The best betting props for the Travelers Championship

The PGA Tour has provided nothing short of suspenseful finishes since the schedule resumed in mid-June. The Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands should continue the trend this weekend. 

The 69th edition, held in Cromwell, Connecticut, will feature a stacked field including the top three in the world, plus defending champion Chez Reavie. On Tuesday, Cameron Champ dropped out of the tournament, after he became the second player on Tour to test positive for COVID-19. On Wednesday, Brooks Koepka withdrew, following his caddie's positive test. Koepka's brother, Chase, along with RBC Heritage winner Webb Simpson, and Graeme McDowell will sit out as well, as a precaution.

While the PGA Tour continues to monitor the situation, the Travelers Championship is expected to go on as scheduled this weekend. Here are the best prop bets to play Thursday through Sunday.

Though the last two Travelers Championships have been won by a healthy margin, from 2010 to 2017, each champion secured a win by either one stroke or in a playoff.

This year’s tournament should offer a much tighter race. Usually on the PGA Tour schedule, the Travelers comes one week after the U.S. Open, so many of the top players rest the week of this event.

That’s not the case in 2020, as the schedule underwent some rearrangement due to the Tour’s hiatus in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the PGA's return, the past two matches have seen incredibly close finishes. Daniel Berger won in a playoff at the Charles Schwab Challenge, and Abraham Ancer nearly forced extra holes with Webb Simpson, who ultimately won by one stroke in the final round of the RBC Heritage.

Look for a potential playoff on Sunday at this short, par-70 course that should lend itself to low scoring.

Pick: Playoff +300

According to the National Hole-in-One registry, the chances of a Tour player making a hole-in-one are 3,000-to-1. At TPC River Highlands' 6,841-yard course, those chances may improve.

James Hahn scored the first ace of the 2018 Travelers Championship on the par-3 11th hole during the third round.

Hahn’s ace marked the 42nd in tournament history and 36th since River Highlands began hosting the Travelers. Up until 2019, a hole-in-one had occurred at the Travelers every year since 2009. Furthermore, Hole 11 has surrendered nine aces at the event.

For some added excitement, if you think a double-eagle is possible, put a little money down on an albatross at +2000. In 2014, Trevor Immelman recorded the Travelers’ first albatross on the par-5 13th.

Pick: Hole-in-one, yes

Dustin Johnson looked rough in his return at the Charles Schwab Challenge but redeemed himself with a 17th-place finish at the RBC Heritage.

River Highlands should suit his game, as it's been known to favor longer hitters (Johnson is 22nd on Tour in driving distance), but Spieth is a better choice here.

At the Charles Schwab and RBC Heritage, Spieth finished the first round with a 65 and 66. Spieth is tied for 44th on Tour in driving distance and is fifth in putting average. He may not hold steady the entire tournament, but he's come on strong in the early rounds lately.

Spieth also shot an opening-round 63 at the Travelers in 2017, the year he won the tournament in a playoff against Daniel Berger.

Pick: Spieth +200

Top-10 finish

Patrick Cantlay (+2200 to win) hasn't competed on Tour since his top-20 finish at the Genesis Invitational. Before that, he finished 11th at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, fourth at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, 17th at the Hero World Challenge, and second in a playoff with Kevin Na at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

There's some risk in backing a player coming off a more than four-month layoff, but Cantlay's game should match up well with River Highlands.

He's an accurate driver, ranked 16th in scoring average, and eighth in par-4 birdie or better average. There are 12 par-4s at River Highlands, so making birdies on these holes is imperative.

Cantlay finished 15th in last year's Travelers and the 2018 edition. Back him for a top-10 finish this time around.

Pick: Cantlay +250

Top-five finish

Justin Thomas, the co-favorite to win this weekend, stumbled in the opening round of the RBC Heritage but worked his way into eighth place with a final-round 63 on Sunday.

The week before, he started off strong with an opening-round 64, then hit one-over on Sunday to finish 10th at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

Thomas is capable of finally getting over the hump to win his second event of the season (his first was the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January).

He's 46th in driving distance, fifth in scoring average, and sixth in par-4 birdie or better average. If he can find consistency with his putter, the Travelers should be his to win this weekend.

Thomas has played the Travelers every year since 2015, with his best finish (3rd) coming in 2016. He's in excellent position for a top-five showing here.

If you're looking for a bit more value, consider Sungjae Im. He's both strong and accurate off the tee, and is in the top 10 in scoring average. He missed the cut last weekend, but Webb Simpson missed the cut the week before the RBC Heritage and ended up with a win.

Look for Sungjae to bounce back here, as well.

Pick: Thomas +260 or Sungjae Im +700

Bet the PGA Tour at BetAmerica