FantasySportsGametime
MLB Baseball
1000* Play Washington -210 over Colorado (MLB TOP PLAY)
Colorado has lost 56 of the last 94 games vs. NL East Division Opponents and they have lost 36 of the last 63 games when playing on a Wednesday.Colorado has lost 63 of the last 91 games when playing as an underdog of +150 or higher and they have lost 88 of the last 138 games after having lost five or six of the last seven games.
=====================================================
50* Play Houston -100 over Seattle (MLB BONUS PLAY)
50* Play New York Yankees -110 over Tampa Bay (MLB BONUS PLAY)
MLB Baseball
1000* Play Washington -210 over Colorado (MLB TOP PLAY)
Colorado has lost 56 of the last 94 games vs. NL East Division Opponents and they have lost 36 of the last 63 games when playing on a Wednesday.Colorado has lost 63 of the last 91 games when playing as an underdog of +150 or higher and they have lost 88 of the last 138 games after having lost five or six of the last seven games.
=====================================================
50* Play Houston -100 over Seattle (MLB BONUS PLAY)
50* Play New York Yankees -110 over Tampa Bay (MLB BONUS PLAY)
XpertPicks
WEDNESDAY BASEBALL
Chris Young has lost 5 consecutive games when pitching in the month of July and he has lost 10 of the last 16 games vs. division opponents. Chris Young has lost 7 of the last 9 games when the total posted is between 8.5 and 10 runs and he has lost 5 of the last 6 games when pitching on a Wednesday.
Cole Hamels has lost 20 of the last 32 games when pitching as a favorite of -110 or higher and he has lost 23 of the last 38 games when the total posted is between 7 and 8.5 runs. Cole Hamels has lost 19 of the last 31 night games and he has lost 13 of the last 17 games when pitching with five or six days of rest.
WEDNESDAY BASEBALL
- Play Houston +100 over Seattle----Top Play (Risk 8% of your Bankroll)
Chris Young has lost 5 consecutive games when pitching in the month of July and he has lost 10 of the last 16 games vs. division opponents. Chris Young has lost 7 of the last 9 games when the total posted is between 8.5 and 10 runs and he has lost 5 of the last 6 games when pitching on a Wednesday.
- Play Miami +115 over Philadelphia----Top Play (Risk 8% of your Bankroll)
7:00 PM EST
Cole Hamels has lost 20 of the last 32 games when pitching as a favorite of -110 or higher and he has lost 23 of the last 38 games when the total posted is between 7 and 8.5 runs. Cole Hamels has lost 19 of the last 31 night games and he has lost 13 of the last 17 games when pitching with five or six days of rest.
BeatYourBookie
WEDNESDAY
MLB BASEBALL
10* Play Milwaukee +100 over Toronto (MLB TOP PLAY)
Milwaukee is 9-3 vs. AL East Division Opponents the last three seasons
Milwaukee is 27-15 in road games this season
Milwaukee is 18-8 when playing as an underdog of +100 or higher this season
10* Play Miami +115 over Philadelphia (MLB TOP PLAY)
Philadelphia is 11-27 when playing on a Wednesday
Philadelphia is 85-108 when the total posted is between 7 and 8.5 runs
Philadelphia is 79-104 vs. right-handed starting pitchers
=============================================
5* Play Houston +100 over Seattle (MLB BONUS PLAY)
5* Play Chicago Cubs +140 over Boston (MLB BONUS PLAY)
WEDNESDAY
MLB BASEBALL
10* Play Milwaukee +100 over Toronto (MLB TOP PLAY)
Milwaukee is 9-3 vs. AL East Division Opponents the last three seasons
Milwaukee is 27-15 in road games this season
Milwaukee is 18-8 when playing as an underdog of +100 or higher this season
10* Play Miami +115 over Philadelphia (MLB TOP PLAY)
Philadelphia is 11-27 when playing on a Wednesday
Philadelphia is 85-108 when the total posted is between 7 and 8.5 runs
Philadelphia is 79-104 vs. right-handed starting pitchers
=============================================
5* Play Houston +100 over Seattle (MLB BONUS PLAY)
5* Play Chicago Cubs +140 over Boston (MLB BONUS PLAY)
The bounces just are not going our way at all. We had Brendon Todd in the lead stepping onto the 10th hole on Sunday and he dunked a ball in the water on the Par 3. We did once again pick up a big head to head win with the 4 Units on Jordan Spieth over Tiger coming through. This stretch without an outright winner has been extremely frustrating but I do appreciate the positive emails. 8 straight years we dominated the golf world and for some reason in 2014 the ball just ins't rolling in the hole for us.
