“Between Bets” is an article series revealing our staff’s best wagers across the NFL, NASCAR and PGA Tour. This edition’s bets feature our favorite wagers for the 3M Open 2024.
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
3M Open 2024 Betting Picks
Luke Clanton (+2500)
We have a handful of amateurs and rookies that have been popping up this season, but none have made an immediate impact the way Luke Clanton has. He has four starts and is rapidly rising to favorite or near favorite status every week. He had a slight dip at the ISCO Championship two weeks ago, but without that 37th-place finish, I am confident he would have landed somewhere around +1200 to +1600 for the 3M Open. Take him at this value while you can get him.
He has all the weapons to win at any time. He is lethal off the tee, and his approach has proven to be equally elite. He rated out fourth overall for me this week. The things to love about Clanton are more than just the top 10 ranking in almost every major metric. He is absolutely unphased by the pressure and the spotlight. This 20-year-old is explosive and can score with the best of them. He is hands down my favorite this week.
Keith Mitchell (+3000)
For the love of god, please just putt well this week. Keith Mitchell is absolutely elite except for his short game and putting. His short game shouldn’t matter this week, but we need him to at least make some putts. Not a lot, but we need birdies, and he has to gain on the green at TPC Twin Cities. Mitchell is elite off the tee and rates out fifth in approach here. His opportunities gained are also in the top 10, meaning he will have plenty of looks at birdies or better here. Oddly, he rates out sixth in birdie-or-better rate, which is surprising given how bad he can be with the flat stick.
Mitchell is a player who tends to do well at the same courses year after year, and TPC Twin Cities does appear to fit his eye with two T5s in his last two starts. I love everything about him, and I’m just crossing my fingers that the putter cooperates this week.
Andrew Novak (+7000)
He’s been a little more off the radar, but Andrew Novak is someone who has made my card most weeks when he tees it up. He has high upside, but he is also live to finish outside the top 50 every week. Thankfully, we have been seeing more of the high-upside player than the low-upside player. Novak does have the right mix of skills for the 3M Open.
He makes a lot of birdies and not a lot of bogeys. The Wofford alumnus is fifth in the field for birdie-or-better rate and 11th for bogey avoidance. He’s 18th in the field in opportunities gained and sixth in the field for strokes gained putting. If that doesn’t fit the mold this week I don’t know what does. I’m betting on the player showing up who sticks it close and drills putts.
Kevin Yu (+7000)
I think Kevin Yu has some of the best potential value in the field this week. Over the last 24 rounds, Yu is No. 1 in this field in shots gained approach. Approach is possibly the most critical component to success here. He is seventh for opportunities gained, meaning those approach shots are closer than 95% of this field.
The thing that has held him back this season is his putter. He gains every week tee to green but loses on the putting surface. This course offers fast, firm and mostly flat looks, which, in theory, should help him find more birdies and fewer 3-putts. As important as putting tends to be here, I am still willing to take on the risk because Yu’s approach game is at the next level compared to most of this field.
Other Outright Bets That are on My Card for the 3M Open 2024:
- Tony Finau (+1100)
- Nick Dunlap (+4000)
- Mac Meissner (+5000)
- Michael Thorbjornsen (+6500)
- Carson Young (+12000)
- James Hahn (+50000)
Check out all of our content for the 2024 3M Open:
Thanks for reading my best bets for the 3M Open 2024, and be sure to catch us live every Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. EST on the 19th Hole! Good luck this week!
*Photo Credit: Joseph Cress – USA TODAY Sports*
