As I said before, we’re not just a hoops betting blog (during the offseason anyway)…I make all kinds of sports betting picks, within reason (no darts over here, son).  The 138th British Open tees off this week at Turnberry, and here’s a look at who you should take a look at in your offshore sportsbook. Also, if you’re planning on watch, it tees off at 2:30 AM ET. Lots of coffee will be on the menu on Thursday morning.

1) Tiger Woods


Do I even need to explain why he’s the sportsbook favorite at +185? Fine. Three Open championships, two T-6s in both majors this year, two victories, um….and he’s Tiger MF Woods. Really, if I need to explain more, don’t bother betting on this tournament.

2) Steve Stricker

I like Stricker, especially at odds of +3300. He’s one of the best putters in the game, and over the last couple of years, he’s learned how to win golf tournaments. He’s won two of his last four starts, and he has two straight top-10s in the Open. Darkhorse of the tournament.

3) Ian Poulter

The loudmouth Englishman finished second in last year’s Open, and he finished in the top 20 of both majors this year. Plus, he’s British, so you know he’s used to windy links courses like Turnberry, which hasn’t hosted the Open since 1994. If he can keep his sometimes-shaky driver in the fairway, watch out. Still, he’s worth a shot with British Open odds of +2800.

4) Lee Westwood

Another Englishman, but he’s struggled in his last four years at the Open, failing to crack the top 30. He’s been playing well in Europe this year, and he’s being paired with Tiger for the first two rounds, which will give him an idea of where his game is. Westwood has odds of +2800 in your offshore sportsbook.

5) Rory McIlroy

The 20-year-old from Northbet Ireland says that he could have some troubles if it’s windy due to a high ball flight. But my thing is, he’s practiced with that flight, I would assume, since he’s been golfing, so he should be used to how to work the ball. He’s coming off a 10th-place result in the US Open, and he finished 20th in The Masters. He has odds of +2200 along with two-time defending champ Padraig Harrington (DO NOT BET on Paddy this weekend), and he’s definitely worth a shot in your betting software.