The Ryder Cup has arguably the best atomsphere in golf.
The biennial event pits the best players from the United States against those from Europe in a four-day, multi-format tournament that captivates the golf world.
The Ryder Cup will make its first trip to Italy for the 2023 edition, with Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome hosting the tournament. The tournament is just about here, so if you’re interested in betting on the Ryder Cup, here’s a look at how to and the best sites with which to do so.
Benefits of Betting on the Ryder Cup Online
It used to be that golf betting, like all of sports betting, was confined to Las Vegas. Fans would flock to Sin City for marquee sporting events, like the Ryder Cup, to get in on the action. Then they would hole up at a sportsbook and watch it all unfold.
But that doesn’t need to happen anymore. The sportsbook can be wherever you are, as long as you’re in a state where online sports betting is legal. You can place wagers from the couch, the bed, the bathroom, or even the car — though please not while you’re driving.
The Ryder Cup brings out unique emotions in golf fans, since its format is teams representing their home lands squaring off in a winner-take-all tournament. Online sportsbooks recognize the tournament’s importance and offer year-round odds on which team will win the Ryder Cup then will produce promos, like boosts, during the tournament.
Plus, with apps available essentially on every mobile device, it has never been easier to place live bets and other wagers while you’re running errands or checking things off your to-do list.
Best Ryder Cup Betting Sites
There’s no shortage of apps to use to bet on golf, and thus the Ryder Cup. Here’s a look at some of our favorites.
FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel Sportsbook is the No. 1 online sportsbook in the United States thanks mainly to its constant innovation. But FanDuel is an exceptional option especially for golf betting since it offers has a partnership with the PGA Tour.
FanDuel of course offers players the opportunity to wager on which team will win but also adds loads of prop options, broken down by day, so they can play in the style that is most desirable.
Enjoy a diverse selection of betting markets within a user-friendly interface at FanDuel.
DraftKings Sportsbook
DraftKings Sportsbook is the most widely available sportsbook in the United States, offering service in more than 20 states. Chances are good if online sports betting is legal in your state, you can wager with DraftKings.
Plus, the DraftKings Online Sportsbook has great betting options for the Ryder Cup. It offers props, player props — like which player from each country will be the highest scorer — and live betting, or wagering while the action is ongoing.
Plus,DraftKings regularly gives new users terrific welcome offers, like bet-and-gets, that center around marquee sporting events like the Ryder Cup, which gives players more bang for their buck while still getting them in on the action.
BetMGM
BetMGM is a betting partner with the PGA Tour and offers some of the best betting options for golf events.
The site offers year-round odds for which team will win the Ryder Cup and has a plethora of prop options for players to peruse on its user-friendly platform. Plus, BetMGM offers trends and tips to help players make informed decisions.
BetMGM has a great rewards program where bettors can cash in their points, which they receive just for placing bets in the app, for hotel credits at MGM Resorts worldwide. Plus, the sportsbook regularly treats its loyal users to free bet credits which can be used on any betting market.
Caesars Sportsbook
Caesars Sportsbook has a terrific user interface and an even better rewards program where users can earn loyalty points just by using the Caesars online platform and app.
Players on the Caesars Online Sportsbook can take advantage of great prop options, with terrific odds, for their prop betting. Plus, Caesars will offer boosted props and even boosted cross-sport parlays, like a combination between the Ryder Cup and a baseball, college football or NFL outcome that fans of both can take advantage of.
BetRivers Sportsbook
BetRivers Sportsbook is probably the most informative sportsbook, which makes it an awesome option for new and novice bettors.
BetRivers has an innovative search tool, which is especially good for golf tournaments. The sportsbook invites users to seek out how a player has previously fared at a particular course or in a particular tournament before putting down their funds on a prop bet or other wager.
Plus, BetRivers has competitive odds and a slew of markets but also has a helpful glossary that explains terms that new bettors might not know but are too intimidated to ask.
How To Pick the Best Ryder Cup Betting Sites
Any of the sites listed above is a great option for Ryder Cup betting. But if you’re still unsure which sportsbook to try, here are some extra criteria to consider.
- Welcome Bonuses: Great welcome bonuses can be the gift that keep on giving. The best offers lengthen your ability to play on the site but also should be conducive to your playing style.
- Odds: The best odds give bettors the largest payout. When trying to place a wager, it is integral to shop the odds to get the best payout.
- Boosts: Odds boosts are one of the few ways sportsbooks can distinguish themselves. Each sportsbook will boost a prop or individual player’s odds at executing an event — like if Rory McIlroy’s odds to finish as the top European scorer are +400 a sportsbook may boost those to +450 or +500. Boosts are typically one-off wagers confined to single sportsbooks, so it’s important to look for them before placing a bet.
- Functionality: We all want a sportsbook that can make our bets happen quickly, especially when live betting. Odds can shift speedily, especially while the action is happening. Having a sportsbook that enables you to log in and place your bet with lightning-quick speed is essential.
- Banking Methods: If we win, we want to win money while betting we want to be able to get our money as soon as possible too, right? Find a sportsbook that lets you transfer your money in minutes, not days.
Best Ryder Cup Bets You Can Make
The Ryder Cup is a unique sporting event in that it’s made up of golf teams. So unlike regular golf-betting markets, there are some alternate ones to keep in mind.