I would like to welcome everyone to the 2014 Greenbrier Classic this week.
The Greenbrier Classic is played in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia at The Old White TPC. Last year was the 5th year the tournament has been named The Greenbrier Classic, as it replaced the Buick Open on the PGA Tour circuit. Unfortunately for tournament organizers, players have fed off the easy layout of the Par 70, 7020 yard course. We actually had Jeff Overton four years years ago, and Stuart Appleby went out and shot a 59 on Sunday to win by 1 stroke over Jeff.
When organizers saw how easy the course was playing for the Tour pro's, they took a year to lengthen and toughen up the track. Many greens have been altered or replaced and the rough figures to be much more of a challenge this week than in previous years. The course will be playing at 7229 yards this year and will continue to be played as a Par 70.
With a premium once again being put on Total Driving and accuracy from the fairways, lets take a look at one of the most interesting finishing holes in golf (and one that will have an impact on the golf tournament this week.)
The Par 3 162 Yard 18th Hole -
Rarely do you ever see a course finish with a Par 3, but that is exactly the case this week at The Old White TPC. This short Par 3 is where Stuart Appleby made history four years ago by rolling in his putt for a final round 59.Though the 18th is guarded by bunkers, it utilizes its severe two tiered green to guard against the players taking advantage of the short hole. If you are on the wrong tier you can completely count out birdie, and would be more than happy not ending your round with a three putt. Look for the 18th to once again be a climatic setting come Sunday, with the stadium-like gallery loving every minute of it.
The Players
This week we have a below average list of headline names competing as many are preparing elsewhere for the upcoming Open Championship. Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson headline this years stars who will be competing in the Greenbrier Classic. Jimmy Walker, Brendon Todd, Keegan Bradley, Bill Haas, and Steve Stricker are just a few of the other notable names that will be competing this week.
This week we are keying on players who can take advantage of an easier course, yet also play it properly. Though The Old White TPC will be tougher this year, it still presents players with the ability to score well. If you drive the ball in the fairways and are accurate with you irons, you will have the ability to go low this week. Player's who played well last week at an extremely difficult Congressional, are most likely going to find this week very forgiving.
One other thing to watch for is the player's who need to improve their Fed Ex Cup standing in order to qualify for the first event of the playoff season, The Barclays. With only the Top 125 players making the field at The Barclays, look for positioning to be in the back of many players minds.
This season players also have the opportunity to qualify for the Open Championship from the Greenbrier Classic, with spots being awarded to the Top 4 players at the end of the week.
Without further ado, lets get down to my outright winner picks.
[h=3]Steve's Six Pack[/h]Jeff Overton 100/1 - Overton is still without a win on Tour but wow has this guy ever had some quality opportunities. I mentioned earlier that if it wasn't for Stuart Appleby shooting a 59 in the 2010 Greenbrier Classic he would have won the tournament (and we would have had an enormous payday). Jeff is not a consistent player but instead he shows up in a few tournaments each year that he loves. We took him earlier this season at the Zurich Classic and he finished solo 4th (and probably should have won as he had the lead on Sunday).
Jeff is now 31 years old and the talented guy out of Indiana has to be wondering if he will ever win on Tour. I feel this week is a terrific chance for him to as he loves tournaments that you can make a ton of birdies at. A key for Jeff this week will be to keep the ball in the fairway as he ranks 171st on Tour for Driving Accuracy. Jeff loves putting on the greens at Old White TPC, and this should give him a great chance come Sunday afternoon.
Brendon De Jonge 33/1 - De Jonge is another player who has yet to win on Tour but has had many close calls. He showed his ability to play with some of the worlds best last season at the Presidents Cup, and I thought that would propel him to a huge 2014. De Jonge has just 4 Top 25's in 23 events this year though, but he did finish T8 last week.
Last season at this event Brendon finished T17, and would have been in a great position to win if it wasn't for a 3rd round 73. De Jonge has a history of good finishes at this course though as he also has finished 3rd in 2010 and T4 in 2011. Confidence should be at an all time high this week for De Jonge and I feel we are getting great odds on him. A key for Brendon this week will be hitting Greens in Regulation, as he only ranks 119th on Tour in this category. He is a terrific driver of the ball (25th in Total Driving), and loves putting on these greens. I am looking forward to watching the big man from Zimbabwe make plenty of birdies.
