Best Bets To Win the Travelers Championship

Here’s a look at the best bets to win this week’s Travelers Championship.

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Course Preview

The PGA Tour heads to TPC River Highlands in Connecticut this week for the Travelers Championship. This is one of the PGA’s shortest courses on tour at just 6,841 yards. It is a Par 70 Pete Dye design and should present itself with plenty of birdie opportunities for the golfers. Reigning champion Bubba Watson will attempt to defend his 2018 title, coming off a -17 performance last year. It will be a tough task for Bubba to repeat as many high-ranked golfers including Brooks Koepka, Francesco Molinari, Justin Thomas, and Patrick Cantlay are here to challenge him. 2019 presents a very strong field, especially coming off a Major Championship.

Key Stats

Course history will be a strong narrative to look at when considering the best bets this week. Some players simply perform better than others on Pete Dye designs that have blind approach shots and copious amounts of hazards. Par 4 scoring will be crucial this week, as eight of the 12 par 4s measure at 400-450 yards and are easily get-able. I will be targeting elite ball strikers this week who have strong approach numbers with their wedges. Birdie or Better is another key stat since we can expect the leader to finish well below par.

Outright Bets

Patrick Cantlay (12/1 on William Hill Sportsbook)
The 2019 Memorial Tournament winner Patrick Cantlay is a strong bet this week, as he is first in the PGA in Par 4 scoring. There are 12 par 4s at TPC River Highlands. In order to succeed this week, you have got to score well on them. Cantlay is also second in strokes gained: tee to green, 10th in strokes gained: approach, and eighth in Birdie or Better. He finished 18th at last year’s tournament, and he is in better form than ever before. He also does extremely well on bentgrass greens, as he gains 2.394 strokes on the field.

Paul Casey (20/1 on William Hill Sportsbook)
A two-time runner up at the Travelers Championship, Paul Casey makes for a strong bet to win this week. Casey hasn’t finished worse than 17th in four times out at TPC River Highlands since 2015. The form is there, as he finished T-21 at the U.S. Open this past week on a very difficult Pebble Beach golf course. He should have a much easier time this week due to his experience and incredible ball-striking ability. Casey is sixth in strokes gained: tee to green, 19th in approach, and 32nd in par 4 scoring.

Bryson DeChambeau (25/1 on William Hill Sportsbook)
Bryson has played in the Travelers Championship for three straight years and has improved his finishing position every time. Bryson was 47th in 2016, 26th in 2017, and ninth last year at TPC River Highlands. He does very well at Pete Dye designs, as he is ninth in the PGA in strokes gained at Pete Dye courses (+2.399). DeChambeau had a solid showing at the U.S. Open last week, finishing T-35, and finished strong with a 69 on Sunday. He is seventh in the PGA in Birdie or Better and should be able to do well at an easy track this week.

Longshots to Consider

Viktor Hovland (66/1 on William Hill Sportsbook)
The 2018 amateur golfer of the year showcased his talent at this past week’s U.S. Open. Hovland surprised many, finishing T-12 and shooting a remarkable 67 on Sunday to close out his tournament. The Travelers Championship will officially be Hovlands’ first professional tour event. Viktor was second in strokes gained: tee to green at the U.S. Open, gaining an average of 3.16 strokes on the field per round. This was second to only Brooks Koepka and is an amazing accomplishment for such a young golfer.

Kevin Streelman (66/1 on William Hill Sportsbook)
Kevin Streelman is playing some of the best golf of his career recently. Currently 26th in strokes gained: tee to green, and 31st in strokes gained: approach, Streelman should play well here. If he can find a hot putter this week, he will no doubt be in contention. At the Memorial Tournament a few weeks ago, he finished fourth and shot a 66 on the Sunday of the event. With a couple of weeks off to rest in between starts, expect a motivated Streelman to play well. I like Streelman as a deep flier, as he already has three top-five finishes on tour this calendar year.

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Nic Turner is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Nic, check out his archive and follow him @sportzbandit.