This week we head to Olympia Fields Country Club in Illinois for the 2023 FedEx BMW Championship where SportsLens are offering up some of our very own betting tips and predictions.
Following last week’s St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind, the field narrows down to just 50 players in Illinois as we prepare for the second of three playoff events that will eventually crown the champion of the PGA Tour.
Next week’s Tour Championship will feature a field of just 30 players battling it out for the biggest monetary prize in golf.
Best FedEx BMW Championship Betting Offers
FedEx BMW Championship 2023 Preview
This year’s defending champion is world number four Patrick Cantlay, who beat Scott Stallings by one shot with a score of 14 under in 2022. The 31-year-old returns to Olympia Fields to defend his crown this week, available at a price of 12/1 with the best golf betting sites.
Lucas Glover claimed the spoils at the St. Jude Championship, beating Cantlay in a dramatic playoff to make it back-to-back wins on the PGA Tour and became just the third player in history to do so at age 43 or older in the last 40 years.
Olympia Fields is a course suited to the big hitters, but rewards terrific all-round play and plays at par-70 and 7,343 yards. The North Course hosted Jim Furyk’s US Open win in 2003, Bryson DeChambeau’s US Amateur triumph in 2015, and the BMW Championship back in 2020 when Jon Rahm saw off Dustin Johnson in a dramatic playoff.
One par-3 measures over 250 yards and two par-5s are over 600 yards long. The kentucky bluegrass rough will prove to be a difficult test for those not consistently finding the tight corridor fairways and the elite ball strikers will fancy their chances this week. The greens are of average size here, featuring a mix of bentgrass and poa annua.
Most approaches will come in from 175-200 yards and we can expect tough scoring conditions throughout. Rahm opened with a 75 and 71 in 2020 but rounds of 66 and 64 on the weekend did enough to earn him a spot in a playoff at four under which he then seized.
We’re in for another cracking week of golf in Illinois and one that should give us a box office finish.
FedEx BMW Championship Betting Tips
Odds are correct at time of publishing and are subject to chance
FedEx BMW Championship Tip 1: Rory McIlroy To Win And Each-Way (6 Places) @ 15/2 with BetUK
Rory McIlroy fits the profile for a likely winner at Olympia Fields and his form over the last eight starts speaks for itself. T9, three T7s, T6 at The Open, T3 in Memphis recently, second at the US Open and a win at the Scottish Open.
The Irishman was just one shot shy of forcing a three-man playoff with Glover and Cantlay, but his consistency and class over the last few months suggest another win is only around the corner.
The BMW Championship is an event he’s enjoyed in recent years, he won it back in 2012 and has since posted five top-10 finishes including T12 at Olympia Fields in 2020, 4th at Caves Valley in 2021 and T8 at Wilmington last year.
McIlroy ranked third from tee-to-green at TPC Southwind last week but his poor play around the greens proved to be a stumbling block. He shook off a poor putting display in the first round to rank 23rd amongst the field, gaining 1.4 strokes with his new flat stick.
He gained an average of 0.27 strokes per round around the greens here in 2020 and has been positive in that department through four of his last five starts. He can blow the field away off-the-tee at Olympia Fields, being the longest hitter on Tour with an average driving distance of 325.8 yards.
The 34-year-old ranked second in that regard last week and fourth in approach with his irons so there’s no doubt he’s well suited for a timely victory. He’s also 12th on Tour in approaches from 175-200 yards, a stat expected to play a key role in Illinois.
McIlroy’s genius goes without saying and he ranks so well statistically that we could be here all day talking about him. Priced with the best golf betting sites at 15/2 (6 places), Rory McIlroy is our headline pick to win the FedEx BMW Championship.
FedEx BMW Championship Tip 2: Collin Morikawa To Win And Each-Way (6 Places) @ 25/1 with BetUK
I put up Collin Morikawa last week and it feels like the right decision to have another stab at him again at an intriguing price. He enjoyed a solid week at TPC Southwind, finishing T13 at 10 under and his all-round game was on full display.
He was consistently hitting fairways, ranking sixth in driving accuracy and fourth in greens in regulation. 33rd in approach is a solid foundation to build on and we know he can set himself apart from the field in that department.
19th off-the-tee, 11th around the green and 32nd in putting were also promising to see. His best performance in this event came at Olympia Fields in 2020, where he gained strokes in almost every department to finish T20.
Without trying to repeat myself from the St. Jude preview, which takes a look at his season stats in a bit more depth, Morikawa is a ball striking expert and one of the most accurate drivers on Tour alongside ranking eighth in approaches from 175-200 yards.
The 26-year-old should go well once again in this week’s FedEx BMW Championship, priced at 25/1 (6 places) with the best golf betting sites.
FedEx BMW Championship Tip 3: Russell Henley To Win And Each-Way (6 Places) @ 35/1 with BetUK
Russell Henley enjoyed a fantastic week at the St. Jude Championship, finishing T6 at 11 under and posted solid numbers in every category. 24th in each of off-the-tee, approach and around-the-green alongside 18th in putting should tee him up nicely for a shot at the BMW.
He finished T25 at Olympia Fields in 2020 and his recent form looks promising. He fell two shots short of Lucas Glover at the Wyndham Championship to finish runner-up alongside Byeong-Hun An and is playing full of confidence at the minute.
Statistically, Henley is the most accurate driver on Tour and ranks 28th in approach. He’s one of the better scramblers too and he’s in the top ten of par-4 scorers which could prove pivotal in Illinois this week.
He’s carded four top ten finishes this season as well as a victory at the World Wide Technology Championship last November. He sits 20th in the FedExCup standings and has already secured a spot in the Tour Championship so the pressure-free nature could suit his game nicely.
He’s not the biggest hitter on Tour but his balanced all-round game should translate well to Olympia Fields. With his promising form I’m willing to give him a chance at 35/1 (6 places), rounding off our tips for the FedEx BMW Championship.
FedEx BMW Championship 2023 Odds
Take a look at the best UK sports betting sites and claim the best bookmaker free bets ahead of this week’s action in Illinois.
- Scottie Scheffler @ 15/2
- Rory McIlroy @ 15/2
- Jon Rahm @ 9/1
- Patrick Cantlay @ 12/1
- Viktor Hovland @ 16/1
- Xander Schauffele @ 18/1
- Tommy Fleetwood @ 20/1
- Collin Morikawa @ 25/1
- Max Homa @ 25/1
- Jordan Spieth @ 25/1
Odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change
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