Brendon Todd 24/1 - Todd has been on fire as of late. He has finished inside the Top 20 in five straight Tournaments, including a win at the Byron Nelson and a pair of T5's at the Crowne Plaza and the QuickenLoans. It has been everything about his game that has been on recently and I really think he will be on the Ryder Cup team this year. Todd proved he can compete with the best in the game at the US Open (T17), and looks driven to win again.
He will get a great opportunity to this week as Brendon has a putter that is on fire right now. He sunk plenty of 7-10 foot putts last week to save par or make birdies. The course this week will seem like a breeze to Todd who has played played great golf at some tough courses recently. I know he let us down last week, but Todd will make up for it this week.
Morgan Hoffman 110/1 - Hoffman is an interesting selection this week. Hoffman played in this tournament for the first time last year and he finished T23. He hit 75% of his Greens in Regulation that week and played the Par 3's and 4's in a combined 4 under. Hoffman will look to take advantage of the Par 5's more this season, as just 2 under on them will not cut it.
Hoffman has yet to finish in the Top 10 in his second full season on the PGA Tour but this week it will happen. He has success at tournaments when you have to make a lot of birdies and should build off a few positives I noticed last week. Hoffman played great the first two days shooting 70 and 68, but something happened on the weekend and he shot a pair of 78's. Following the tournament he expressed that his game feels right on the edge of breaking through and he was looking forward to this week. I also liked how he showed great composure even when this were not going his way. I have a gut feeling that Hoffman will use last week's tough weekend and be that much more focused on playing great this week.
2 Units on Jimmy Walker 11/1 - I do not even need to explain this pick. Jimmy Walker is going to play on the Ryder Cup team this year, has a chance at being named player of the year, and is by far the favourite this week is West Virginia. He was runner up here last year and has a pair of T4's in 2010 and 2011. Walker finished T9 in his last start (the US Open) and is going to be in contention on Sunday this week. Lay 2 Units on him and enjoy watching one of the best players in the world right now play a course he loves.
[h=3]HEAD TO HEAD[/h]We will go with two Head to Heads this week each for 3 Units
3 Units on - Jimmy Walker (-120) over Bubba Watson
3 Units on - Brendon Todd (-125) over Keegan Bradley
Let's get that elusive winner and get on a great run here.
Steve
I would like to welcome everyone to the 2014 Greenbrier Classic this week.
The Greenbrier Classic is played in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia at The Old White TPC. Last year was the 5th year the tournament has been named The Greenbrier Classic, as it replaced the Buick Open on the PGA Tour circuit. Unfortunately for tournament organizers, players have fed off the easy layout of the Par 70, 7020 yard course. We actually had Jeff Overton four years years ago, and Stuart Appleby went out and shot a 59 on Sunday to win by 1 stroke over Jeff.
When organizers saw how easy the course was playing for the Tour pro's, they took a year to lengthen and toughen up the track. Many greens have been altered or replaced and the rough figures to be much more of a challenge this week than in previous years. The course will be playing at 7229 yards this year and will continue to be played as a Par 70.
With a premium once again being put on Total Driving and accuracy from the fairways, lets take a look at one of the most interesting finishing holes in golf (and one that will have an impact on the golf tournament this week.)
The Par 3 162 Yard 18th Hole -
Rarely do you ever see a course finish with a Par 3, but that is exactly the case this week at The Old White TPC. This short Par 3 is where Stuart Appleby made history four years ago by rolling in his putt for a final round 59.Though the 18th is guarded by bunkers, it utilizes its severe two tiered green to guard against the players taking advantage of the short hole. If you are on the wrong tier you can completely count out birdie, and would be more than happy not ending your round with a three putt. Look for the 18th to once again be a climatic setting come Sunday, with the stadium-like gallery loving every minute of it.
The Players
This week we have a below average list of headline names competing as many are preparing elsewhere for the upcoming Open Championship. Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson headline this years stars who will be competing in the Greenbrier Classic. Jimmy Walker, Brendon Todd, Keegan Bradley, Bill Haas, and Steve Stricker are just a few of the other notable names that will be competing this week.
