Scheffler starts FedEx Cup as champion favorite
David Purdum, ESPN Staff WriterAug 14, 2024, 01:01 PM ET
- Joined ESPN in 2014
- Journalist covering gambling industry since 2008
Scottie Scheffler is the odds-on betting favorite to win the FedEx Cup, as the playoffs get going this week in Memphis.
Scheffler, the world No. 1 who sits atop the FedEx Cup standings, more than 1,900 points ahead of second-place Xander Schauffele, is -120 to capture the Cup at ESPN BET as of Wednesday. Schauffele is next at +400, followed by Rory McIlroy (+450) and Collin Morikawa (+900).
Those four also are the favorites to win this week at the 70-player FedEx St. Jude Championship, which kicks off the three-week playoffs. Scheffler, at +350, has attracted more than twice as much money from bettors to win this week than any other golfer in the field, according to DraftKings.
Top FedEx Cup Odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | -120 |
| Xander Schauffele | +400 |
| Rory McIlroy | +450 |
| Collin Morikawa | +900 |
| Ludvig Aberg | +2800 |
| Patrick Cantlay | +4500 |
| Sungjae Im | +4500 |
| Sahith Theegala | +5500 |
| Wyndham Clark | +6000 |
| Russell Henley | +6000 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | +6000 |
| — via ESPN Bet as of Wednesday |
With a victory at TPC Southwind, Scheffler would join Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh as the only players with seven PGA Tour wins in a single season. This also will be Scheffler’s 100th career week atop the world rankings, making him only the fifth golfer to reach the milestone, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Scheffler — who questioned the playoff format as “silly” on Wednesday — has been the odds-on favorite to win the FedEx Cup off and on this season but cemented that position with his gold medal win at the Paris Olympics, said veteran Las Vegas golf oddsmaker Jeff Sherman of the Westgate SuperBook.
After the St. Jude Championship, the FedEx Cup playoffs continue with a 50-player field at the BMW Championship on Aug. 22-25 and conclude with 30 players at the Tour Championship on Aug. 29-Sept. 1 in Atlanta.
