PGA Betting: WGC Match Play Odds Preview

A stacked field takes on the second WGC event of the season this week as the WGC Match Play descends on Austin Country Club in Texas.

This will be the first WGC Match Play since 2019 after last year’s event was canceled due to the pandemic. At Bovada Sportsbook, the co-favorites heading into the event are Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas, both at +1200.

DeChambeau, Thomas share top tournament odds

DeChambeau has been playing his best golf of the season lately, following up a win in the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a third-place finish in the Players Championship. He’s only taken part in the WGC Match Play once before, finishing in 40th place in 2019.

Thomas won the Players Championship to post his first tour win of the season. At the Workday Championship, the first WGC event in late February, he tied for 15th place. In four chances at the Match Play, his best career finish was fourth place in 2018.

Following DeChambeau and Thomas on the odds list at Bovada are the usual suspects with Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm both at +1400, and Collin Morikawa and Rory McIlroy both at +2000.

Johnson, McIlroy both former Match Play champs

Johnson and McIlroy have both won the Match Play before. Johnson won in 2017 when he defeated Rahm in the final. Including that victory, Johnson has won six career WGC events. His game has eluded him a bit lately, leading to a 54th-place finish at the Workday and a 48th-place finish at the Players.

McIlroy recorded his lone Match Play win in 2015 when he beat Gary Woodland in the final. McIlroy also finished second at the Match Play in 2012 and fourth in 2016. His game was out of sorts in his last event, the Players, where he missed the cut after carding a 10 over through the first two rounds.

Kisner +5000 to defend 2019 championship

With last year’s event being cancelled, the defending champion of the Match Play is 2019 winner Kevin Kisner. He defeated Matt Kuchar in the 2019 final after finishing runner-up in the event the previous year. At Bovada, Kisner is a +5000 underdog to win again this week.

Other former Match Play winners in this week’s field include 2018 winner Bubba Watson (+10000), 2014 and 2016 winner Jason Day (+4000), 2013 winner Matt Kuchar (+12500) and 2010 winner Ian Poulter (+12500).