This week we are keying on players who can take advantage of an easier course, yet also play it properly. Though The Old White TPC will be tougher this year, it still presents players with the ability to score well. If you drive the ball in the fairways and are accurate with you irons, you will have the ability to go low this week. Player's who played well last week at an extremely difficult Congressional, are most likely going to find this week very forgiving.
One other thing to watch for is the player's who need to improve their Fed Ex Cup standing in order to qualify for the first event of the playoff season, The Barclays. With only the Top 125 players making the field at The Barclays, look for positioning to be in the back of many players minds.
This season players also have the opportunity to qualify for the Open Championship from the Greenbrier Classic, with spots being awarded to the Top 4 players at the end of the week.
Without further ado, lets get down to my outright winner picks.
[h=3]Steve's Six Pack[/h]Jeff Overton 100/1 - Overton is still without a win on Tour but wow has this guy ever had some quality opportunities. I mentioned earlier that if it wasn't for Stuart Appleby shooting a 59 in the 2010 Greenbrier Classic he would have won the tournament (and we would have had an enormous payday). Jeff is not a consistent player but instead he shows up in a few tournaments each year that he loves. We took him earlier this season at the Zurich Classic and he finished solo 4th (and probably should have won as he had the lead on Sunday).
Jeff is now 31 years old and the talented guy out of Indiana has to be wondering if he will ever win on Tour. I feel this week is a terrific chance for him to as he loves tournaments that you can make a ton of birdies at. A key for Jeff this week will be to keep the ball in the fairway as he ranks 171st on Tour for Driving Accuracy. Jeff loves putting on the greens at Old White TPC, and this should give him a great chance come Sunday afternoon.
Brendon De Jonge 33/1 - De Jonge is another player who has yet to win on Tour but has had many close calls. He showed his ability to play with some of the worlds best last season at the Presidents Cup, and I thought that would propel him to a huge 2014. De Jonge has just 4 Top 25's in 23 events this year though, but he did finish T8 last week.
Last season at this event Brendon finished T17, and would have been in a great position to win if it wasn't for a 3rd round 73. De Jonge has a history of good finishes at this course though as he also has finished 3rd in 2010 and T4 in 2011. Confidence should be at an all time high this week for De Jonge and I feel we are getting great odds on him. A key for Brendon this week will be hitting Greens in Regulation, as he only ranks 119th on Tour in this category. He is a terrific driver of the ball (25th in Total Driving), and loves putting on these greens. I am looking forward to watching the big man from Zimbabwe make plenty of birdies.
Brendon Todd 24/1 - Todd has been on fire as of late. He has finished inside the Top 20 in five straight Tournaments, including a win at the Byron Nelson and a pair of T5's at the Crowne Plaza and the QuickenLoans. It has been everything about his game that has been on recently and I really think he will be on the Ryder Cup team this year. Todd proved he can compete with the best in the game at the US Open (T17), and looks driven to win again.
He will get a great opportunity to this week as Brendon has a putter that is on fire right now. He sunk plenty of 7-10 foot putts last week to save par or make birdies. The course this week will seem like a breeze to Todd who has played played great golf at some tough courses recently. I know he let us down last week, but Todd will make up for it this week.
Morgan Hoffman 110/1 - Hoffman is an interesting selection this week. Hoffman played in this tournament for the first time last year and he finished T23. He hit 75% of his Greens in Regulation that week and played the Par 3's and 4's in a combined 4 under. Hoffman will look to take advantage of the Par 5's more this season, as just 2 under on them will not cut it.
Hoffman has yet to finish in the Top 10 in his second full season on the PGA Tour but this week it will happen. He has success at tournaments when you have to make a lot of birdies and should build off a few positives I noticed last week. Hoffman played great the first two days shooting 70 and 68, but something happened on the weekend and he shot a pair of 78's. Following the tournament he expressed that his game feels right on the edge of breaking through and he was looking forward to this week. I also liked how he showed great composure even when this were not going his way. I have a gut feeling that Hoffman will use last week's tough weekend and be that much more focused on playing great this week.
2 Units on Jimmy Walker 11/1 - I do not even need to explain this pick. Jimmy Walker is going to play on the Ryder Cup team this year, has a chance at being named player of the year, and is by far the favourite this week is West Virginia. He was runner up here last year and has a pair of T4's in 2010 and 2011. Walker finished T9 in his last start (the US Open) and is going to be in contention on Sunday this week. Lay 2 Units on him and enjoy watching one of the best players in the world right now play a course he loves.
