, or will that forward line of Luuk de Jong and defenders Gerard Pique and Ronald Araujo – who grabbed the 90^th minute headed equaliser – be back on show again?

Sampdoria v Napoli

Cross -Bookings (spread 705-805)

Napoli take Serie A’s only 100% record to Sampdoria this evening. Moving back above the two Milan clubs to the top of the table will not be easy against a Sampdoria side who two weeks ago ended Inter’s perfect record. That 2-2 draw was littered with yellow cards – four for each side – as La Samp refused to roll over for their illustrious visitors. Will tonight’s game follow a similar script? The Cross-Bookings market is made up of Sampdoria’s booking points (10 for a yellow card, 25 for a red) multiplied by Napoli’s.