Updated 2022 Travelers Championship Odds & Picks for Davis Riley, Aaron Wise, More

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CROMWELL, Conn. — Never let it be said that The Country Club can be overcome by modern technology.

I’m not even talking about golf equipment.

I never mind pulling back the curtain and giving you guys a peek at what this job is like, but I’m about to open the whole damn window.

On Saturday, as I was co-hosting live coverage on U.S. Open Radio from our perch down the left side of the driving range, I was perusing the leaderboard when my laptop suddenly offered the infamous Blue Screen of Death and never returned to life. Talk about tough conditions.

This was right around the time USGA CEO Mike Whan had joined us in the booth for a conversation and he may or may not have witnessed me mockingly attempt to throw the dying computer onto the practice facility below us.

Anyway, I’m certainly not asking for sympathy — or even empathy. It comes with the territory.

I’m also not asking for suggestions. “Why didn’t you just borrow someone else’s laptop?” Because everyone else was using theirs. “Why didn’t you go get it fixed?” That seems counterproductive to covering the tournament. “Why are you still whining about it?” Ah, now that’s a good question.

The answer serves as an explanation for the preview you’re about to read.

These are always a bit truncated on weeks after major championships anyway, but following the final round, I made the 90-minute drive to this week’s Travelers Championship. More shows, more pods, more content. No time (yet) to fix my laptop issues.

Again, no sympathy needed. Just explaining that you’re about to read a preview typed out on a phone after covering a major and driving to the next venue.

Let’s get right to one of my favorite tournaments of the year — and one that’s endeared itself to plenty of superstars, as this week’s field list includes Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Sam Burns, Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele.

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Outright Winner

One player to win the tournament.

Davis Riley (+4000)

As you’ve probably already noticed, he’s on the same trajectory as his buddy Will Zalatoris and some of the game’s other young twenty-something up-and-comers, just a year or so behind on the timeline. Maybe less.

Riley’s results in his last six starts suggest a lofty ceiling/floor combination: 31st-13th-4th-13th-9th-5th — and that doesn’t even include a playoff loss at the Valspar Championship a few months ago.

It’ll be a tall task taking down those big names, but in a small sample size, Riley has shown a propensity for playing his best golf when birdies are readily available, as they will be this week. I love taking a shot at this price.

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Other OADers

Potential selections for one-and-done options.

Jordan Spieth (+2000)

Some might look at this event and decide against “wasting” one of the top players. The truth is, though, that the win equity — not to mention the contention probability— is higher here than at a major championship or other big event.

Spieth has obviously won here in the past, so he knows how to play this track. Presumably fully over last week’s pre-tourney illness, I like the idea of getting a guy who’s seemingly on his second wind in the aftermath.

Joel Dahmen (+6000)/Denny McCarthy (+6600)

For the most part, I’m not chasing too many guys who were in serious contention at the U.S. Open this past weekend. Most of ‘em will need to recharge the batteries before getting back out there.

That said, I don’t mind taking a shot on either of these Country Club contenders, whose games should fit TPC River Highlands nicely. If I had to pick one, I’d probably lean toward McCarthy, but both are viable.

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Top-Five

One player to finish top-five.

Webb Simpson

He hasn’t quite proven it, but I still think big things are coming this summer for Simpson. There’s an intriguing pattern of players who were injured for part of the early portion of the year later having more gas in the tank than their peers once we hit the dog days. At 80-1 on DraftKings, I don’t mind taking a chance for him to win the tournament either.

Top-10

One player to finish top-10.

Aaron Wise (+450)/Keith Mitchell (+500)

I should have each of these names saved as a copy/paste option, considering how many times I’ve written about them this year. They’re no longer completely undervalued — now just slightly undervalued — but remain two of my favorite plays to pick off a victory soon. I’ll go a bit conservative for top-10s here, though I don’t mind a more aggressive ticket.

Top-20

One player to finish top-20.

Brendan Steele (+200)

Horses for courses, but especially for course horses. OK, that sentence might not make sense, but I’ll explain: There are some players who fare well at the same tracks every year and Steele is near the top of that list. Throw in the fact that he chased his best career major finish, a T9 at the PGA Championship, with a T10 at the Memorial, and I like him in all formats this week.

Top-30

One player to finish top-30.

David Lipsky/Aaron Rai

Once again, I’m lumping these Zurich Classic partners together. They play similar games and tend to thrive on shorter courses, so the 6,800-yard TPC River Highlands setup should be right up their respective alleys.

Top-40

One player to finish top-40.

Max McGreevy (+500)

I’m never going to list a massive favorite for a top-40 play. That’s no fun. This is a spot for taking a conservative chance on a plus-money play.

Even though McGreevy hasn’t cashed a top-40 in his last eight starts, he’s actually had some periods of really nice golf during that time. Here’s hoping he can finally put four rounds together again.

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DFS Free Bingo Square

A safe plug-and-play option for DFS.

Patrick Cantlay

Look, if you really like Rory or Scottie or JT this week, I’m certainly not going to talk you out of them — and I’ll probably have a few lineups with each, too.

Cantlay, though, has been tremendous in non-majors recently and owns a solid track record at this course. With those other big names in the field, I’m thinking (or just hoping) ownership might be a bit lower here and we can gain some leverage.

DFS ‘Dog

A lower-priced option for DFS.

Emiliano Grillo

After missing the cut in seven of his first nine starts in 2022, Grillo is finally starting to play better, reaching the weekend in five straight. None of those have resulted in anything better than a T28, but if he’s on, he’s an above-average ball-striker who just needs one or two hot rounds with the putter in order to get himself into contention.

First-Round Leader

One player to post the low score Thursday.

Patrick Rodgers (+10000)

I was tempted to go back to the well and use Harold Varner III again — and he’s still a fine play for FRLs, too — but I think Rodgers is starting to find his groove and this should be a good spot for him. He hasn’t quite shown the ability to remain in serious contention for an entire weekend, though, so I’ll make the investment for just Thursday instead.

Matchup Man

One player who should beat comparable players.

Brian Harman (+5000)

Nice combo here of a guy who plays well on short courses and one who doesn’t miss many cuts, something I always like for H2H plays since it essentially gives us two chances at cashing. Harman has been trending in the right direction with his performances for a while, but hasn’t really gotten the desired results. This should be one he’s had circled on his calendar for a while.

Also Receiving Votes

Other players who should provide value.

Scottie Scheffler (+1000), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+7000), Maverick McNealy (+7000), Cameron Tringale (+8000), K.H. Lee (+9000), C.T. Pan (+10000), Kevin Streelman (+10000), Doug Ghim (+12500), Patton Kizzire (+25000)

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