Last decade, tournament organizers and course designers increased hole lengths and added elements to make golf harder. They called it “Tiger-proofing” to keep the perennial #1 from just drilling long drives and fairway irons to score low and collect more trophies.
Fast forward to 2019. With the 2019 US Open coming up this weekend, it’s now the sportsbooks who are trying to avoid a repeat of massive losses suffered when Tiger Woods stunned the world by winning the 2019 Masters.
Books learned that Tiger draws action. With handle in NJ online sports betting starting to decline as the NBA Finals wrap up and NFL football months away, getting people interested is good business – and of course, it also makes it more fun.
Offers are available at many NJ Betting sportsbooks.
Here are some of the best to consider as the 2019 US Open starts Thursday:
DraftKings Online Sportsbook
If you like Tiger to win, DraftKings has boosted his odds to +1500. If he makes the top 10, players get their bet back, up to $50.
FanDuel Online Sportsbook
FanDuel Sportsbook listed Tiger at +1100 to win his first US Open since 2008. Currently they have an odds boost to +320 to finish in the top 5, with a max bet of $50.
PointsBet NJ Sports Betting
Tiger is also +1100 to win at the Aussie-backed outlet. However, if he finishes in the top-3, those players get paid up to $50 of their original bet.
888Sport Sportsbook
If you don’t like Tiger, you’ll like this offer. Bet on anyone else at 888Sport and if Tiger wins, get your bet back, up to $50.
CaesarsCasino.com Online Sportsbook
Casears has bumped Tiger’s payoffs to win (+1200), finish top-3 (+550), and top-5 (+300).
Playing the Field
Have another favorite for the Open? There’s a lot of other good offers for those who don’t think there’s any more Tiger magic this year.
PlayMGM actually has an NJ online sportsbook odds boost that Tiger will miss the cut, bumping it up to +350.
Caesars has boosts for PGA Champion Brooks Koepka (+1000) and 2016 US Open champion Dustin Johnson (+900).
FanDuel offers a bit of a pick-3 option. If Johnson, Koepka, or Woods win the Open, that odds boost pays +300.
DraftKings will pay an extra $20 in free bets for every stroke by which your pick wins. If things get ugly (it’s the US Open, it usually happens), that could lead to some nice freeroll leading into the summer.
PointsBet has gone for some interesting offerings, especially with golf. This one is fairly savage: if Phil Mickelson takes a lead into Sunday and loses, it pays off at +8000. This is a $10 maximum.
The books overall are very aware that a lot of handle will come from in-game betting. Take a look during the weekend, check the daily odds boosts, and pick spots.
