Weekly betting column: US Open

A look at the weekend's sports betting action once again provided by Joe Whitaker of ValueBet Bookmakers.
Fancy a flutter?Fancy a flutter?
Fancy a flutter?

It may be pre-season but decent sport – and therefore betting opportunities – are just in front of us once again.

The 2017 US Open starts on Thursday at the new course of Erin Hills in Wisconsin.

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The early word is that it’s not going to be the toughest course to host the event and scoring is expected to go low.

The fairways are wide and the course is quite long so it looks sure to suit the big hitters off the tee.

Straight away the man in the frame therefore is Dustin Johnson and the world number 1 could go very close this weekend.

However in a field of such quality is 7/1 really a decent idea to make money come Sunday evening? I am happy enough to lay him this week.

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There are more than enough good players off the tee for the house taking him on.

The three I have picked myself are JASON DAY, ADAM SCOTT and JASON DUFNER. I would be very disappointed if one of them wasn’t placed this weekend.

To start off with Day, the Australian has had personal problems this year though it appears this is easing somewhat and his form has picked up lately. I watched him recently and his smile around the course is back. If he is in the zone he has a great chance at 16/1.

His fellow Aussie Adam Scott is another I have been keeping my eye on. He has found his touch again around the greens and he looks overpriced to me this week at 33/1.

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The last mentioned Jason Dufner is another I feel represents decent value. His win a fortnight ago in The Memorial when he came back from a disastrous Saturday to win was a true sign of a man enjoying his game.

He has all the shots and given the right mind frame he could be a huge price at 66/1.

Always remember the true battle as a punter is in finding value in order to gain an upper hand over the long term.

As a bookmaker I look at selections I feel are a decent lay, meaning I think they wont win or that they offer no value.

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Immediately I looked at players like Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler this week as the ones I was willing to take a chance on and risk large payouts.

As a big boxing fan I have been looking forward to the Andre Ward – Sergey Kovalev rematch in Las Vegas on Sunday morning.

The first one was very close, with Ward down in the 2nd round but coming back strong to pinch it on the judges cards.

The odds boys clearly feel Ward will have learnt from the first duel and have Ward on points at around 5/6 generally. As a boxer Ward is almost too good.

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It’s hard to believe he was the last US male to win an Olympics Gold Medal in 2004. He has found a tough match in Kovalev however who hits very hard and can box too.

I have a feeling the 8/1 on Kovalev to force a stoppage in rounds 1-6 could be worthy of a small wager this time. If he stays clear of getting dragged into a fight on the inside he will be dangerous at reach.

Have a great weekend folks and enjoy the action, Joe