USA Slight +115 Underdog After Trailing Presidents Cup Entering Final Day
- The United States are two points behind the Internationals entering the final day of the Presidents Cup
- USA is in danger of losing their first cup since 1998
- See the live odds and whether it’s worth a gamble to bet on the States
In an ironic inverse of day two, the Americans looked like they’d sweep all four sessions of the afternoon Foursomes to draw even with the Internationals. However, two late rallies resulted in ties so the Internationals are still holding off the Americans by two points heading into the final day of the Presidents Cup.
Though the American squad is trailing, they’re barely an underdog with the odds super close given that the International team was a heavy underdog entering the week.
So is now the time to bet on the Americans to win the Presidents Cup? Keep in mind two critical stats – no team has ever come from behind on the final day to win the event, plus, surprisingly, the States have won just once in the last six singles sessions.
Updated Odds to Win 2019 Presidents Cup
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Internationals | +110 |
| United States | +115 |
| TIE | +700 |
Odds taken December 14th
If you’re wondering why the US was so heavily favored coming into the event, just take a look at the rosters, which are heavily slanted towards USA. The Internationals have proven to be extremely gritty and opportunistic which has given them a surprising lead entering the final round.
2019 Presidents Cup Teams & Player World Ranking
| Team USA | Team Internationals |
|---|---|
| Justin Thomas – 4 | Adam Scott – 18 |
| Dustin Johnson – 5 | Louis Oosthuizen – 20 |
| Tiger Woods – 6* | Hideki Matsuyama – 21 |
| Patrick Cantlay – 7 | Marc Leishman – 28 |
| Xander Schauffele – 9 | Sungjae Im – 36* |
| Webb Simpson – 11 | Abraham Ancer – 39 |
| Patrick Reed – 12* | Byeong Hun An – 42** |
| Bryson DeChambeau – 13 | Adam Hadwin – 48* |
| Tony Finau – 16* | Cameron Smith – 52 |
| Gary Woodland – 17* | Joaquin Niemann – 56* |
| Rickie Fowler – 22** | C.T. Pan – 64 |
| Matt Kuchar – 24 | Haotong Li – 65 |
*Denotes Captain’s Pick
**Denotes Injury Replacement for Brooks Koepka and Jason Day
Internationals Late Rally a Huge Momentum Swinger
The American tandem of Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler looked to be on cruise control with a commanding 5-up leading after 10 holes, only to squander it with three consecutive bogeys on the final three holes to gift wrap a tie for the Internationals. Not only that, but Tony Finau and Matt Kuchar let a late lead slip through their grasp as well to tie Marc Leishman and Abraham Ancer – effectively swinging the momentum back the other way.
5-down with 8 to play, Marc Leishman & Abraham Ancer stormed back to halve their match with Justin Thomas & Rickie Fowler.
The International Team leads 10-8 heading to Sunday Singles. Teams with a lead entering the Singles have gone 10-0-1 historically at the Presidents Cup. pic.twitter.com/rB3sdIAUz1
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 14, 2019
This week has been a see-saw with the Internationals poised to take a stranglehold, then the Americans getting back in it, then both teams switching places in momentum. Captain Tiger Woods did not play at all in the two third-day sessions, raising eyebrows but given that the States held their own, he will surely escape heavy criticism. It all sets the stage for an epic final day where there will be twelve singles matches to decide the cup. The only time the Internationals have won it came way back in 1998 on this very course (there was one tie in 2003)
Internationals salvage two late ties to maintain a 10-8 lead heading into Sunday singles. Although the US cut the lead it’s hard to say who has the momentum.
— Rex Hoggard (@RexHoggardGC) December 14, 2019
Final Round Singles Matches
| Tiger Woods | Match 1 | Abraham Ancer |
| Tony Finau | Match 2 | Hideki Matsuyama |
| Patrick Reed | Match 3 | C.T. Pan |
| Dustin Johnson | Match 4 | Haotong Li |
| Bryson DeChambeau | Match 5 | Adam Hadwin |
| Gary Woodland | Match 6 | Sungjae Im |
| Patrick Cantlay | Match 7 | Joaquin Niemann |
| Xander Schauffele | Match 8 | Adam Scott |
| Webb Simpson | Match 9 | Byeong Hun An |
| Justin Thomas | Match 10 | Cameron Smith |
| Matt Kuchar | Match 11 | Louis Oosthuizen |
| Rickie Fowler | Match 12 | Marc Leishman |
Who You Should Bet Today
Basically nobody had the Internationals to win the Presidents Cup before the event, and even their +250 odds didn’t seem appealing given their history and inferior team.
They need just 5.5 points to win the cup while the States must get at least 7.5 to take home the trophy. Despite the deficit, continue to bet on the stronger team, even though they are trailing in the event.
Pick: Team USA Wins Presidents Cup (+115)
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Michael "Hound Dog" Harrison is well known in the sports industry as the resident statistician for the SC with Jay Onrait Show. He has worked at TSN for over 16 years, where he's been featured on Sportscentre, That's Hockey, That's Hockey 2Nite, The Masters preview shows, and several more.
