Mad Bets: Should you bet on Tiger Woods?

Tiger Woods returns to action this week for the Memorial Tournament. Minty Bets talks with Action Network's Jason Sobel about his betting odds.

Video Transcript

MINTY BETS: The Memorial Golf Tournament is taking place at Muirfield Village in Ohio this weekend. You want a little action on its tournament, head over to betmgm.com/yahoo. I'm here with Jason Sobel of the Action Network to give us his best bets for the weekend.

Jason, Tiger Woods is actually playing this time around. How do you think he'll perform here after not having played in a while? And is he a for sure stay-away bet, or is there any value on him?

JASON SOBEL: Yeah, Minty, this will be the first competitive event on the PGA Tour for tiger woods in five full months.

MINTY BETS: Wow.

JASON SOBEL: Thursday will mark five months to the day since he finished last out of all those who made the cut at the Genesis Invitational. I expect him to play better this week. In fact, I'm gonna give you exactly how he's gonna play. I've got it all scripted out.

I think he's gonna open up in-- I always say that Tiger kind of throws jabs in the first round, as opposed to haymakers. You don't have to win it on Thursday, you just don't want to lose it. So I've got him down for like a 71, one under on Thursday. Just looks fine. Looks pretty good. Nothing great.

Friday, a little bit better. Plays a little more aggressively. Shoots 69 or 70, easily makes the cut. Saturday is gonna be the low one. Saturday he goes 64, 65. Everyone gets excited. There's a buzz around Muirfield Village, even without fans there. Everyone's fired up about Tiger.

Then on Sunday, can't quite get there. Can't quite climb the leaderboard a little bit more. Shoots another 69, 70, right in there. Something that leaves him, well, just about at ninth place, like he finished here last year.

Which is certainly not a stay-away bet. If you want to bet Tiger for a top 10, a top 20, kind of like it. If you wanna put him in some DFS lineups, don't mind that as well. But I don't think I'd bet him for an outright yet this week.

MINTY BETS: OK. I like the top 10 bet. Also, this is the second week in a row that a golf tournament will be taking place at the same course, which is a little uncommon. So which golfers do you think will benefit the most from this situation?

JASON SOBEL: You know, the players who played last week, obviously, they're comfortable. They've slept in the same hotel bed or same rental house bed for a while now, and they know how to get to the course. And there's a certain sort of just comfort level that I think they have.

And they've got all their sightlines off the tee, if you wanna get a little technical. That said, there might be a built-in disadvantage for these players, as well. And they'll find that on the greens. The green speeds were running about a 11 to 11-and-a-half on the stimpmeter for last week's Workday Charity Open.

They should be about 13 to 13-and-a-half, about two to two-and-a-half feet quicker for the Memorial Tournament this week. So those players who like to put on memory, well, their memory is gonna get a little exposed this week if those greens are indeed as quick as they reportedly are saying they will be.

And, really, it might wind up being an advantage for those players who stayed away last week and took the week off instead.

MINTY BETS: Wow. OK. Lastly, give us some of your favorite picks for the weekend, and throw in any long shots you like, too.

JASON SOBEL: OK, so my favorite this week is a guy who-- I couldn't believe this. I had to check it three different times. But Xander Schauffele hasn't won a golf tournament in a year and a half. Goes only back to Kapalua and the Sentry Tournament of Champions last year.

Obviously, one of the best players in the world. Tends to play his best against the better fields. Coming off a 14th place finish last week. I really like Xander Schauffele to play well this week. A couple in that mid-range. Guys that I wind up taking all the time.

And at some point, these guys are gonna cross the line and start winning, but if not they'll at least be on the leaderboard. Tony Finau, plays so well week in, week out. Three top 15 finishes in five career starts at this tournament.

And Abraham Ancer's a guy who's got three top 15s in his last three starts overall. He plays well week in, week out. If you want a totally off-the-radar pick that nobody's gonna be talking about, look at past Masters Champion Charles Schwartzel.

I know that a name that's probably not all a lot of people's radars right now, but top 40 finishes in seven of his last nine starts at the memorial. His ball striking stats this year are pretty good, so don't be surprised if Charles Schwartzel plays pretty well this week.

Again, not an outright bet. But if you like him for a top 30, top 40, I don't mind that at all.

MINTY BETS: Love it. Thank you so much, Jason.

JASON SOBEL: Thanks, Minty.

MINTY BETS: If you want in on the action, head over to betmgm.com/yahoo. New users get a 100% match up to $1,000. Available in New Jersey, West Virginia, Colorado, and Indiana.

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