2023 Travelers Championship: PGA Golf Betting Picks This Week
This week, Joe Cistaro delivers Travelers Championship golf betting picks as golfers prepare for another elevated event at TPC River Highlands.
- Scottie Scheffler is the Travelers Championship betting favorite, carrying +600 odds at multiple sportsbooks
- Key stats for TPC River Highlands include strokes gained approach and strokes gained putting
- Denny McCarthy leads the field in SG: Putting over his last 36 rounds.
- Find out where you can test out Fanatics Sportsbook before the golf tournament begins
- More Travelers Championship details and tips below!
The PGA Tour travels across the country to Connecticut for the Travelers Championship. Normally hosting a lesser field because it follows a major, the PGA designated this tournament an elevated event. The top golfers in the world will travel to the Northeast to contest a championship that promises to feature far more scoring than Los Angeles Country Club. TPC River Highlands hosts the event. Read our betting preview for this week’s event before digging into the beginning of this week’s betting card.
2023 Travelers Championship Betting Odds
At the time of this writing – Tuesday, June 13, 2023 – you can find these odds at BetMGM Sportsbook. The below list features all golfers priced at 50/1 or better.
| Golfer | Odds (6/19) |
|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | +600 |
| Rory McIlroy | +900 |
| Jon Rahm | +1000 |
| Patrick Cantlay | +1200 |
| Xander Schauffele | +1400 |
| Viktor Hovland | +1600 |
| Collin Morikawa | +2500 |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | +2500 |
| Tony Finau | +2800 |
| Rickie Fowler | +3300 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | +3300 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | +4000 |
| Max Homa | +4000 |
| Russell Henley | +4000 |
| Wyndham Clark | +4000 |
| Cameron Young | +4500 |
| Tom Kim | +4500 |
| Jason Day | +5000 |
| Justin Thomas | +5000 |
| Sahith Theegala | +5000 |
| Sungjae Im | +5000 |
2023 Travelers Championship Betting Preview
- Course: TPC River Highlands
- Date: June 22-25
- Par: 70
- Yardage: 6,841
- Greens: Bentgrass (Poa mix)
Key Statistics
- SG: Approach
- SG: OTT
- SG: Putting
- Proximity 150-175 Yards
- Par 4: 400-450 Yards
Unless mentioned otherwise, all strokes gained statistics will be referenced over the player’s previous 24 rounds on the PGA Tour.
2023 Travelers Championship Picks and Predictions
Viktor Hovland +2000 (FanDuel)
I am going to stick by Viktor Hovland. While he didn’t find himself in contention at the U.S. Open, he did not play that poorly. Hovland felt stuck in neutral all weekend while the entire field was in neutral. Never really making a move, Hovland played out the weekend.
Hovland lost strokes on approach at LA Country Club. That was quite possibly the last thing I expected from the U.S. Open. Hovland is a ball-striking machine that will not fail with his irons very often. He gained on the greens and around the greens for the second straight tournament. The part of Vik’s game that we always concerned ourselves with seems to be coming around. I anticipate the irons will return to form as well.
We are going to start our card with 1.75 units on FanDuel. After a couple of victories, we are going to slightly upgrade our target payday to 35 units.
Rickie Fowler +3500 (Caesars)
What else is there to say at this point? Fowler seems on the verge of a return to the winner’s circle on tour. He nearly reached that goal this past weekend but struggled on Sunday to keep up with Wyndham Clark and Rory McIlroy. That said, Rickie added another Top 10 to this year’s resurgent resume.
Fowler sets up really nicely for TPC River Highlands. He ranks 8th in SG: Approach and 27th in putting. He has been making plenty of birdies, which will pay off on a course where scoring should get out of hand.
We are so close to a breakout win for Rickie. I spent all weekend resenting the fact that I didn’t have him on my card. I want to root for him. We include him for one unit.
Russell Henley +4000 (BetMGM)
Russell Henley is quietly returning to form with nobody paying attention because of the depth of the recent golf fields. While Henley is a winner on tour, he is not a household name like many of the stars. That said, what Henley does is excel with his irons.
TPC River Highlands demands an elite approach game. He gained 7.1 strokes on approach last weekend and 6.4 strokes at The Memorial. When it comes to iron play, Henley is second to few in the field and should be able to ball-strike his way into contention this weekend.
We are going to include Henley and then get ready for a hedge on Sunday if he makes a play at the title. We have been down this road with Russ before. Hopefully, he gives us a chance (and I am just kidding about the hedge).
Denny McCarthy +8000 (Bet36)
Finally, my favorite play of the week. Denny McCarthy leads the field in SG: Putting and sits 8th in the most frequent Par 4 number. He should be able to make a move at this event.
All I keep thinking about is McCarthy’s incredible performance on Sunday at The Memorial that took a turn after one bad swing. McCarthy practically had a milkshake in hand until Viktor Hovland birdied the impossible 17th and Denny snap-hooked his tee shot on 18. Denny showed that week that he can compete with the best but also that his putter is absolutely nails under pressure.
With an equally challenging field, the course is short enough to keep Denny in play throughout. If this becomes a putting contest, I want Denny on the card. I am going to bet Denny’s outright for 0.5 units as well as his T10 E/W on Bet365 for another 0.5 units at 7/1 odds.
Additional Outrights (Longshots)
Aaron Rai +12500 – He sits 9th in SG: Approach and played exceptionally well in Canada. The course isn’t long and Rai hits fairways.
Eric Cole +17500 – Cole is in the top ten in both opportunities and birdies. The guy continues to perform and is worth a bargain-bin flier.
Mark Hubbard +20000 – Hubbard continues to play well and lock in his irons. He is also a great follow on Twitter. No brainer for pennies.
2023 Travelers Championship Betting Card
| Golfer | Odds | Units | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viktor Hovland | +2000 | 1.75 | 35 |
| Rickie Fowler | +3500 | 1 | 35 |
| Russell Henley | +4000 | 0.9 | 36 |
| Denny McCarthy | +8000 | 0.5 | 40 |
| Denny McCarthy (E/W) | +1140 | 0.5 | 5.7 |
| Aaron Rai | +12500 | 0.30 | 37.5 |
| Eric Cole | +17500 | 0.2 | 35 |
| Mark Hubbard | +20000 | 0.2 | 40 |
Travelers Championship Total Units in Play – 5.35
2023 Net Units: +1.35
Our second outright in a row comes through and poof- we are back in the black. After all of the articles and betting throughout the season, two outright winners and we are back in business. This serves as an excellent reminder to bet responsibly, as the swings in golf are wild. Managing how much you lose is just as important as winning. I updated my severely bloated card on Twitter. Be sure to check back before the event to get my final betting card.
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Follow me on Twitter at @JoeCistaro to follow along with any additions, matchups, or top finishers I add to my outright betting card. Good luck with all of your wagers this week, and thanks for reading.
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