- Team to Win/Lift the Trophy: If you’re an American, you’re probably going to want to bet on the Americans to either win or lift the trophy. Winning the trophy can be harder than lifting it, since if the Ryder Cup ends in a draw, the team that previously won the trophy will retain it.
- Day Winner: Do you think the US or Europe will get out to a fast start on Day 1? Do you think the other will rebound in Day 2? You can wager on which team will finish with a better score in an individual day at all the sportsbooks above.
- Player Props: Do you want to bet on the top rookie from each country? Or do you want to wager on a specific player to finish as his country or team’s top finisher? Sportsbooks offer loads of props for the Ryder Cup to consider, and it’s fun to focus on player props since we all want to cash in when our favorite player performs well.
Live Betting on the Ryder Cup
Strange things have been known to happen at the Ryder Cup, like the United States’ legendary comeback in 1999 or when Europe turned the tables on the U.S. in 2012. So live betting, or wagering while the tournament is ongoing, is a fun way to get lucrative odds in the hope of a comeback win.
Live betting is a staple of online sports betting, since bets lock and markets close when you place them at brick-and-mortar sportsbooks like in Vegas. All of the above sites offer live betting, so if it’s something you’re interested in or want to try, take your shot. But be sure to tread lightly since the odds are long for a reason.
Betting Site Offers to Keep in Mind
The Ryder Cup is one of the most popular golf events to wager in the world, and online sportsbooks provide welcome bonuses aimed at getting new bettors in on the action. Here are some of the best and most popular.
No-Deposit Bonus/Free Bet
No-deposit bonuses are essentially free site credit users get for signing up. Usually no-deposit bonuses are reserved for the casino domain, but sometimes online sportsbooks will offer new players site credit just for signing up — BetMGM does this, usually for players who sign up ahead of a new state’s launch.
Free bets are usually given to players who have shown some loyalty to a particular sportsbook — again, BetMGM is renowned for its willingness to give free-bet credits to new players. These promos are helpful since the user can win valuable playing funds without putting out any of his/her own money.
First-Deposit Bonus
A first-deposit bonus is one of the best new-player promos since it effectively doubles a player’s funds without requiring them to part with more than he/she is willing to, initially.
Many sportsbooks offer some form of deposit bonus — the best is a 100% match — during various points of the sports calendar, including during marquee events like the Ryder Cup. These promos are worth cashing in on since they boost a player’s funds.
The only drawback is a player must wager with bonus funds a preset number of times before cashing out. The best first-deposit bonuses require users to only play through the bonus 1x.
There also is sometimes a time limit to play through the bonus funds, or the user may risk forfeiting bonus funds. Although, that time period is usually between 30-180 days, leaving ample time for a user to convert the bonus funds to money that can be withdrawn.
Risk-Free Bet
Risk-free bets may be known by a few names, like First Bet Insurance or No Sweat First Bets, but they are effectively bets that are paid back as bet credits, or site credits, if they are unsuccessful.
There are two types of risk-free bets, those that reimburse in site credit and those that are paid back as a second bet equal to the first amount. The best type of new-user risk-free bet pays back in site credit, since you can have a certain number of bet credits to use through again, with the potential to win back the initial deposit and wager.
Remember to check the fine print since sometimes risk-free bets carry a minimum odds requirement. A second bet equal to the first is still a fine consolation for a lost first wager, but no one wants to be out $1,000-plus in two bets.
Bet & Get
Bet and Gets are some of the newest and most popular new-user bonuses. In a bet-and-get, a sportsbook will give a new user site credit in exchange for a small deposit, $10, and a small first wager like $1 or $5.
Bet and gets are a great way for a player without much money to get in on the action, since sportsbooks will typically give players $150 or $200 in site credit to play with in the form of bet credits.
Sometimes sportsbooks will give these offers to more established players, but not at the bet-$5-get-$200 level.
Where Can I Legally Bet on the Ryder Cup Online?
Here is a list of states where you can bet on the US Open, and golf in general, in the US.
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Nevada
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Washington D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Why You Should Avoid Illegal Betting Sites
Offshore sportsbooks are a scourge. They dupe players with unfavorable odds or uncompetitive lines and can even lack basic things like customer service or multiple depositing and withdrawal options.
It used to be that sports bettors were confined to those wagering platforms because there were no other legal options outside of Vegas. But with the advent of legal and regulated online sportsbooks, those days are gone.
Legal sportsbooks give players bonus funds and boosts and are regulated like the lottery or statewide casinos. If nothing else, your playable funds are going back into your in-state’s economy, since each sportsbook forks over a portion of deposits and profits in taxes.
There’s really no better option than wagering with legal, regulated sportsbooks.
Choose More Than One Ryder Cup Betting Site
It’s extremely important to play with more than one sports-betting site to shop for the best odds and cash in on boosts and other promotions that sportsbooks give users.
I always have funds in at least four different sportsbook accounts so I can shop for the best odds, especially while betting live. But if there is a boost I like, I can also quickly take advantage and not worry about constantly needing to redeposit.
Plus, you’ll want to take advantage of all the new-player offers each sportsbook provides. These are typically the sportsbook’s best offer, and they don’t last forever, so it’s integral to take advantage of ones that suit your playing style and build bankroll with a sportsbook whose interface you really like.
