PGA FedEx Cup Playoffs: Previewing This Weekend’s BMW Championship

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By:
Michael Savio
08/16/2023
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Highlights

  • Rory McIlroy is favored to win at +650
  • Jon Rahm is ranked first in the FedEx Cup Rankings
  • Patrick Cantlay is a two-time defending champion of this tournament

The FedEx Cup Playoffs penultimate tournament will kick off this weekend in Chicago. The BMW Championship will begin on Thursday as the field will attempt to catch up to John Rahm and Scottie Scheffler to make a final push for this year’s cup.

Below we will break down the top four betting favorites from FanDuel Sportsbook to give your PGA betting strategy a boost ahead of the Cup’s final two tournaments.

Rory McIlroy +650

Rory has had a spectacular season that has landed him in third place in the FedEx Cup Standings. McIlroy managed to tie for twelfth place last weekend, keeping him in the race heading into this weekend. The veteran had finished in the top ten in eight straight starts before then and must do so today. McIlroy tied for eighth in last year’s BMW Championship, and he’ll need to do at least that to have a chance to catch Rahm and Scheffler. That will be top of mind for him this weekend, giving him plenty of motivation to turn in another impressive performance.

Scottie Scheffler +700

Scheffler sits just 148 points behind Rahm for the FedEx Cup lead and will have a great chance to overtake him this weekend. Scheffler has two wins and 15 top-ten finishes this season, helping him keep pace with the red-hot Rahm for most of the year. He broke an impressive run of top-five finishes last week by finishing tied for thirty-first in the first round of the playoffs. Rahm did even worse, keeping this race close. Scheffler has struggled a bit with his putting, but the greens this weekend should give him a great chance to turn that around en route to a win.

Jon Rahm +900

Jon Rahm has been the dominant force on the PGA tour all season. He took over the lead in the FedEx Cup in early January and has held on to it since. The Arizona State alum has four wins and ten top-ten finishes this season, but he has cooled off lately. While he finished second at the Open Championship, Rahm has finished outside the top 30 in three of his last six tournaments. That includes the Travelers Championship, where Rahm missed the weekend after failing to make the cut. Those struggles have allowed Scheffler to close the gap leading us to a close race heading into the Cup’s final two tournaments.

Patrick Cantlay +1000

While Cantlay has not won a tournament this season, he still sits in fifth place in the FedEx Cup standings. He landed himself in the top five after losing a playoff last weekend to finish in second place. That puts him within striking distance of the rest of the top five, especially considering that the final two tournaments will award more points. Cantlay is a two-time defending champion of the BMW Championship, though he finished in twelfth the last time he played this course (Olympia Fields). This will likely be Cantlay’s last shot at the FedEx Cup title, so expect him to come out strong this weekend.

Michael is an avid sports fan and a veteran bettor from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He learned the trade from his grandfather in Las Vegas as a kid. As an adult, Michael started picking games for a small sports betting site and has built it into a career. His experience allows him to provide tips and information to help other bettors improve their game. Michael cheers for all Wisconsin pro teams, the Arizona State Sun Devils (his alma mater), and the Ottawa Senators. He specializes in baseball betting but has extensive experience in football, basketball, and hockey. When he isn’t pouring over stats, he’s spending time with his two young children or hiking and enjoying the outdoors.