Team USA hopes getting back to American soil will be the key when it faces Team Europe in the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits. The Americans have won twice in the past 20 years, but both of those came in the United States -- in 2008 in Kentucky at Valhalla and 2016 in Minnesota at Hazeltine. Team USA's average world ranking is nine, while Team Europe's is 30, but the Europeans have a significant edge in experience. The American 2021 Ryder Cup team consists of six rookies, including FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay and British Open winner Collin Morikawa, while the Europeans have just three and boast 38 combined appearances among the 12 players.
Caesars Sportsbook lists Team USA as the -200 favorite (risk $200 to win $100) to win in its latest 2021 Ryder Cup golf odds, with Team Europe the +200 underdog and a tie priced at +1200. The event offers numerous other options for bettors to choose from, with Jon Rahm the +333 favorite to be the top European player. Justin Thomas (+600) is the top choice on the American side.
Before you lock in any bets or make any predictions on the 2021 Ryder Cup, you need to check out what golf expert Riley Gates has to say.
Gates is a writer for 247Sports and has covered a range of sports for nearly five years. He has followed golf closely for much longer and has a profound knowledge of the sport. He also knows what it takes to win when the stakes are high, on the course and at the betting window.
Now, Gates has scoured the 2021 Ryder Cup odds from Caesars Sportsbook and released his best bets for the event at Whistling Straits. You can only get his expert Ryder Cup 2021 picks at SportsLine.
2021 Ryder Cup top predictions
Gates is expecting big things from Rory McIlroy this week and is making him his surprise pick to be the top European player at +500. Rahm is the logical pick as the world's No. 1 player coming off a scorching-hot season. The Spaniard was in the top-10 in 15 of his 22 starts and won the U.S. Open, but he had a frustrating finish to the season as he failed to get another win. He also missed the cut at last week's Fortinet Championship and is recovering from a stomach issue. The 26-year-old hasn't played Whistling Straits and was 1-2 in his debut at the 2018 Ryder Cup.
McIlroy, meanwhile, has been surging (fourth at BMW, T-4 at Olympics) and has become a central figure during Europe's dominant run. He is 11-9-4 in his five appearances at the Ryder Cup, with Europe winning four of those, and the prestige and fanfare of the event brings out his best. He also ranked second on the tour in driving distance (319.3 yards) and was fourth in strokes gained off the tee last season. That length will be a huge advantage at Whistling Straits. He finished T-3 at the 2010 PGA Championship and T-7 in the 2015 version on the course.
How to make Ryder Cup golf picks
For this week's Ryder Cup showdown at Whistling Straits, Gates has locked in four other confident best bets. All of his picks offer significant plus-money payouts, including one that would pay 9-1. You can only see Gates' 2021 Ryder Cup best bets at SportsLine.
Which players will stand out at the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits? And which overlooked players can help you cash in big? Visit SportsLine now to get Riley Gates' best bets for the 2021 Ryder Cup, all from the fantasy expert who has his finger on the pulse of the sport, and find out.
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