[h=3]HEAD TO HEAD[/h]We will go with two Head to Heads this week each for 3 Units
3 Units on - Jimmy Walker (-120) over Bubba Watson
3 Units on - Brendon Todd (-125) over Keegan Bradley
Let's get that elusive winner and get on a great run here.
Steve
StatFox Super Situations
INDIANA at WASHINGTON
Play On - Favorites (WASHINGTON) revenging a loss versus opponent, with a winning percentage of between 40-49% after 15 or more games 127-70 since 1997. ( 64.5% | 50.0 units )
INDIANA at WASHINGTON
Play On - Any team vs the money line (WASHINGTON) revenging a same season loss versus opponent, a marginal losing team (40% to 49%) playing a bad team (25-40%) after 15 or more games 37-13 since 1997. ( 74.0% | 0.0 units )
CHICAGO at PHOENIX
Play Against - Home favorites vs. the 1rst half line (PHOENIX) hot team - having won 6 or 7 of their last 8 games, well rested team - playing 3 or less games in 10 days 46-18 over the last 5 seasons. ( 71.9% | 26.2 units ) 1-0 this year. ( 100.0% | 1.0 units )
INDIANA at WASHINGTON
Play On - Favorites (WASHINGTON) revenging a loss versus opponent, with a winning percentage of between 40-49% after 15 or more games 127-70 since 1997. ( 64.5% | 50.0 units )
INDIANA at WASHINGTON
Play On - Any team vs the money line (WASHINGTON) revenging a same season loss versus opponent, a marginal losing team (40% to 49%) playing a bad team (25-40%) after 15 or more games 37-13 since 1997. ( 74.0% | 0.0 units )
CHICAGO at PHOENIX
Play Against - Home favorites vs. the 1rst half line (PHOENIX) hot team - having won 6 or 7 of their last 8 games, well rested team - playing 3 or less games in 10 days 46-18 over the last 5 seasons. ( 71.9% | 26.2 units ) 1-0 this year. ( 100.0% | 1.0 units )
CHASE DIAMOND
15* MLB HIDDEN GEM
Oakland vs. Detroit
Money Line: +110 Oakland A’s
Two very good teams square off with Oakland being very desperate today after dropping 3 straight to the Tigers. Presumed public advantage of the Tigers with Justin Verlander couldn’t be more off. Verlander has struggled this season at 6-7 with a 4.80 ERA and Jesse Chavez at 6-4 with a 2.94 ERA is the better pitcher. So we will take the small plus money with the better team and pitcher. Take Oakland straight for a 15* play.
15* MLB HIDDEN GEM
Oakland vs. Detroit
Money Line: +110 Oakland A’s
Two very good teams square off with Oakland being very desperate today after dropping 3 straight to the Tigers. Presumed public advantage of the Tigers with Justin Verlander couldn’t be more off. Verlander has struggled this season at 6-7 with a 4.80 ERA and Jesse Chavez at 6-4 with a 2.94 ERA is the better pitcher. So we will take the small plus money with the better team and pitcher. Take Oakland straight for a 15* play.
The White Sox vs Angels double header proved the sheer uncertainty that surrounds when it comes to double headers! I hope you took my advice Jack and only treated these games just for tracking purposes rather than making any actual wagers on them.
The Angels and White Sox will play their final game of the series now, and what I suggest is to put just a side bet on this game, as I do believe that there is good value on this bet.
We'll have the next system bet coming up just a day after on July 3rd, and including an official system bet that looks quite solid. See you then!
All the best,
-Tony the Sports Betting "Champ"
The Angels and White Sox will play their final game of the series now, and what I suggest is to put just a side bet on this game, as I do believe that there is good value on this bet.
We'll have the next system bet coming up just a day after on July 3rd, and including an official system bet that looks quite solid. See you then!
