Hero World Challenge betting tips: Morikawa and McIlroy the men to beat
Preview and odds for this week’s tournament
An elite field of just 20 players are in the Bahamas this week and we have studied the odds to pick out some Hero World Challenge betting tips.
The tournament did not take place last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic but is back with Tiger Woods as the host at Albany Golf Club.
His comments about a possible return to action have made headlines but he is not in action this week at the 7,309-yard links-style course which is hosting this event for the sixth time.
Market leaders
The bookies cannot split Collin Morikawa and Rory McIlroy in the Hero World Challenge odds with the pair priced up as 15/2 joint favourites.
Morikawa appears to be in better form heading into this week as he returns to action for the first time since winning the European Tour’s Race to Dubai in style with victory at the DP World Tour Championship.
The American finished three shots clear in Dubai and another win this week would see him take over from Jon Rahm at the top of the world rankings.
It remains to be seen whether that helps him focus or adds extra pressure on the 24-year-old and McIlroy will hope his experience gives him the edge.
He appears to have all the skills needed to succeed here, despite never previously competing at this course, but his poor finish in Dubai may cause some punters to swerve him.
Justin Thomas is seen as the biggest threat to Morikawa and McIlroy at 9/1 but will need to significantly improve here, having only managed one top-10 finish in three previous attempts.
Viktor Hovland is 10/1 to make it back-to-back wins after victory at the World Wide Technology Championship last time out when he finished four shots clear and five ahead of Thomas.
Best of the rest
Henrik Stenson is the defending champion here and it is a sign of how strong the field is that the Swede is the outsider in the outright betting at 60/1 – twice the price of any other player.
Admittedly he is in poor form but he may be worth considering as an each-way bet in Hero World Challenge betting tips given he was also runner-up here in 2016 and tied for the lead after the third round in 2018.
Course form also adds to the appeal of 12/1 shot Jordan Spieth, who has finished third, fourth and sixth here previously.
He is returning to action for the first time since becoming a father and it will be interesting to see if that has any effect on his game.
There are three Englishmen in the field and the in-form option for Hero World Challenge betting tips is Matt Fitzpatrick at 25/1.
He was tied for second at the DP World Tour Championship two weeks ago and won the Andalucia Masters in October so should be more confident than countrymen Tyrrell Hatton (25/1) and Justin Rose (28/1).
Coral also have a market on the top English player, with Fitzpatrick the favourite at 13/8 ahead of Hatton at 7/4, with Rose the slight outsider at 2/1.
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
