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Since the first playing of The Match back in 2018, the golf exhibition has taken on a life of its own. A wildly popular event among fans, the event has taken a large number of golf bets at most sportsbooks, which is partly why it keeps popping up. There have been different variations of the made-for-TV spectacular over the years with The Match VIII on Thursday, June 29, consisting of two sets of superstar teammates facing each other. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce from the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs take on four-time NBA champions Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors.
For the second time The Match will not have pro golfers competing with the cross-sport lineup a new twist. The new lineup isn’t completely unfamiliar with Mahomes and Curry making their second appearance in the franchise and both looking for their first win. Their teammates make their debut in The Match, but Kelce and Thompson are familiar with the sticks. The betting markets at BetRivers sportsbook are open with the Warriors big golf odds favorites to win.
The Match VIII
Date and Time: Thursday, June 29, 2023, 6:30 p.m. ET
Location: The Wynn Golf Club, Paradise, NV
Opening Golf Odds: Curry-Thompson -323 / Mahomes-Kelce +257
The Match VIII TV Coverage: TNT, truTV, HLN
It is ultimately a charity exhibition so the atmosphere will be more subdued. We’ve already noticed that with the limited amount of trash talking leading up to the event. But all participants are competitors and winning is a big deal to them. The Warriors may have more pent up energy and aggression since their season came up short of another NBA title. And they also have the best golfer among the group in Curry, who claims to have a 1-handicap, though that hasn’t been substantiated.
If Mahomes and Kelce are as dynamic on the golf course as they are on the football field we could get a big upset on Thursday. While he’s not as good as Curry, Mahomes has a fondness for golf playing in pro-ams and various other tournaments when he has a chance. “Golf has become a huge part of everything,” Mahomes said in an interview last year.
The Match VIII Odds
Mahomes/Kelce +257
Curry/Thompson -323
A scramble format will be used on Thursday over 12 holes at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas. This particular format is extremely beneficial to the team boasting the best player, which Curry is. I guess that’s why the Splash Brothers are big golf betting favorites at BetRivers. Curry has been playing golf since he was a youngster and even competed on the Korn Ferry Tour. He recently boasted of having a 1-handicap, which puts him up there near pro level.
Curry will have to be on his game since it’s widely considered that Thompson ranks as the fourth-best player among the quartet. The teammates have played together several times and both agree that Thompson’s game has improved, but it’s not at the level of the others. There typically are rules in place for a scramble, such as a certain number of tee shots from each player must be used. I don’t know if that’s the case for Thursday, but if it is that could lead to some tense moments for the Warriors.
Not knowing a lot about the golf game of each player makes it more difficult to handicap. I’m going off my research to determine Curry is the best player of the group. Curry, Mahomes and Kelce played in the American Century Championship over the last three years with Steph finishing among the top 20 all three times and inside the top 10 twice. Mahomes and Kelce didn’t come close.
It’s hard to imagine the Chiefs being such significant underdogs even if it’s an entirely different sport. Kelce, the most outspoken of the group, said recently that he and Mahomes have “never lost in Vegas.” Kelce is good at a lot of things, but golf isn’t high on the list.
Bet The Match VIII
If anything it should be interesting to see how these superstar athletes handle another sport. They’ve all been playing golf for a number of years competing in various tournaments, but the fact that Curry stands out is why the Warriors are huge favorites. One standout player makes all the difference in a scramble format and I don’t think there’s a question about who that player is. The golf odds are steep for the Warriors outright so making a wager on the winning number of holes shortens the odds.
Check out the latest golf betting odds at BetRivers.
