Dubai Desert Classic Betting Tips: 5 Selections As Stars Head For Emirates
The DP World Tour’s first strokeplay event of the year has attracted a stellar field and, as you would expect, betting sites make Rory McIlroy the 4/1 favourite to win the Dubai Desert Classic for a third successive year and fifth overall.
Six members of the world’s top 20 will head to the Emirates GC for the first of five Rolex Series events in 2025, including Tyrrell Hatton (9/1), Tommy Fleetwood (11/1), Viktor Hovland (18/1), Robert MacIntyre and Adam Scott (both 22/1).
However, the main challenge is expected to come from LIV golfer Jon Rahm, priced at 11/2 to win on his Dubai Desert Classic debut.
The Panel made a profit every single month with last year’s golf betting tips since the column started in June.
The highlights included MacIntyre (Scottish Open 45/1), Xander Schauffele (The Open 14/1), Hideki Matsuyama (St Jude Championship 25/1) and Hatton (Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 11/1).
There were plenty of other wins and successful each-way predictions along the way which in total generated 67.07pts profit over the course of six months, so how will The Panel fare in the next 12 months?
A first-round leader and a player to finish in the top 20 are also included in this week’s Dubai Desert Classic tips which start with one of three outrights to win in the Middle East.
Dubai Desert Classic Betting Tips: Fond Memories For Hojgaard
Previous winners at this par-72 track measuring 7,428 yards have featured prominently for Strokes Gained: Tee-To-Green and Off-The-Tee which last year saw McIlroy and Rahm finish in the top two for those metrics.
As a multiple winner on this course, McIlroy is a worthy favourite, but it’s fairly easy to bypass Rahm as he gets his first look at the Emirates which has three scoreable par-fives on the back nine and a short par-four 17th.
Instead of going for the obvious, The Panel have picked a player who returns to the city of his greatest triumph 14 months ago.
Nicolai Hojgaard’s birdie blitz on the back nine secured a two-shot victory at the DP World Tour Championship for a maiden Rolex Series success and second spot behind McIlroy in the Race to Dubai.
Victory at the Earth Course came just a 30-minute drive from this week’s venue where last year he finished seventh following a missed cut and a T38 in his two previous visits.
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The Dane has been a model of consistency since October during which he has posted five successive top-25 finishes, including 13th at the Abu Dhabi Championship in November.
Hojgaard was strong off the tee (19th) and approach (3rd) 12 months ago, and throughout the season, so he kicks off The Panel’s Dubai Desert Classic betting tips at 40/1 with Ladbrokes which offers 10 places, although he can be backed at 50/1 with Unibet for fewer each-way spots.
The Panel's Dubai Desert Classic Prediction 1: Nicolai Hojgaard To Win (Each-Way) - 40/1 With Ladbrokes (10 Places)
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Dubai Desert Classic Betting Tips:
- Nicolai Hojgaard To Win (Each-Way) - 40/1 With Ladbrokes (10 Places)
- Jordan Smith To Win (Each-Way) - 40/1 With Coral (10 Places)
- Tom McKibbin To Win (Each-Way) - 40/1 With Ladbrokes (10 Places)
- Johannes Veerman Top 20 - 19/10 With BetVictor
- Louis De Jager First-Round Leader (Each-Way) - 200/1 With Bet365 (Five Places)
Dubai Desert Classic Odds: Smith Has Skills To Tame Emirates
Jordan Smith is making his ninth successive appearance at the Emirates where he has finished inside the top 30 on four occasions, with ninth his best performance three years ago.
The Englishman’s results at this course may be slightly underwhelming, but his form was excellent in the second half of 2024 during which he produced four top 10s, including runner-up at the BMW International Open.
Smith was sixth at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in his last outing of 2024 and he certainly has the skills to fare well at the Emirates GC.
The 32-year-old from Bath was inside the top 15 for SG: Off-the-Tee and Tee-to-Green in 2024, but the big question is whether he can compete in such exalted company?
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He answered that question at the Irish Open where he finished seventh, a handful of shots behind winner Rasmus Hojgaard and second-placed McIlroy.
This is a much better field which is why Smith is 55/1 with some betting apps, so The Panel are playing it safer by taking double the number of places at lower odds.
The Panel's Dubai Desert Classic Prediction 2: Jordan Smith To Win (Each-Way) - 40/1 With Coral (10 Places)
Dubai Desert Classic Preview: McKibbin Looking to Kick On
The last of this week’s outright Dubai Desert Classic predictions is Tom McKibbin, who won his first elite title at the 2023 Porsche European Open and nearly added a second last year when he lost a play-off to Marcel Siem at the Italian Open, a week after he had finished sixth at the KLM Open.
The 22-year-old Northern Irishman missed the cut at this tournament in 2023, but bounced back in style last year.
Three successive rounds of 70 ensured a tie for 14th and in November he finished T10 at the Abu Dhabi Championship, just a couple of strokes behind McIlroy, so it seems McKibbin is starting to like this part of the world.
McKibbin’s driving was very strong off the tee last year and he was fifth for SG Tee-to-Green, both of which should serve him well in Dubai, and he looks another interesting prospect at 40/1 with Ladbrokes, although longer odds are available.
The Panel's Dubai Desert Classic Prediction 3: Tom McKibbin To Win (Each-Way) - 40/1 With Ladbrokes (10 Places)
Dubai Desert Classic Predictions: Veerman A Top-20 Hit
Johannes Veerman ended 2024 in style with victory at the Nedbank Golf Challenge for his second title on the DP World Tour and he has enjoyed his last two visits to the Emirates GC.
Mid-table on his 2022 debut, the much-travelled 32-year-old Californian was eighth a year later and T16 just 12 months ago, so he has been consistent on this course.
Veerman can be backed at 66/1 with Unibet, but instead The Panel are on board a top-20 finish at 19/10 with golf betting sites.
His form since finishing eighth at the French Open has been superb and it would be no surprise to see that run continue against a quality field.
The Panel's Dubai Desert Classic Prediction 4: Johannes Veerman Top 20 - 19/10 With BetVictor
Dubai Desert Classic Tips: King Louis Can Get Off To A Flier
The Panel wrap up their Dubai Desert Classic betting tips with a speculative punt on Louis de Jager to get off to another fast start at this course.
The South African has finished just outside the top 50 in his only two previous visits, but his opening rounds were spectacularly good.
De Jager shot a 66 to end Thursday just a shot behind first-round leaders Ludvig Aberg and Ian Poulter in 2023 and a year later a 68 was good enough for fifth – again only one stroke off the lead.
Inside the top 20 after day one in his last outing at the Mauritius Open, De Jager looks worth an each-way play at 200/1 with Bet365 for another fast start at the Emirates.
The Panel's Dubai Desert Classic Prediction 5: Louis De Jager First-Round Leader (Each-Way) - 200/1 With Bet365 (Five Places)
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