Action Report: Bettors love massive favorite Jon Rahm ahead of Mexico Open at Vidanta

Often in golf betting and sports betting in general, bettors will shy away from low numbers because they don’t provide much value.

That is not the case this week at the Mexico Open at Vidanta.

Despite being a massive favorite with +250 odds to win, bettors at the BetMGM online sportsbook love Jon Rahm.

As of Wednesday, Rahm is attracting the second-most tickets (8.7%) and the most handle (16.7%).

It’s easy to see why Rahm is so popular, aside from being the No. 1 player in the world and already winning four times on the PGA TOUR this season.

There’s also some motivation as he’s looking to defend a title for the first time in his career and become the first five-time winner in a PGA TOUR season since Justin Thomas in 2017.

The course, Vidanta Vallarta, also fits Rahm’s eye.

At 7,456 yards, it’s one of the longer courses players will face all season, which means hitting more long irons than in a typical event. Being one of the longest hitters on TOUR, this gives the 28-year-old an advantage this week.

In the inaugural event last year, Rahm finished at 17-under, one shot better than Tony Finau, Kurt Kitayama, and Brandon Wu.

Including the win last year, in his last 24 starts, Rahm has seven wins, 11 top-five finishes, 15 top-10 finishes, and zero missed cuts.

It’s no surprise bettors are all over him this week.

Gary Woodland (+2500) is another popular play this week, pulling in the most tickets (11.7%) and the second-most handle (11.6%).

The 38-year-old has made four straight cuts, which includes a T-14 finish at the Masters. He’s still one of the longest hitters on TOUR, which should serve him well this week and is one of the key reasons bettors like him.

Woodland finished T-24 at the event a year ago.

Current Handle & Tickets

Handle

1) Jon Rahm – 6.7%

2) Gary Woodland – 11.6%

3) Wyndham Clark – 11%

4) Nicolai Hojgaard – 8.6%

5) Tony Finau – 4.7%

Tickets

1) Gary Woodland – 11.7%

2) Jon Rahm – 8.7%

3) Tony Finau – 7.2%

4) Wyndham Clark – 6.7%

5) Nicolai Hojgaard – 5.3%

It’s no surprise Finau is pulling in the third-most tickets, as he’s one of the longest hitters in the game and finished T-2 at last year’s event.

In the 2023 calendar year, Finau’s worst finish is T-31, but his best finish is T-7, so it’s been consistently solid, but he is still seeking a marquee finish.

Clark has two top-six finishes in his last three starts and is seeking his first career PGA TOUR win.

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