Best Longshot Bets and Sleeper Picks for 2020 Travelers Championship
- The PGA Tour heads north to TPC River Highlands to play the Travellers Championship from June 25th-June 28th
- The course has yielded multiple winners over the past few years, and we’ll dive into some sleepers you can bet this week including Viktor Hovland & J.T. Poston
- Read below to find out which long shots pose the best value to take a risk on at the Travellers Championship
The PGA Tour plays the Travellers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut this week. The field is packed with stars yet again, but we are going to take a look at some of the underdogs to wager on this week.
Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau are a few of the top favorites this week in Connecticut. Although it can be a no brainer to bet on the top guns week in and week out, there are a few players that have great value that should not be passed on.
Read below to find three longshots picks to win as well as finish within the top 10 and top 20.
Longshot & Sleeper Odds for 2020 Travelers Championship
| Player | Odds To Win | Top 5 Odds | Top 10 Odds | Top 20 Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viktor Hovland | +6000 | +1100 | +550 | +250 |
| J.T. Poston | +7000 | +1200 | +600 | +300 |
| Chris Stroud | +25000 | +6000 | +2000 | +800 |
Odds taken June 24th
Hovland Continues to Improve
The 22-year-old Norwegian finally got his first win in 2020 at the Puerto Rico Open with a whopping 20-under par. Hovland played in the Travellers Championship last year where he finished 54th with a total score of 1-under par.
Although it wasn’t Hovland’s best finish – he had rounds of 67 and 68 on the weekend – experience at the course should lead to him jumping into the mix
Everyone knows how good of a ball striker Hovland is, especially in his last two events. Since the Tour returned to play, Hovland is 10th in Strokes Gained: Approach and sixth in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green.
He has also put in some serious work on his short game recently as he finished within the top 30 in scrambling at the Charles Schwab Challenge and RBC Heritage.
Most rounds of 65 or lower on the PGA TOUR in the last 12 months:
Webb Simpson, 13
Joaquin Niemann, 12
Hideki Matsuyama, 11
Bryson DeChambeau, 9
Collin Morikawa, 9
Viktor Hovland, 9
(thru Heritage's 2nd round)— Sean Martin (@PGATOURSMartin) June 20, 2020
After finishing 23rd and 21st in his last two events, respectively, Hovland is poised for a good week and this course suits him well. If he can putt well on these Bent Poa Annua mixed greens he should not have problem being in contention on Sunday.
Pick: Win (+6000), Top 5 (+1100)
Poston’s Rolling
J.T. Poston has been playing great since the return of the PGA Tour. He had a 10th place finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge and an eighth place finish at the RBC Heritage.
Poston burst onto the scene within the last calendaryear and is starting to make a name for himself with the big guns.
Poston earned his first PGA Tour victory last year at the Wyndham Championship. The 27-year-old is starting to heat up and is looking to push for his second career PGA Tour victory this week in Connecticut.
In the last two weeks Poston is tied-first in Strokes Gained: Around the Green, third in Strokes Gained: Putting, as well as fourth in Strokes Gained: Total. The North Carolina native is coming into this week playing some of his best golf as a pro.
Poston has missed the cut all three times he’s played in the Travellers, but that has just given him better value heading into this tournament. Current form is more important than past tournament form, roll with Poston this week.
Pick: Top 10 (+600)
Stroud’s Success in Connecticut
Chris Stroud is a seasoned veteran on Tour at this point. Stroud has had success at TPC River Highlands in the past as well. In his nine starts at the Travellers, Stroud has a second-place finish, a Top 10, and two Top 20s.
Chris Stroud missed seven consecutive cuts before restarting his 2020 @PGATOUR season at the @RBC_Heritage this week.
He fires the second 63 of the day today, now tied for the lead at 13-under par with Joaquin Niemann.
Golf.
— Lukas Weese (@Weesesports) June 20, 2020
Stroud finished 28th place last week at the RBC Heritage. He fired off a 63 in his third round, but couldn’t get anything going in his final round so stay in contention. In his last two events, Stroud is third in Strokes Gained: Around the Green, which is an important stat to have going into TPC River Highlands.
The 38-year-old’s lone PGA Tour win was on Bent Poa Annua mixed greens, which is what he’ll have to go up against at TPC River Highlands. Stroud has missed the cut the last two times at the Travellers, but with his short game in check Stroud should be ready for a big week in Connecticut.
Pick: Top 20 (+800)
With 5+ years of sports journalism under his belt, Ryan Sura may be young, but he's already making his mark. Ryan is the lead NHL editor at SBD, along with managing content for MMA, Boxing, and Racing. He is also the commercial manager, highlighting the best promos at online sportsbooks across US.
