Golf

Where's the big money coming in on The Match III? The answer might surprise you.


Looking to make a few bucks on Black Friday to make up for all you’re sure to spend on holiday presents?

Perhaps a wager on The Match III — starring the teams of Phil Mickelson and Charles Barkley vs. Steph Curry and Peyton Manning — can help offset your gift losses.

Our Esten McLaren (of sister site sportsbookwire.com) said earlier this week that he’d put his money on the pairing of Mickelson and Barkley:

Stone Canyon is owned by Mickelson Golf Properties, giving the PGA Tour professional an even greater advantage. The odds here seem heavily skewed by Barkley and his infamous swing. The fact of the matter is, he’s a passionate golfer and isn’t nearly as bad as perceived to be.

And while the vast majority of tickets taken at MGM have followed McLaren’s line of thinking, the big money is coming in on the opposite side.

As of late Wednesday, over 68% of all bets placed at MGM were for the Mickelson/Barkley team. However, a deeper dive into the overall money being bet on both sides shows the exact opposite. The total money wagered is actually coming in on the team of Curry/Manning, to the tune of about 61%.

What does this mean? Big-money bettors prefer Curry and Manning, who are currently -182 to win (it would take a $182 bet on Curry and Manning to fetch a profit of $100).

Of course, setting the lines on an event like this, in which there are so many uncertainties, is difficult for oddsmakers.

“Novelty events, like The Match III, are challenging for bookmakers to price without any real data to base lines on. The only advantage that sportsbooks have is that it is equally difficult for bettors to handicap the event,” said Jason Scott, the VP of Trading for BetMGM.

There are also a number of interesting prop bets for this event at Stone Canyon, just north of Tucson, Arizona.

For example, who will win the first hole?

The par 4 is a dogleg left and oddsmakers don’t think it favors either side. The odds of a tie are -110 while Mickelson-Barkley are +300 and Curry-Manning: +175.

Conversely, oddsmakers think Curry and Manning will be ahead by the turn as the odds on who will lead after nine holes are:
• Mickelson-Barkley: +190
• Curry-Manning: -125
• Tie: +400

How to bet: Bet on The Match: Champions for Change at BetMGM Sportsbook, The King of Sportsbooks

Get some action on The Match: Champions for Change by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.





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