The Memorial Tournament betting tips, free bets and latest odds

THE big boys are all out to play again this week, as The Memorial – hosted by Jack Nicklaus – is one of the PGA Tour’s elite $20million events.

The game’s superstars rarely play more than three tournaments in a row, but for world No 1 Scottie Scheffler this will be a fourth start on the bounce. And who can blame him?

Scheffler must be desperate to make the most of an incredibly hot run of form, which shows no signs of cooling off.

His share of third place at the Charles Schwab Challenge last week made it six top three finishes in an amazing seven month stretch, which has seen him finish no worse than 12th in his last 15 events.

The only disappointment for Scheffler must be the fact that he has managed only two wins in that streak, especially as he knocked off victorious in quick succession this time last year.

He is the obvious favourite at Jack’s place – Muirfield Village – but surely he is going to have an off week eventually, just as Jon Rahm did when finishing a barely believable tied 50th at the PGA on his last outing.

Fatigue could also be a factor in what is certain  to be a hotly-contested tournament. So the 13-2 on offer for Scheffler does not hold too much appeal.

World No 3 Rory McIlory could barely hit the planet off the tee at the PGA. But he still rewarded each way backers with a share of seventh place, after starting at 12-1.

He is 14-1 in a few places here, which looks pretty generous at first glance

But although the fairways are a bit wider at Memorial than they were at Oak Hill, the four inch rough is even more punishing. So it might be worth waiting to see if McIlory’s radar is working again before backing him again.

How to bet on the Memorial

Betting on golf is easier than you’d image and there are a host of interesting markets you can pick from.

Here are five easy steps for beginners.

1. Choose Your Favorite Sportsbook – there are plenty to choose from and most have their own app or mobile site.

2. Make a Deposit – each sportsbook will walk you through how to connect your bank account to their system including providing a list of all the safeguards they have set up to ensure the safety of your transactions.

3. Claim Your Bonuses – most sportsbooks offers bonuses to first time bettors in the form of free bets.

4. Place Your Bet – now it’s time to navigate through your sportsbook’s odds where they will offer a variety of options including outright winners, or top finishing positions, such as top 10 or 20, or even to make the cut. For the event this week each way odds are generally paid on the top eight players.

5. Collect Your Winnings – If you’re successful you will be able to withdraw your winnings once the bet is complete. Some bookmakers offer cashout options on certain bets as well, which is worth keeping an eye on.

Who is favourite to win the Memorial?

Scottie Scheffler is still the man to beat this week and is the short-price favourite ahead of Jon Rahm.

Rory McIlory’s spot at the head of the betting has been interrupted by Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele.

Latest odds for the Memorial (from bet365)

• Scottie Scheffler 13/2
• Jon Rahm 7/1
• Patrick Cantlay 10/1
• Xander Schauffele 14/1
• Rory McIlroy 14/1
• Viktor Hovland 18/1
• Justin Thomas 25/1
• Jason Day 25/1
• Collin Morikawa 25/1
• Tyrrell Hatton 25/1

Where to find the best odds for the Memorial

Lots of bookmakers have different options for betting on the Memorial this week, including competitive odds and different place markets.

We like the markets on bet365, including the price boosts on offer pre-tournament.

But it is worth shopping around to get the best value with each way odds and different places available throughout the market.

bet365 are currently offering 16/1 on McIlroy to win and 50/1 on Rahm to go wire to wire.

The Memorial tips

The stand-out bet this week has to be 10-1 shot Patrick Cantlay, who is looking for a third Memorial victory.

He finished in a share of third last year behind runaway winner Billy Horschel – who is hopelessly out of form as he prepares to defend his title – and also has a fourth place to his credit in six previous visits to Muirfield Village. 

The nagging worry over Cantlay continues to be his poor strike rate. For a player who gives himself plenty of chances to win, the world No 4 does not close the deal often enough to inspire real confidence.

But he still looks the most attractive proposition among the players near the top of the market, although Viktor Hovland might be worth another chance at 18-1- despite an erratic performance last week.

Hovland put himself behind the eight ball early on at the Charles Schwab, but forced his way into contention despite wasting a shot with a third round birdie putt that bounced off the flagstick – which should have been taken out!

But after clawing his way to seven under par with five holes to play – just one short of the winning score – the Norwegian played that closing stretch in five OVER.

I’m still convinced he will win soon, but he has to avoid hitting the self-destruct button so often.

Rickie Fowler’s return to form has been a heart-warming one, and the only thing missing is a win.

Fowler bounced back to form after his missed cut at the PGA with a share of sixth last week. He has finished runner-up twice at the Memorial, and at 40-1 he is worth backing to go one better. 

Adam Scott, Sahith Theegala, and Si Woo Kim are worth a second look at 50-1 and better, while this week’s ‘Hail Mary’ is 600-1 shot Chad Ramey.

He shot three rounds in the 60s last week to move quietly into a share of 12th, his best effort since he opened his winning account on the PGA Tour at the Corales last year.

At the eye-watering odds offered by bet365, he could be worth a small interest.

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.