37th Ryder Cup Odds - Bet Big, Bet Often.

Do you want to pull the remnants of what's left of your 401K out of the crapshoot called mutual funds and place it somewhere safe? Have we got an investment for you. All upside, providing you pick the right team. Bet with your head, not your heart. If you're a USA fan check the red, white, and blue at the door of the casino.

Our usual friends at Ladbrokes have the latest fractional odds for your consideration. They are....

USA - 5/4......A $100.00 bet will return you $125.00.

Europe - 4/5.....That same $100.00 bet will return $80.00.

Tie - .....If the match ends in a tie Europe retains the Cup, but you would retain $900.00 after a $100.00 bet.

If you'd rather just bet on the performance of your favorite player you can do that as well. Most major sports books will handle your action. Here's a link to Sportsbooks.com to give you some odds. Shop around though when betting. The odds vary from house to house. Make sure you maximize your return!

Average Golfer likes the Euros for one reason and one reason only. I think past performances are a great indicator of how someone will perform in the present. I also believe that in any pro sport the superstars on the team are who you depend on to win for you. Paul Pierce, Manny Ramirez, and Eli Manning in the recent year. Granted Manning isn't the league's best quarterback, but he was the best quarterback and star on the Giants. They needed him to play big to win the Superbowl and he did. Our big guns of Mickelson, Furyk, and Cink don't play Ryder Cups well. There's a well documented history to attest to that fact. Garcia, Westwood, and company do play well and have the records to back that up. Rookies are important, but not deciders in my opinion. It's important for Anthony Kim to get his feet wet in the competition, he may play very well, but it probably won't overcome the overall differences between the two teams. You can't win the Ryder Cup by yourself.

Not having Tiger Woods won't hurt the USA's chances. His record is under .500. Under .500 doesn't win Cups either. However, if healthy you would always want him on the squad because he's the best player on the planet and is the favorite in any match you throw at him. So, I'm not in the corner that says Woods' absence will help. It can't. That's ridiculous.

Nothing's absolute. I'm hoping for a close exciting match that will keep me away from weekend chores. Let's just hope it's not "Whoopi Goldberg ugly" in either direction. I'd feel too guilty watching a blow-out. Average Golfer's prediction.......Europe 15 1/2 - USA 12 1/2.

Til' next,