US Open Live Bets, Picks & Leaderboard for Friday’s Second Round

• The 125th US Open Championship continues on Friday from Oakmont Country Club
• Ludvig Aberg gained 3.9 strokes ball striking in Round 1
• Keep reading for the best US Open live bets and picks to make in the Second Round

We were promised carnage at the 125th US Open, and Thursday’s first-round scores did not disappoint. Many of the biggest names in golf struggled badly at Oakmont Country Club, with each of the top-three players in the pre-tournament US Open odds carding rounds of +3 or worse.

The second round is already underway and early indications are the course is playing just as difficult. It’s going to take a complete game to navigate this beast, and I’m looking to target strong recent form and solid major championship pedigree with my US Open live bets.

Find my favorite US Open second-round live bets directly below the live leaderboard.

US Open Live Leaderboard

US Open Second Round Live Bet #1

• Ludvig Aberg Under 72.5 Strokes (+115) at DraftKings

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My first selection is going to be under 72.5 strokes for Ludvig Aberg. The Swede carded a 72 in Round 1, but flirted with the lead most of the day before bogeying four of his final five holes. Aberg’s ball striking was immaculate on Thursday, which is something we’ve come to expect from the Swede.

Over the past 36 rounds, only World #1 Scottie Scheffler has posted better strokes gained off the tee metrics than Aberg at difficult courses, i.e. Major Championship and elevated event venues. He’s the only player to rank in the top-18 in both driving distance and accuracy at those tracks over the same time frame, and his driver and irons were on point in Round 1, helping him gain 3.9 strokes ball striking.

Ludvig Aberg Round 1 Strokes Gained Stats

Aberg was also a positive with the putter, but gave away shots around the green. That’s not typical for him, and I’m willing to bet he regresses back to his baseline in that category. He may only be 25, but he’s already had plenty of success at Majors. Aberg owns multiple top-7 Masters finishes, and was 12th at last year’s US Open.

I’m betting Aberg gets himself back into contention for a weekend run by posting a sub-73 round today. The icing on the cake is that his odds to do so are +115, which makes this an auto play for me.

US Open Second Round Live Pick #2

• Taylor Pendrith Over JJ Spaun (-115) at DraftKings

While I’m buying Aberg, I can’t sell First Round leader JJ Spaun fast enough. Spaun was the only player in the field to record a bogey-free round on Thursday, and if you don’t think regression is coming you are sadly mistaken.

Spaun made every putt he looked at and escaped danger multiple times. That is not typical of his game, as he usually struggles both on and around the greens. Spaun was 78th and 86th respectively in those categories against the field over the past 24 rounds entering the week, but somehow managed to gain 4.2 strokes with his putter and another 1.79 strokes scrambling.

You could bet over 73.5 strokes for him at heavily juiced odds, or you could target him in the matchups market with Taylor Pendrith at -115. The Canadian is an elite driver of the golf ball, which is a prerequisite at a US Open track. He’s also fresh off a T-5 at the PGA Championship, and boasts a more ballanced all-around game.

Pendrith was a positive in each of the five major strokes gained categories in Round 1, and unlike Spaun, he wasn’t an outlier in any metric versus his traditional baseline. It’s pretty telling that a guy that was six strokes higher than the leader in Round 1 is favored against him in Round 2. Listen to the story the books are trying to tell you and bet on Pendrith.