2018 Ryder Cup: Day 2 Predictions for All 4 Morning Matches
USA TODAY Sports. Pictured: Patrick Reed, Tiger Woods, Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood.
- Day 2 of the 2018 Ryder Cup will get underway at 2 a.m. ET with four fourball matches between the U.S. and Europe Teams.
- The U.S. Team won three of the four fourball matches on Friday, and captain Jim Furyk is using the same exact pairings on Saturday.
- In the anchor match, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas are slight favorites (-105 odds) to beat Ian Poulter and Jon Rahm (+160).
SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France — In hopes of regaining some semblance of momentum, let alone the overall lead, U.S. captain Jim Furyk will enlist the same pairings for Saturday morning's fourball session that posted a 3-1 total on Friday in the same format.
Let's break down all four matches.
A quick explanation on some of the odds you’ll see below: A $100 bet on +190 odds would return $190, a $250 bet on -250 odds would return $100, etc.
Match 9: Brooks Koepka/Tony Finau vs. Rory McIlroy/Sergio Garcia
- Koepka/Finau Odds: +130
- McIlroy/Garcia Odds: +115
- Halve Odds: +500
Let's face it: Koepka and Finau stole one away in Friday's opening match, as neither one of them hit the ball particularly well but were bailed out by some balky putts from Justin Rose and Jon Rahm.
I don't see McIlroy and Garcia giving anything away here. While I still like Koepka to keep playing better, give the Europeans the edge in this one.
Prediction: McIlroy/Garcia (+115)
Match 10: Dustin Johnson/Rickie Fowler vs. Paul Casey/Tyrrell Hatton
- Johnson/Fowler Odds: -125
- Casey/Hatton Odds: +195
- Halve Odds: +500
A third straight match for DJ and Rickie together, as they'll get a chance to replicate their ham-and-egg performance from Friday morning.
Casey and Hatton charged late before dropping their opening match together. This one should prove just as challenging, as DJ in this format could be worth 5-6 birdies alone.
Prediction: Johnson/Fowler (-125)
Match 11: Tiger Woods/Patrick Reed vs. Francesco Molinari/Tommy Fleetwood
- Woods/Reed Odds: +137
- Molinari/Fleetwood Odds: +110
- Halve Odds: +500
Rematch! Woods and Reed never looked comfortable as a pairing, especially with a handful of loose shots in the closing holes Friday morning.
Meanwhile, Fleetwood and Frankie could be Europe's new It Pairing, as they've looked unsinkable so far.
I called for a halve on Friday, which didn't happen, but I'm going back to the well here in what should be a very closely contested match.
Prediction: Halve (+500)
Match 12: Jordan Spieth/Justin Thomas vs. Jon Rahm/Ian Poulter
- Spieth/Thomas Odds: -105
- Rahm/Poulter Odds: +160
- Halve Odds: +500
Spieth and Thomas should bring a chemistry to this match that Poulter and Rahm might not yet possess.
More importantly, Rahm looked inconsistent on those short putts in his first Ryder Cup match.
Expect those "good buddies" to secure another late point for the U.S.
Prediction: Spieth/Thomas (-105)
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