U.S. Open 2023: Betting Advice and Analysis for LA Country Club

This week, players must navigate the elevation changes, large undulating greens and the typical U.S. Open rough. Numerous barrancas surround the greens and are off the fairways, providing another hazard players will have to deal with after wayward shots. At first sight, it doesn’t appear the bomb-and-gouge strategy is in play this week at LACC. 

"You must shape your ball a certain way to keep it on the fairway,” USGA Chief John Bodenhamer said about LACC. “One that slopes left to right, you have to hit a right-to-left shot into it to keep it in the fairway. Players will have to think their way around the course, and the player that does their homework will do better. There are strategic nuances there that, if you understand them, you have an advantage."

The course has drawn some comparisons to the Masters at Augusta National given the firm and fast conditions and uneven lies throughout the course. Creativity around the greens is an asset, given how there will be numerous times an up-and-down will be needed to score par. 

Here is a breakdown of the favourites and some of the players worth targeting for your golf betting. 

Who Are the Favourites to win the U.S. Open?

Scottie Scheffler is the favourite as low as 7.00 at Caesars Sportsbook and leads the futures betting market. 

Scheffler is having a historic year striking the ball. Over players’ last 30 rounds, he leads the field in strokes gained from tee to green at 3.4 — 2.2 more than second-place Patrick Cantlay. 

Scheffler hasn’t finished outside the Top 12 in any tournament since the CJ Cup in October but has just one win since March at The Players Championship. The putter has kept Scheffler from winning more during his hot ball-striking stretch. He lost -2.13 strokes putting at the Memorial, and if he had hit his putts to field average, he would have won the event by seven strokes. 

If Scheffler can get the putter going, this tournament might be a warp. 

At FanDuel Sportsbook Jon Rahm (12.00) and Brooks Koepka (13.00) are next on the board, followed by Rory McIlroy at 14.00. A poor first round kept Rahm out of contention at the PGA Championship, while Koepka is fresh off his PGA title win at Oak Hill.

McIlroy put himself into position to win the Memorial and RBC Canadian Open but faltered on Sunday. He now ranks 117th in the PGA TOUR in fourth-round scoring. 

Is Nick Taylor the top Canadian at the U.S. Open? Not so fast, say the bookmakers!

Players to Target at the U.S. Open

Jordan Spieth 26.00 BetMGM Sportsbook

If LACC is drawing comparisons to Augusta National, then Jordan Spieth is worth backing this week. He’s considered one of the best around the greens with his creativity and ability to save par from anywhere around the course — a trait always useful at difficult U.S. Opens. 

His driver also could put him in contention this week. In his last 100 tournaments, Spieth gained over four strokes off the tee in five events, but two of them have been in his last three starts with Spieth gaining 5.7 shots on the field at the PGA Championship and 4.3 at the Memorial. 

The wrist injury he has dealt with over the past month is no longer an issue and his recent form with the driver makes Spieth worthy of consideration at LACC 

Cameron Smith 29.00 BetMGM Sportsbook

Another player who has performed well at Augusta and firm and fast courses is Cameron Smith. If Smith were not on the LIV Tour and a regular on the PGA circuit, I doubt his odds would be this high. 

He has T2, T10 and T3 finishes at the Masters and is coming off a T9 at the PGA Championship. Smith is known as one of the best short-game players in the world and that part was on display at Oak Hill. 

He was second in the field in strokes putting at 1.9, indicating he is still playing at the elite levels we saw him on the PGA TOUR.