Read The Line
Houston Open picks 2024: Our 6 favorite prop bets of the week
Editor's Note: This article is published in partnership with Read The Line, a Golf Digest content partner.
Sam Greenwood
Everyone is looking for a way around the Scottie Scheffler outright dilemma. What better way to bolster your betting card than with a couple of prop bets. By diversifying your card across the betting markets, you can pick up extra budget dollars and follow Scheffler’s live odds.
At The Players, his pre-tournament +550 doubled on Saturday night to +1100! That opportunity can happen again on a tough Memorial Park test. With these prop wins you can cover a deeper Scottie investment over the weekend.
Houston Open picks 2024: Scroll down for our favorite prop bets of the week.
Take Joel Dahmen to finish in the top 40 (+135 FanDuel)
In his two starts at Memorial Park, Joel Dahmen has finished ninth and fifth. The straight ball-striker has found a way to capitalize in Houston. Dahmen is ranked third tee-to-green in the field behind Scheffler and Si Woo Kim. Netflix tells a great inspirational story in Full Swing 2, but Joel has put the time and effort in to contend. I’m not sure if his current play can keep up with Scottie, but at +135 I’ll take the 40 places! –Keith Stewart, Read The Line
Take Mackenzie Hughes (-130) over Beau Hossler (DraftKings, tournament matchup)
Something happened near Palm Beach that broke Beau Hossler. Prior to the Cognizant Classic, Hossler had successfully navigated every cut in 2024. Now his approach game is off and he’s in immediate need of help tee to green. Mackenzie Hughes, on the other hand, has finished top 30 in his last three starts, held the led at the Valspar for a couple of holes, and has a very good history at the Houston Open finishing top 30 in all three starts at Memorial Park. --KS
Take Stephan Jaeger (-115) over Beau Hossler (DraftKings, first-round matchup)
Icon Sportswire
I’ll continue to dump on Hossler. (I also took that matchup Keith took in our weekly betting column, which you can check out here.) I really like Jaeger this week—knowing the conditions at Memorial Park are going to favor bombers. That’s a huge advantage for Jaeger in this one. Hossler’s ball-striking has been off as Stewart notes, and though his short game is great, Jaeger’s around-the-green stats are actually right there with Hoss. I don’t love single-round matchups, but I’ll fade Hossler any chance I can right now. –Stephen Hennessey, deputy managing editor
Will Zalatoris (+140) over Wyndham Clark (DraftKings, tournament matchup)
All of a sudden this is a matchup of injured backs. Clark admitted in a pre-tournament press conference that he’s nursing a back injury this week. As of Wednesday, he was going to give it a go. But you know that he won’t push things too hard with his Masters debut just two weeks away. Willy Z, on the other hand, should be on the other end of things back-wise. I’ll gladly take the big plus-money price, which was the opener and hasn’t moved after this news … yet. --SH
Take Cameron Champ to finish in the top 40 (+110, DraftKings)
A number of guys have said that because of the change in course conditions (this tournament is normally played in November), that Memorial Park will be a "bomber's paradise" this week. Some guys have also made mention of the fact that there is little-to-no rough and what are usually treacherous shots around the green here will be far easier because the grass is so plush this time of year. That also sounds like a nice recipe for success for Champ, who has two top-26 finishes in his last four starts, one of those coming at another "bomber's paradise" in Vidanta Vallarta.
Take Lydia Ko to finish in the top 10 (+210 bet365)
Julio Aguilar
Major champion Lydia Ko needs one more win to earn a spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame. In four starts this season, she has a victory, a playoff loss and a fourth place. The 2022 Player of the Year is back on track and looks ready for a major push in 2024. This week’s Ford Championship is the last stroke-play tournament before the first women’s major of the season, the Chevron Championship. You can bet Ko will be motivated to finish strong in the desert.
Keith Stewart is a five-time award-winning PGA professional, a betting contributor and content partner with Golf Digest and founder of Read The Line, the premier on-site live golf betting insights service covering the LPGA and PGA TOUR. Subscribe to Read The Line’s weekly newsletter here and raise your golf betting acumen. Keith's winning content can also be found on Sports Grid, Bleacher Report and The Sporting News. Follow him on Twitter @readtheline_.