All the best,
-Tony the Sports Betting "Champ"
GC: MLB Play
On Wednesday the free MLB Play is on the Miami Marlins. Game 960 at 7:10 eastern. Miami fits a nice dog system here that pertains to home dogs off a home favored loss by 1 runs while scoring 4 or less runs with a total that is 8 or less. The Marlins have T. Koehler taking on Cole Hamels for a rematch from last week in Philly where the Marlins lost 5-3. Miami is averaging over 5 runs vs leftys and has won 11 of 16 at home when the total is 7 or less. The Phillies have dropped 9 of 12 on hump day. The Phillies have been slumping and have lost 4 of 6 Hamels road starts. Look for Miami to get a hard fought win here Tonight. On Hump day we have 3 Powerful Plays up, one is the Game of the Week. All are from systems that have not lost since 2004. Jump on now and get on the Giving end of Hump day. For the Bonus Play make it Miami. GC
Wednesday card has the MLB Game of the Week forma Perfect league wide system, a Parlay with 2 game from systems that combine to a 32-0 record since 2004 and an Early 5* Undefeated system side. Free MLB Play belowOn Wednesday the free MLB Play is on the Miami Marlins. Game 960 at 7:10 eastern. Miami fits a nice dog system here that pertains to home dogs off a home favored loss by 1 runs while scoring 4 or less runs with a total that is 8 or less. The Marlins have T. Koehler taking on Cole Hamels for a rematch from last week in Philly where the Marlins lost 5-3. Miami is averaging over 5 runs vs leftys and has won 11 of 16 at home when the total is 7 or less. The Phillies have dropped 9 of 12 on hump day. The Phillies have been slumping and have lost 4 of 6 Hamels road starts. Look for Miami to get a hard fought win here Tonight. On Hump day we have 3 Powerful Plays up, one is the Game of the Week. All are from systems that have not lost since 2004. Jump on now and get on the Giving end of Hump day. For the Bonus Play make it Miami. GC
Jeff Overton has withdrawn from the tournament, so he will be replaced by Chris Stroud @ 55/1 I would like to welcome everyone to the 2014 Greenbrier Classic this week.
The Greenbrier Classic is played in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia at The Old White TPC. Last year was the 5th year the tournament has been named The Greenbrier Classic, as it replaced the Buick Open on the PGA Tour circuit. Unfortunately for tournament organizers, players have fed off the easy layout of the Par 70, 7020 yard course. We actually had Jeff Overton four years years ago, and Stuart Appleby went out and shot a 59 on Sunday to win by 1 stroke over Jeff.
When organizers saw how easy the course was playing for the Tour pro's, they took a year to lengthen and toughen up the track. Many greens have been altered or replaced and the rough figures to be much more of a challenge this week than in previous years. The course will be playing at 7229 yards this year and will continue to be played as a Par 70.
With a premium once again being put on Total Driving and accuracy from the fairways, lets take a look at one of the most interesting finishing holes in golf (and one that will have an impact on the golf tournament this week.)
The Par 3 162 Yard 18th Hole -
Rarely do you ever see a course finish with a Par 3, but that is exactly the case this week at The Old White TPC. This short Par 3 is where Stuart Appleby made history four years ago by rolling in his putt for a final round 59.Though the 18th is guarded by bunkers, it utilizes its severe two tiered green to guard against the players taking advantage of the short hole. If you are on the wrong tier you can completely count out birdie, and would be more than happy not ending your round with a three putt. Look for the 18th to once again be a climatic setting come Sunday, with the stadium-like gallery loving every minute of it.
The Players
This week we have a below average list of headline names competing as many are preparing elsewhere for the upcoming Open Championship. Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson headline this years stars who will be competing in the Greenbrier Classic. Jimmy Walker, Brendon Todd, Keegan Bradley, Bill Haas, and Steve Stricker are just a few of the other notable names that will be competing this week.
This week we are keying on players who can take advantage of an easier course, yet also play it properly. Though The Old White TPC will be tougher this year, it still presents players with the ability to score well. If you drive the ball in the fairways and are accurate with you irons, you will have the ability to go low this week. Player's who played well last week at an extremely difficult Congressional, are most likely going to find this week very forgiving.
One other thing to watch for is the player's who need to improve their Fed Ex Cup standing in order to qualify for the first event of the playoff season, The Barclays. With only the Top 125 players making the field at The Barclays, look for positioning to be in the back of many players minds.
This season players also have the opportunity to qualify for the Open Championship from the Greenbrier Classic, with spots being awarded to the Top 4 players at the end of the week.
Without further ado, lets get down to my outright winner picks.
[h=3]Steve's Six Pack[/h]Chris Stroud 55/1 - This pick replaces Jeff Overton's withdraw
Brendon De Jonge 33/1 - De Jonge is another player who has yet to win on Tour but has had many close calls. He showed his ability to play with some of the worlds best last season at the Presidents Cup, and I thought that would propel him to a huge 2014. De Jonge has just 4 Top 25's in 23 events this year though, but he did finish T8 last week.
