FedEx Cup BMW Championship Betting Preview 2023

The FedEx Cup Playoffs have begun on the PGA Tour, with Lucas Glover winning (in a different sort of playoff) the St. Jude at Memphis last week. 

Now, it’s the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club south of Chicago. There are just 50 golfers in play here. That will be whittled down by the end of this tournament.

Here’s an early look at the next stop on the “FedEx Tour.”

It’s the Usual Suspects

There are four golfers that appear to have distanced themselves at this point in the season, according to PGA BMW Championship odds. They are going to be favored yet again.

Rory McIlroy 7-1 (+700)

Scottie Scheffler 15-2 (+750)

Jon Rahm 9-1 (+900)

Patrick Cantlay 10-1 (+1000)

McIlroy, without winning, has nonetheless trended in the right direction. Rahm and Cantlay (who lost to Lucas Glover in the aforementioned playoff at Memphis) continue to be included in this first-tier group of golfers, though at some point, they are going to have to prove that they can get it done.

There’ve been some big surprises at quite a few events on the PGA Tour this season, so perhaps it’s wise to think outside the box when wagering.
If you wish to pit one player against another, that’s another option, as per PGA BMW Championship head-to-head odds.

Contenders to Watch

At the BMW Championship, there are any number of contenders on whom to focus.

There are a group of golfers that either need to win or at least finish near the top of the board just to keep their seasons alive, and that added motivation plays a factor. It doesn’t mean that there aren’t other golfers that can contend in Chicago, but here are some to consider…

Viktor Hovland +1600 

Xander Schauffele +1800 

Tommy Fleetwood +2000 

Collin Morikawa +2200 

Max Homa +2500 

Jordan Spieth +2500 

Tyrrell Hatton +3000 

Hideki Matsuyama  +3000 

Tom Kim +3300 

Rickie Fowler +3300

Lucas Glover +3300 

Russell Henley +3300

Sungjae Im +3300 

Jason Day +3500 

It’s Lucas Glover going after the hat trick. He’s now won back-to-back events (Wyndham [Greensboro, NC] and St. Jude [Memphis] on the PGA Tour. Glover has fixed some issues that caused his self-described “underachiever” status, doing nearly everything right.

Add in Vicktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele as two names in the group who may contend.

Schauffele the Choice

It’s difficult to ignore the hot streak of Lucas Glover, but a three-peat on tour is a nearly impossible assignment. Choosing a favorite on the board is always an option, but not a good strategy at this venue.

Instead, it is best to look at this group of contenders, with some terrific options out there. Rickie Fowler has had a solid season on tour, but hasn’t played his best in recent events

Conversely, Xander Schauffele has proven he can win when the stakes are high, starting to round back into form. Getting him at 18-1 (+1800) is certainly worth a shot, and that’s the way to go if you’re wagering on the BMW Championship.

- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com