2025 PGA Picks: Ryder Cup Odds and Expert Betting Predictions
Every two years, 24 of the best golfers from Europe and the United States clash in a multi-faceted semi-team play tournament. With the Tour Championship behind us, playoff baseball on the way, and football in full effect, sports fans tend to forget about the Ryder Cup.
It only being played biennially contributes to this, as the year people remember it is the year they don't have it.
I know there's a scintillating slate of college football this weekend and a wild day in the NFL, but perhaps not as crazy as last Sunday. Find a way, though, to fit in the Ryder Cup. We've seen some intense drama over the years, as Europeans often emerge as underdogs.
That’s what happened in 2023, and yes, once again this year, they do come in as the dog.
In 2023, Europe hosted the event in Italy, and this year, it’s America’s turn. Bethpage Black will be the backdrop for the 2025 Ryder Cup. It’s a gorgeous course at a beautiful time of the year on Long Island.
Before we delve into the course characteristics, betting odds, and predictions, let’s briefly discuss the format of this 3-day tournament.
There are 28 points available throughout the weekend, and the first team to make it to 15 points will hoist the trophy. If the match ends in a draw at 14 apiece, the previous winner of the Ryder Cup will be crowned the winner.
Over the first two days, golfers will play as pairs in four-balls and foursomes. In Four-balls. Every golfer plays their own ball, and the best singular score wins. In foursomes, golfers will alternate their strokes.
On the final day of the tournament, golfers will go head-to-head for 18 holes. A point is a point.
Get expert sports picks for every league and nearly every matchup on Doc’s free picks page.
Bethpage Black - Course Characteristics
Bethpage Black has hosted multiple major events on the PGA Tour. However, it has been a few years. The 2019 PGA Championship was the last time we saw this venue.
The course is undulating to say the least, as golfers change nearly 100 feet of elevation from 1-18. It’s a lot of up and down.
The rough is a mix, and it’s a gnarly one. Driving accuracy is the first key to victory at Bethpage Black.
The greens are notoriously flat, but tend to play trickier than they appear. This is because the greens are on a slight tilt that is difficult to detect. That said, tee-to-green will likely be more important than putting.
Top European Points Scorer
Jon Rahm: +400
Rory McIlroy: +425
Tommy Fleetwood: +550
Ludvig Aberg: +750
Viktor Hovland: +850
Matt Fitzpatrick: +900
Tyrrell Hatton: +1100
Robert MacIntyre: +1400
Shane Lowry: +1800
Justin Rose: +2000
Sepp Straka: +2500
Rasmus Hojgaard: +3000
Starting at the top with Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy, they'll likely be matched up with Scottie Scheffler at some point. That will hold them back. As for the Tour Champion Tommy Fleetwood, he may have checked out a bit, but he has heart. The Ryder Cup hero may surprise us and show up locked in.
From there, I really like Viktor Hovland. The Norwegian star has been playing much better golf in the second half of the year than in the first, and this isn’t his first Ryder Cup.
Pick: Viktor Hovland (+850)
Top American Points Scorer
Scottie Scheffler: +260
Bryson DeChambeau: +600
Xander Schauffele: +700
Patrick Cantlay: +800
Cameron Young: +1000
Russell Henley: +1000
Collin Morikawa: +1100
Justin Thomas: +1100
Sam Burns: +1100
Ben Griffin: +1800
Harris English: +2200
J.J. Spaun: +2500
I don’t want either of the top two for the same reasons we don’t want the top two Euros on the betting board.
Xander Schauffele may have healed up and could surprise some people, but I lost faith trying to guess when he would be 100% again, and it never happened. Collin Morikawa has all the course fit in the world, but his current form isn’t there.
I love Patrick Cantllay instead. The runner-up at the Tour Championship has really learned how to turn it on for the bigger tournaments.
Russell Henley finished third at the Tour Championship. I don’t mind him either as the top American, but we will go with Cantlay as he is a more proven entity.
Pick: Patrick Cantlay (+800)
Odds to Win the 2025 Ryder Cup
USA: -150
Europe: +150
Tie: +1200
This Team USA is low-key stacked! Of the top 10 golfers on the PGA Tour in strokes gained, America has eight on the team compared to just two, McIlroy and Fleetwood, from Team Europe. Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau will likely cancel each other out.
J.J. Spaun is the least likely golfer to be the top scorer from Team USA, yet his strokes gained for the year were better than 83% of Team Europe.
Ben Griffin won multiple tournaments this year. Sam Burns is the best putter in the field and drives the ball with accuracy.
Team USA for the win!
Pick: Team USA (-150)
Get free expert sports picks on every game, or if you want our very best bet premium picks by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.