The golf exhibition series known as ‘The Match’ has been hugely popular with fans and bettors since the first edition was played in 2018 featuring legendary Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. Another variation has been the team format with athletes from different sports, and that’s what we have for the eighth iteration. Champions from their respective sports aim for a different title when Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce from the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs take on Golden State Warriors’ Splash Brothers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The 12-hole, made-for-TV charity event is scheduled to take place on Thursday, June 29.
For the first time teammates from different sports leagues will compete against each other and for only the second time the event will not include professional golfers. That doesn’t mean everything is new, though. Both Mahomes and Curry previously played in The Match, but they are looking for their first win. By all accounts Curry is the best golfer in the bunch giving his team a sizable edge in the outright betting market.
The Match VIII takes place at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nev. at 6:30 p.m. ET with television coverage provided by TNT. On top of the outright there will also be countless wagering opportunities in a variety of other markets. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete, updated list of odds and to place your wager on The Match VIII.
The Match VIII Winner Odds
Patrick Mahomes/Travis Kelce +257
Steph Curry/Klay Thompson -323
The Players
The teammates have enjoyed plenty of success on the playing surface of their respective teams. However, their greatness will have no bearing on what happens on the golf course. Curry and Mahomes have previous experience in the series, though they came up short in the end. In a battle of NFL quarterback royalty, Mahomes and Josh Allen were defeated by Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady in the sixth installment of the franchise. An avid golfer, Curry played in The Match III with Peyton Manning losing to Phil Mickelson and Charles Barkley. However, their teammates have been around a few golf courses with Kelce competing in the 2022 American Century Championship.
Curry is the reason why his team is favored by a good margin. The scramble format allows for one player to carry a twosome and as I said Steph is easily the best golfer among the quartet. That doesn’t guarantee victory, though, since even Curry can have a bad night, but it sure does help. Curry finished ahead of both Kelce and Mahomes at last year’s American Century Championship by a wide margin. Curry tied for 16th while Mahomes (51st) and Kelce (64th) were further down the leaderboard. Curry also mentioned earlier this year that he has a 1 handicap.
The Format
We’ve seen several different formats used in this event depending on who’s competing. This edition of The Match will feature a scramble across 12 holes. This definitely gives the Warriors an advantage with Curry being the most stable player. Each player tees off and teammates use the best lie for the next attempt. This goes on for every shot, including putts, until the team holes out. There will likely be some restrictions like each player needs a certain number of tee shots used so as not to give a huge advantage. Still, one good golfer can swing the outcome in this particular format.
The Course
No stranger to this event, the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas will serve as host for a third time. Mahomes took part in the most recent edition held at this venue just over a year ago. In that edition of The Match, the quartet of NFL quarterbacks used a shamble format with Mahomes and Josh Allen losing by a hole. With a local start time of 3:30 p.m. in the Nevada desert, temperatures are expected to reach triple-digits so we’ll see how that affects players.
The Outcome
Handicapping this edition of The Match is more difficult since we don’t have a take on what these athletes do on the golf course. They are spectacular as teammates in their respective sports, but not much is known about their links acumen. Curry and Mahomes played well in earlier events and Curry says he’s a 1-handicap golfer. If that’s the case stick with the Splash Brothers for a multi-hole win since one outstanding player can have a major impact.
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