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Full betting breakdown, picks for the Travelers Championship

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The PGA Tour heads to TPC River Highlands this week for the Travelers Championship. Despite coming a week after a major championship on the opposite side of the country, big names are still making an appearance for the tournament near Hartford, Conn.

TPC River Highlands is a short par-70 that comes in at 6,841 yards. It's a Pete Dye-designed course with a number of similarities to his other works such as Harbour Town (RBC Heritage) and Austin Country Club (WGC-Match Play). It also resembles courses like TPC Deere Run (John Deere Classic) and Copperhead Course (Valspar Championship), where shot-making and accuracy are emphasized. Bubba Watson is a three-time winner of the Travelers, however, which shows power can also be rewarded here.

Previous winners

2018: Bubba Watson (28-1)
2017: Jordan Spieth (9-1)
2016: Russell Knox (45-1)
2015: Bubba Watson (11-1)
2014: Kevin Streelman (125-1)
2013: Ken Duke (150-1)
2012: Marc Leishman (100-1)

Tournament History - Top 10 favorites

Player 2018 2017 2016 2015
Brooks Koepka (15-2) 19 9
Patrick Cantlay (10-1) 15
Jordan Spieth (16-1) 42 1
Justin Thomas (18-1) 56 MC 3 MC
Paul Casey (18-1) 2 5 17 2
Francesco Molinari (20-1) 47 25
Jason Day (20-1) 12 MC
Bryson DeChambeau (25-1) 9 26 47
Bubba Watson (28-1) 1 MC 25 1
Marc Leishman (28-1) MC 17 9 39

The top

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Brooks Koepka is the favorite this week; because it's not a major championship and he only has two regular PGA Tour wins, he's nearly unbettable at 15-2. His ability to win on demand is there, but the week after a grueling runner-up result at Pebble Beach doesn't seem like his moment.

Koepka's short odds create some value for the other elite players in the field. Passing over Patrick Cantlay (10-1) and Jordan Spieth (16-1), whose numbers aren't juicy enough to back, there are six names worthy of consideration:

  • Justin Thomas (18-1): He's hitting it great, but his results don't show it because he's lost a combined 9.1 strokes putting in three events since returning from injury.
  • Paul Casey (18-1): A two-time runner-up at the Travelers whose worst finish is T17. He tends to play well at the same courses each year, but his back-to-back wins at the Valspar Championship are his only victories since 2014.
  • Francesco Molinari (20-1): He's played well at Pete Dye-designed courses in the past. Unfortunately, the potential for fatigue after contending at Pebble Beach is concerning.
  • Jason Day (20-1): He finished T12 at TPC River Highlands last year. He can putt his way to victory on any course.
  • Bryson DeChambeau (25-1): He gained strokes on approach and putting at Pebble for the first time since his T15 at the Genesis Open, an indication he's turned the corner.
  • Bubba Watson (28-1): The three-time Travelers champion clearly loves this event, but he's finished outside the top 20 in both of his previous title defenses.

The next tier

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Moving further down the board, Tony Finau's name pops at 33-1. He's far from a prolific winner on Tour, but TPC River Highlands is a course he can overpower with his distance, similar to the approach Watson uses to win. Ball-strikers Emiliano Grillo (50-1), Ryan Moore (50-1), and Keegan Bradley (80-1) all have very strong course histories at the Travelers but will need outlier weeks of putting to contend.

Rookie standout Sungjae Im (66-1) should be rejuvenated after his first week off in nearly two months. Adam Hadwin (66-1) is coming off a strong showing in Canada and is a past winner of the Valspar Championship, an event quite similar to the Travelers.

It's worth noting that Russell Knox is the only winner among players priced between 30-1 and 100-1 in the past seven years.

Digging for long shots

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If you're looking to win big off a small bet, the Travelers is the tournament for you. Three winners since 2012 were priced above 100-1 the year they won, and this week features plenty of talent worthy of some fliers.

Si Woo Kim (100-1) has become a Dye-design specialist so far in his young career. He won at TPC Sawgrass and was a runner-up at the 2018 RBC Heritage. C.T. Pan (100-1) won the Heritage this season and is priced in the triple digits.

Collegiate standout Matthew Wolff is making his professional debut this week. He's listed at 100-1, which is value compared to his Oklahoma State teammate, Viktor Hovland (66-1). He has the upside to win his first start as a pro.

Picks to win

Bryson DeChambeau (25-1)

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As noted above, DeChambeau found something in his game last week at Pebble Beach. He gained over four strokes on approach shots and another four-plus strokes through putting, so whatever calculations he's been computing are producing results. He also finished T9 at the Travelers last year. A win is coming soon, so get on while the number is still above 20-1.

Adam Hadwin (66-1)

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Hadwin is coming off a sixth-place showing at the Canadian Open where he gained strokes across the board. His game is trending in the right direction and TPC River Highlands suits his style of play, especially his world-class putting.

Kevin Kisner (80-1)

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Kisner won the WGC-Match Play this year on a Pete Dye course. His 80-1 number doesn't align with his skill level and overall consistency on Tour. Kisner fits the mold of a player who can putt his way to the Travelers Championship title.

(Odds courtesy: Bodog)

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