One of the fun weeks of golf is back, as alongside the Rocket Mortgage Classic this week is the eighth viewing of The Match. The event will take place this Thursday, June 29, at 6:30 p.m. ET at The Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nev.
The Match is an annual one-day golf event that features one celebrity team of golfers against another, and this year’s matchup features a bridging of basketball and football, as the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce face off against the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
As has been the case in previous events, The Match is being held at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nev. We will be able to see the normal spectacle of this event as Charles Barkley will be the main commentator, and he’ll be in the golfers’ ears, talking trash, asking micro-interviews, and providing commentary on the golf match.
Let’s dive right into some analysis for this year’s event.
The Match 2023 Winner Odds
Golf odds used for The Match picks were found at DraftKings Sportsbook and are current as of Wednesday, June 28.
- Stephen Curry & Klay Thompson (-230)
- Patrick Mahomes & Travis Kelce (+195)
The Match 2023 Predictions & Prop Bets
As mentioned above, this is only the second time that no professional golfers will be taking part in this event. Curry has the lowest handicap of the four golfers, coming in at a +1 handicap, which means he’s better than a scratch golfer.
His partner, Thompson, plays to a 15. Mahomes and Kelce, meanwhile, play to a 7 and 11, respectively.
Curry/Thompson to Win (-230) • DraftKings Sportsbook
The scramble format makes this a little of a closer match than the handicaps would suggest, though, Curry being better than a scratch golfer tilts the favor to the Warriors’ player’s side just enough to get me to take them.
Curry’s ability to be pinpoint should come in handy just enough times to mitigate Thompson’s struggles around the course, and I’m unsure that Mahomes and Kelce can get hot enough to stop them.
You can get creative here, too, by parlaying this golf bet of the day with other golf futures. For instance, Scottie Scheffler to win The Open is +900, and the two bets parlayed together would yield +1334 odds if won.
Most Par 3 Winners: Curry/Thompson (-145) • DraftKings Sportsbook
This again stems from Curry being able to get much more dialed in with his irons than the other three players given the skill gap between them all.
If Mahomes and Kelce are unable to dial in irons and wedges, Curry and Thompson will be able to take advantage to get the ball in closer on the par 3s.
⛳ Keep tabs on the top betting promotions to use for The Match.
The Match History & Format
This is the eighth event that The Match has hosted, but it is only the second time that there will be no professional golfers competing in the event, and the first time that it will be two sets of teammates pitted against each other.
The Match is a match play format consisting of 12 holes. It is played as a scramble, which is where both players hit a shot but choose the best ball to continue the hole with and both will play their next shot from that place.
There is also a charity aspect to The Match, with numerous holes that have charitable options attached to certain challenges.
For instance:
Hole 4: DraftKings Sportsbook Closest to the Hole Challenge
- any hole-in-one will equal a $2 million donation made on that team’s behalf
- any shot hit within five feet of the hole, $250,000 will be donated on that team’s behalf
- if no challenges are completed, $100,000 will be donated on behalf of the team whose shot on the green was closest to the hole off the tee
This sequence will be the same for holes 6, 8, and 12, as well.
The Match Previous Winners
- The Match 1: Tiger Woods vs Phil Mickelson — Phil Mickelson
- Match 2: Tiger Woods/Peyton Manning vs Phil Mickelson/Tom Brady — Woods/Manning
- Match 3: Phil Mickelson/Charles Barkley vs Steph Curry/Peyton Manning — Mickelson/Barkley
- Match 4: Bryson DeChambeau/Aaron Rodgers vs Phil Mickelson/Tom Brady — DeChambeau/Rodgers
- Match 5: Bryson DeChanbeau vs Brooks Koepka — Bryson DeChambeau
- Match 6: Tom Brady/Aaron Rodgers vs Josh Allen/Patrick Mahomes — Brady/Rodgers
- Match 7: Jordan Spieth/Justin Thomas vs Tiger Woods/Rory McIlroy — Spieth/Thomas
