2021 Ryder Cup Betting Tips Edge Towards USA

On July 8, 2020, the PGA of America announced the postponement of the event to September 24 – 26, 2021. It will take place at Whistling Straits, Haven, Wisconsin. Team Europe is the reigning cup holder after its 17½–10½ victory over Team USA in 2018 at Le Golf National near Paris, France. But with home advantage on their side, 2021 Ryder Cup betting tips currently give America the shorter odds in 2021.

Every two years, 24 of the finest players from Europe and the United States go face-to-face in match play format, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe. Featuring three days of theatre, intense rivalry and sportsmanship under the highest pressure, the event captures millions of viewers around the globe – and not only diehard golf fans.

Format and teams

The Ryder Cup trophy began in 1927, contested between Great Britain and the USA. Later on, the British team became Great Britain and Ireland. But the Ryder Cup as we know it – USA vs Europe – came about in 1979, in an attempt to create a more even contest after years of American dominance. The inclusion of continental European golfers was partly prompted by the success of a new generation of Spanish golfers, led by Seve Ballesteros and Antonio Garrido.

As a result, the Ryder Cup has become one of the world’s greatest sporting events. Along with the Presidents Cup, however, it remains an exception within the world of professional sports. Despite being high-profile events bringing in large amounts of money from television and sponsorship revenue, players receive no prize money. They are instead asked to play for pride, prestige and glory.

The first two days both involve 8 matches – 4 foursome and 4 fourball. The final day sees 12 single matches. Each match is worth one point, with a 1/2 point for a draw. With a total of 28 points available, 14½ points are required to win the Cup, and 14 points for the defending champion to retain it.

Players are selected for the USA from the Ryder Cup points list, based on prize money won in previous tournaments, with one point awarded for every $1,000 earned. There are also six captain’s picks. The European team consists of the leading four players on the Race to Dubai Points List, the leading five players on the World Points List, and three captain’s picks. You can read about the two captains for 2021 here – Ryder Cup 2020: Team Europe to Keep Reigning, as well as check out Ryder Cup betting tips and odds on the competition from Bet365 Sportsbook.

Previous winners

Of the 42 matches played in cup history, the USA lead Europe convincingly by 26 wins to 14. However, with Team Europe having only existed since 1979, this is a misleading statistic, and irrelevant when making predictions on the modern day Ryder Cup. Alongside Great Britain and Ireland, the European team has included players from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Sweden. And since the introduction of European players, Europe have been the superior team, winning 11 Ryder Cup events and retaining the Cup once in a tied match. The USA have won 8 times.

Notably, Team Europe have been dominant on home soil, winning seven and drawing one from ten matches, whereas the USA have won six of their ten home editions. The Europeans have also been stronger away from home. They have won four from nine, while the Americans have only managed two wins on European soil, the last being in 1993. So with the 2021 tournament in Wisconsin, Team USA can at least maximise their chances of regaining the title. To keep up to date with changes in 2021 Ryder Cup odds and betting tips between now and when the tournament starts, check out trusted online gambling sites in the USA.

Ryder Cup results since the turn of the century:

2021 Ryder Cup betting tips – predicting a winner

In recent times, world ranking seems to have become less useful when predicting the winning side. An example – two of Europe’s most successful Ryder Cup players, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia, have earned 33.5 points between them from just 50 matches. Neither of them have ever won a major championship. Two of the most successful golfers ever to play the game, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, have collected only 28 points from 63 matches, and yet they have 19 majors between them. This statistic highlights where Team USA have underperformed, but Europe’s lesser ranked individuals have stepped up their games when needed.

Team USA are generally stronger in the singles format, having outscored the Europeans here. But from the record, it is evident that they rely too heavily on individual performances, and need to score more points during the team setups. This highlights the more cohesive nature of the European team, who have been dominant in the fourball and foursomes format. So with Europe’s dominance in recent years down to their team play, and USA’s lack of cohesion, especially from the bigger names, the ability to form winning partnerships appears to be the difference between the two sides.

Team points breakdown since 1979

That said, during the modern day Ryder Cup the contest has still been a close one. And as in all team sports at the highest level, the difference between winning and losing often comes down to an individual performance. So if Team USA, playing at home, can figure out their best combinations and create genuine team cohesion, then as 2021 Ryder Cup betting tips show, Europe can expect a difficult challenge this time around.

2021 Ryder Cup betting tips – America odds on

Outright winner odds at 1XBET Sportsbook:

The Ryder Cup is the most complex competition in golf. Over two days, teams play 8 fourball matches and 8 foursome matches, with two players from each team playing against one another. In foursome matches, two players alternate turns playing the same ball, the pair with the lower score winning the hole. In fourball matches, every player plays their own ball, and the lower score between the two players is used. Understandably, these games can be difficult to predict. And while golf is one of the most data rich sports in the world, looking at statistics alone may not be so useful.

Team Captains play a significant role in strategy and tactics, however.  While most of the team are chosen by default based on overall rankings,  Captains can hand pick the remaining members. These players don’t necessarily need to be the next highest ranked golfers, and generally aren’t. They will be chosen for specific skills – driving distance, accuracy, chipping, putting, etc – as well as how they cope with different types of course. The Captain will also choose the pairings, matching up players who complement each other’s skills in a way that hopefully gives the team the best chances of winning.

So with Team USA currently favourite in the outright winner market, bets are already open on 2021. But be sure to visit online sportsbooks in the USA to find more 2021 Ryder Cup betting tips and action when teams are finally selected.

You can discover more about Bet365 Sportsbook here.