Last season at this event Brendon finished T17, and would have been in a great position to win if it wasn't for a 3rd round 73. De Jonge has a history of good finishes at this course though as he also has finished 3rd in 2010 and T4 in 2011. Confidence should be at an all time high this week for De Jonge and I feel we are getting great odds on him. A key for Brendon this week will be hitting Greens in Regulation, as he only ranks 119th on Tour in this category. He is a terrific driver of the ball (25th in Total Driving), and loves putting on these greens. I am looking forward to watching the big man from Zimbabwe make plenty of birdies.
Brendon Todd 24/1 - Todd has been on fire as of late. He has finished inside the Top 20 in five straight Tournaments, including a win at the Byron Nelson and a pair of T5's at the Crowne Plaza and the QuickenLoans. It has been everything about his game that has been on recently and I really think he will be on the Ryder Cup team this year. Todd proved he can compete with the best in the game at the US Open (T17), and looks driven to win again.
He will get a great opportunity to this week as Brendon has a putter that is on fire right now. He sunk plenty of 7-10 foot putts last week to save par or make birdies. The course this week will seem like a breeze to Todd who has played played great golf at some tough courses recently. I know he let us down last week, but Todd will make up for it this week.
Morgan Hoffman 110/1 - Hoffman is an interesting selection this week. Hoffman played in this tournament for the first time last year and he finished T23. He hit 75% of his Greens in Regulation that week and played the Par 3's and 4's in a combined 4 under. Hoffman will look to take advantage of the Par 5's more this season, as just 2 under on them will not cut it.
Hoffman has yet to finish in the Top 10 in his second full season on the PGA Tour but this week it will happen. He has success at tournaments when you have to make a lot of birdies and should build off a few positives I noticed last week. Hoffman played great the first two days shooting 70 and 68, but something happened on the weekend and he shot a pair of 78's. Following the tournament he expressed that his game feels right on the edge of breaking through and he was looking forward to this week. I also liked how he showed great composure even when this were not going his way. I have a gut feeling that Hoffman will use last week's tough weekend and be that much more focused on playing great this week.
2 Units on Jimmy Walker 11/1 - I do not even need to explain this pick. Jimmy Walker is going to play on the Ryder Cup team this year, has a chance at being named player of the year, and is by far the favourite this week is West Virginia. He was runner up here last year and has a pair of T4's in 2010 and 2011. Walker finished T9 in his last start (the US Open) and is going to be in contention on Sunday this week. Lay 2 Units on him and enjoy watching one of the best players in the world right now play a course he loves.
[h=3]HEAD TO HEAD[/h]We will go with two Head to Heads this week each for 3 Units
3 Units on - Jimmy Walker (-120) over Bubba Watson
3 Units on - Brendon Todd (-125) over Keegan Bradley
Let's get that elusive winner and get on a great run here.
Steve
The Greenbrier Classic is played in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia at The Old White TPC. Last year was the 5th year the tournament has been named The Greenbrier Classic, as it replaced the Buick Open on the PGA Tour circuit. Unfortunately for tournament organizers, players have fed off the easy layout of the Par 70, 7020 yard course. We actually had Jeff Overton four years years ago, and Stuart Appleby went out and shot a 59 on Sunday to win by 1 stroke over Jeff.
When organizers saw how easy the course was playing for the Tour pro's, they took a year to lengthen and toughen up the track. Many greens have been altered or replaced and the rough figures to be much more of a challenge this week than in previous years. The course will be playing at 7229 yards this year and will continue to be played as a Par 70.
With a premium once again being put on Total Driving and accuracy from the fairways, lets take a look at one of the most interesting finishing holes in golf (and one that will have an impact on the golf tournament this week.)
The Par 3 162 Yard 18th Hole -
Rarely do you ever see a course finish with a Par 3, but that is exactly the case this week at The Old White TPC. This short Par 3 is where Stuart Appleby made history four years ago by rolling in his putt for a final round 59.Though the 18th is guarded by bunkers, it utilizes its severe two tiered green to guard against the players taking advantage of the short hole. If you are on the wrong tier you can completely count out birdie, and would be more than happy not ending your round with a three putt. Look for the 18th to once again be a climatic setting come Sunday, with the stadium-like gallery loving every minute of it.
