Sobel’s Desert Classic Matchup Bets: Fading Phil Mickelson in Round 2

Here’s a recap of the Desert Classic from Thursday: Phil Mickelson tweeted that he was rusty before the round, drawing fear from everyone who wagered on him, then posted an un-rusty 12-under 60 to claim a four-stroke early lead.

Are we jumping on the Lefty train for Round 2? Not so fast, my friends.

Season Record: 13-17-3 (-4.46 units)

Aaron Wise (+100) over Phil Mickelson

11:40 a.m. ET

Even though Phil didn’t show any rust on Thursday, you know it’s in there somewhere, waiting to show its ugly face. I’ll take Wise, a talented young player who shot 68 himself, as Mickelson suffers some regression after that low number.

Brendan Steele -1.5 (-145) over Jason Dufner

12:10 p.m. ET

On a host venue that serves as his annual ATM, Steele played well, but didn’t take advantage of the par-5s on Thursday. Meanwhile, Dufner is DFL and, well, it’s tough to envision the next two days are anything but a death march toward a missed cut after three rounds.

Jon Rahm (-190) over Chez Reavie

12:50 p.m. ET

Speaking of personal ATMs, Rahm, the defending champion, has figured out this weaker field is a nice way to pad his wallet. We’ve been on Reavie since last week, but that balky putting stroke is still a major concern.