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Posted 09/15/2008 at 01:52 AM
The Ryder Cup provides a great betting opportunity in the middle of football season. It is an event I've followed for the past 20 years. The Europeans have dominated the Ryder Cup, winning the last three and five of the past six. They seem to thrive in this format (team as well as match play). The American side has SIX Ryder Cup rookies and no Tiger Woods. The tricky part is how to bet this. Most sportsbooks in Nevada are offering Europe at -.5 -120 which is no good because of the possibility of a tie, which would mean losing your wager even though Europe would retain the cup. At some offshore sportsbooks, you can bet 'Europe to retain the Ryder Cup". The current price is around -160. If you can bet in Nevada, I believe a better option exists. Cal-Neva Sportsbooks are offering alternate propositions for this event. THE ONE I LIKE IS EUROPE +1.5 -180. This +1.5 is huge in Ryder Cup scoring (28 points possible). You will cash your ticket on Europe if they win, tie, or lose by one. The Europeans have won seven of the past 11 Ryder Cups with a tie in 1989. In the three years the Europeans lost, the scores were 14.5-13.5 in 1991 ("The War by the Shore"), 15-13 in 1993, and 14.5-13.5 in 1999 (The biggest comeback in Ryder Cup history, "The Miracle at Brookline"). You would have won with the +1.5 in two of the three years even though Europe lost the match. The event begins Friday, September 19, so don't get shut out.
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