Four of the top eight in the Official World Golf Ranking are in the field this week for the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, California. Defending champion and World No. 1 Dustin Johnson is listed as the favorite at odds of +500. He is the only player listed in single-digit odds, as Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy are co-second choices in the betting at odds of +1400. Let’s look at the tournament and predictions.
Genesis Open Odds
Dustin Johnson +450
Jordan Spieth +1200
Rory McIlroy +1200
Justin Thomas +1600
Phil Mickelson +2000
Paul Casey +2500
Tommy Fleetwood +2800
Chez Reavie +3500
Daniel Berger +3500
Thomas Pieters +3500
Tiger Woods +3500
Marc Leishman +4000
Alex Noren +4500
Branden Grace +4500
Bubba Watson +4500
Ollie Schniederjans +4500
Brendan Steele +5000
Kevin Chappell +5000
Matt Kuchar +5000
Patrick Cantlay +5000
Pat Perez +5500
Adam Scott +6500
Charl Schwartzel +6500
Charles Howell III +6500
Tony Finau +6500
Xander Schauffele +6500
Keegan Bradley +7000
James Hahn +7500
Jimmy Walker +7500
Kevin Streelman +7500
Rafa Cabrera Bello +7500
Adam Hadwin +8000
Beau Hossler +8000
Bill Haas +8000
Haotong Li +8000
J.B. Holmes +8000
Jason Kokrak +8000
Charley Hoffman +8500
Odds Analysis
Dustin Johnson +450
Johnson is the defending champion and he has not finished worse than fourth in his last four tournaments at Riviera. He lost a playoff in 2015 and finished second in 2014. He dominated last year, winning by five shots. How good is Johnson? He didn’t even play that well last week and still finished in a tie for 2nd. There is not much value on Johnson at +450, but he is the clear choice to win this week.
Jordan Spieth +1200
I have no idea why Spieth is listed as the co-second choice in the betting. Spieth simply can’t make putts right now and until he does I think he is unplayable. Spieth is 193rd in strokes gained putting and until he shows me that he has figured things out I am going against him.
Rory McIlroy +1200
Riviera should be a good course for Rory who has length and a solid iron game. He missed the cut last week at Pebble Beach, so Rory is probably overvalued, but he is capable of turning things around quickly.
Justin Thomas +1600
Another player who I think is overvalued is Thomas, who simply hasn’t looked the same this year. He was a machine last season, but he has looked a little bit off this season. I am keeping a close eye on him because I do think he can get it back in gear at any time, but right now I am avoiding him.
Phil Mickelson +2000
I would prefer higher odds on Phil, but he is definitely worth a look this week. He played well at Pebble Beach and he played well previously in Phoenix. He has played well at Riviera in the past including wins in 2008 and 2009.
Paul Casey +2500
Casey doesn’t win that many events but he always seems to be on the leaderboard each week. I don’t know that he can beat Johnson this week but he could be a player to take in his matchups.
Tommy Fleetwood +2800
Fleetwood has shown that he is not a one hit wonder, as he has looked great again this season after winning the Race to Dubai a year ago. I don’t know that he can win in his debut at Riviera, but he does have some attractive odds.
Marc Leishman +4000
Leishman is one of my longshots this week. He tied for 5th in this event two years ago. He had two wins last season and he is capable of winning this event at longshot odds.
Pat Perez +5500
Perez hits the ball a ton and he has played well at Riviera in the past. He seems to have found new life over the age of 40. It would not be a surprise to see Perez in contention on Sunday.
Course: Riviera Country Club is a par 71 that measures 7,322 yards. It hosted the Los Angeles Open in 1929 for the first time and was the first course on the West Coast to host a U.S. Open. The sixth hole is famous for the bunker in the middle of the green, while No. 10 is a drivable par 4. Riviera is a course that has fairways lined with trees and a course that has a high number of bunkers.
TV Coverage: CBS & Golf Channel
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Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu. The Genesis Open is scheduled for February 15-18, 2018. Riviera Country Club Golf will host the event and CBS and Golf Channel will televise it.