The Players
This week we have a below average list of headline names competing as many are preparing elsewhere for the upcoming Open Championship. Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson headline this years stars who will be competing in the Greenbrier Classic. Jimmy Walker, Brendon Todd, Keegan Bradley, Bill Haas, and Steve Stricker are just a few of the other notable names that will be competing this week.
This week we are keying on players who can take advantage of an easier course, yet also play it properly. Though The Old White TPC will be tougher this year, it still presents players with the ability to score well. If you drive the ball in the fairways and are accurate with you irons, you will have the ability to go low this week. Player's who played well last week at an extremely difficult Congressional, are most likely going to find this week very forgiving.
One other thing to watch for is the player's who need to improve their Fed Ex Cup standing in order to qualify for the first event of the playoff season, The Barclays. With only the Top 125 players making the field at The Barclays, look for positioning to be in the back of many players minds.
This season players also have the opportunity to qualify for the Open Championship from the Greenbrier Classic, with spots being awarded to the Top 4 players at the end of the week.
Without further ado, lets get down to my outright winner picks.
[h=3]Steve's Six Pack[/h]Chris Stroud 55/1 - This pick replaces Jeff Overton's withdraw
Brendon De Jonge 33/1 - De Jonge is another player who has yet to win on Tour but has had many close calls. He showed his ability to play with some of the worlds best last season at the Presidents Cup, and I thought that would propel him to a huge 2014. De Jonge has just 4 Top 25's in 23 events this year though, but he did finish T8 last week.
Last season at this event Brendon finished T17, and would have been in a great position to win if it wasn't for a 3rd round 73. De Jonge has a history of good finishes at this course though as he also has finished 3rd in 2010 and T4 in 2011. Confidence should be at an all time high this week for De Jonge and I feel we are getting great odds on him. A key for Brendon this week will be hitting Greens in Regulation, as he only ranks 119th on Tour in this category. He is a terrific driver of the ball (25th in Total Driving), and loves putting on these greens. I am looking forward to watching the big man from Zimbabwe make plenty of birdies.
Brendon Todd 24/1 - Todd has been on fire as of late. He has finished inside the Top 20 in five straight Tournaments, including a win at the Byron Nelson and a pair of T5's at the Crowne Plaza and the QuickenLoans. It has been everything about his game that has been on recently and I really think he will be on the Ryder Cup team this year. Todd proved he can compete with the best in the game at the US Open (T17), and looks driven to win again.
He will get a great opportunity to this week as Brendon has a putter that is on fire right now. He sunk plenty of 7-10 foot putts last week to save par or make birdies. The course this week will seem like a breeze to Todd who has played played great golf at some tough courses recently. I know he let us down last week, but Todd will make up for it this week.
Morgan Hoffman 110/1 - Hoffman is an interesting selection this week. Hoffman played in this tournament for the first time last year and he finished T23. He hit 75% of his Greens in Regulation that week and played the Par 3's and 4's in a combined 4 under. Hoffman will look to take advantage of the Par 5's more this season, as just 2 under on them will not cut it.
Hoffman has yet to finish in the Top 10 in his second full season on the PGA Tour but this week it will happen. He has success at tournaments when you have to make a lot of birdies and should build off a few positives I noticed last week. Hoffman played great the first two days shooting 70 and 68, but something happened on the weekend and he shot a pair of 78's. Following the tournament he expressed that his game feels right on the edge of breaking through and he was looking forward to this week. I also liked how he showed great composure even when this were not going his way. I have a gut feeling that Hoffman will use last week's tough weekend and be that much more focused on playing great this week.
2 Units on Jimmy Walker 11/1 - I do not even need to explain this pick. Jimmy Walker is going to play on the Ryder Cup team this year, has a chance at being named player of the year, and is by far the favourite this week is West Virginia. He was runner up here last year and has a pair of T4's in 2010 and 2011. Walker finished T9 in his last start (the US Open) and is going to be in contention on Sunday this week. Lay 2 Units on him and enjoy watching one of the best players in the world right now play a course he loves.
[h=3]HEAD TO HEAD[/h]We will go with two Head to Heads this week each for 3 Units
3 Units on - Jimmy Walker (-120) over Bubba Watson
3 Units on - Brendon Todd (-125) over Keegan Bradley
Let's get that elusive winner and get on a great run here.
Steve
