2018 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational Odds Preview

The International Federation of PGA Tours is set to start the 2018 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Thursday from Firestone Country Club’s South Course in Akron Ohio. The field consists of approximately 75 players, about half of the size of a typical pro golf tournament. To qualify for this tournament, players must be ranked in the Official World Golf Ranking Top 50 both one and two weeks before the event, or they must be playing members of the most recent Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup team (depending on which event happened more recently). Alternatively, the winner of one selected tournament from the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Sunshine Tour and the Asian Tour, and winners of two selected tournaments from the Japan Golf Tour qualify, as do winners of any worldwide events in the last year that have at least a rating of 115 from the Official World Golf Ranking Strength of Field system. Check out our golf odds preview for this gathering of many of the elite names in international professional golf, with broadcast available on the Golf Network and CBS.

2018 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational Betting Preview

Practice makes perfect. 🏌️‍♂️ Who are you coming to watch today? pic.twitter.com/uRFRoplHf4

— WGC_Bridgestone (@WGC_Bridgestone) August 1, 2018

Contender Odds

• Dustin Johnson                                                                                   +700
• Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Tiger Woods                                            +1200
• Jordan Spieth                                                                                      +1800
• Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas                                                            +2000
• Jason Day                                                                                           +2200
• Jon Rahm, Francesco Molinari                                                           +2500
• Brooks Koepka                                                                                   +2800
• Henrik Stenson, Alex Noren                                                               +3500
• Hideki Matsuyama, Patrick Reed                                                       +4000
• Bubba Watson, Paul Casey, Xander Schauffele                               +4500
• Zach Johnson, Tony Finau                                                                 +5000
• Bryson DeChambeau                                                                         +5500
• Webb Simpson                                                                                   +6000

Did you have Francesco Molinari on your card last week? We did, and he made a lot of money for those who picked him to emerge from the mess in the final round of the British Open. Given the fact that, in his last three tournaments, he has won the Quicken Loans Invitational, finished second at the John Deere Classic and then become the first Italian golfer ever to win a major, and given his top-25 finish at the U.S. Open, he’s one of golf’s hottest names right now, and there’s no reason to stay away from him now. Speaking of hot names, how about the return of Tiger Woods to contending on Sunday? That moneyline doesn’t have a lot of value, because people are pouring in the cash on his behalf. He has finished in the top 10 in each of his last two tournaments and had the lead briefly on Sunday at the British Open. Going back a little further, he has four top-25 finishes in his last five tournaments. At this course, he has eight wins (most recently in 2013), and he still holds the course record for the tournament (-21), which he set way back in 2000. This could mark the end of what has been a long winless drought for Tiger. Webb Simpson has finished in the top 15 in three of his last six tournaments and has made the top 25 in six of the last seven tournaments in which he made the cup. He was close on Sunday at the Players Championship, and he has been in the Sunday conversation in several tournaments recently. That big moneyline makes him a smart value pick given his recent consistency. Another dark horse that is worth considering here is Xander Schauffele. He was the runner-up at the British Open, cracked the top 10 at the U.S. Open and was 21st at Greenbrier. He’s still young, but his game is getting more consistent with each passing month. He came in 13th here a year ago, in his only appearance, and he could take the whole thing this time around. Then there’s Rickie Fowler, who has only missed one cut since Mexico and has six finishes in  the top 25 in his last eight tournaments. At the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, he has finished in the top ten in each of his last four appearances and came in second overall in 2011. He hasn’t won in a year and a half, but this could be the course that gets him over the top.