“Between Bets” is an article series revealing our staff’s best wagers across the NFL, NASCAR and PGA Tour. This week’s bets features our favorite wagers for the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic odds.
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic Best Bets (Outrights)
- Rickie Fowler (+1400)
- Justin Thomas (+1600)
- Tom (Joohyung) Kim (+2200)
- Chun-An (Kevin) Yu (+10000)
Rickie Fowler (+1400)
We all love Rickie Fowler, and it feels like every week we are betting on him. You should keep doing that! He is going to win soon. In a field like this, it makes sense that he may finally get it done. He’s been so close too many times this year. 14/1 seems like a great value for a player who rates out by far and away No.1 for me this week. On a course that demands excellent putting and great short iron play, I love how it sets up to finally get Fowler across the finish line.
Justin Thomas (+1600)
Justin Thomas flashed some form last week, and that’s all I needed to see to keep betting on him. He hasn’t been the “JT” of old this season, but he is still an elite ball striker in a field that isn’t exactly packed full of them. Coming off a convincing ninth-place finish at the Travelers, charging back over the last few days and looking pretty solid while doing it, I wouldn’t be surprised if JT made a run at winning here. The putter was still shaky but looked to be ironing itself out some. The approach game was back to form, gaining almost seven strokes for the week and 11 strokes gained tee-to-green overall, restoring my faith in Thomas’ ball striking. I think we have the green light to bet him again this week to win the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic!
Tom Kim (+2200)
Tom Kim is one of the golfers I love to cheer for, and he seems long overdue for a win. His putter is the thing holding him back. The putter has seen worse performances over this season, and all we need is a flat putting week, and Kim is in the money. His approach game, especially his short iron game, is No.1 in this field over the last 24 rounds. That is going to be a deadly weapon this week.
He’s not a long hitter off the tee, but this course plays significantly shorter than the 7,370 yards would indicate. The other stat I love is that he is in the top 10 in this field for birdie-or-better rate. We are now at a course that got absolutely pummeled with scoring the last three years. I’d say Kim is a great shot to take at 22/1 outright to take the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Kevin Yu (+10000)
Kevin Yu, in his first tournament back after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus, was looking like he was going to pick up where he left off. The ball striking continued to be impressive, and he rates out sixth in my stat modeling over the last 24 measured rounds in that category. So no surprise there. He makes a ton of birdies, but he is a risky bet, as he is prone to giving them back and typically by way of the short stick. Putting is not a throw-away stat this week, so that does worry me. Yet, his approach game helps offset some of that risk.
He sticks the ball close, as well, ranking fifth in this field in opportunities gained. As mentioned, his overall tee-to-green performance is pretty stout. He bombs the ball, averaging 316 yards off the tee and hitting the fairway at a 61% rate. That number will be even higher this week, and this is the course that proved the bomb-and-gauge theory. We get a couple of putts out of Yu, and we may have another triple-digit long-shot winner. 100/1 to win the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic? Yep, I’m in!
Other 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic Bets to Consider:
- Colin Morikawa (+1800)
- Austin Eckroat (+4500)
- Ludvig Aberg (+4500)
- Alex Smalley (+5000)
- Brandon Wu (+8000)
- Dylan Wu (+11000)
Thanks for reading my best bets for the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic. Be sure to give “The 19th Hole” a watch for more in-depth analysis – every Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. EST on our YouTube channel.