Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning take on Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady: Match II Betting Advice

The Match II: Tiger Woods/Peyton Manning vs. Phil Mickelson/Tom Brady takes place on May 24. Which side has the advantage?

Casey Olson | May 11, 2020

The Match I took place in November of 2018, which led to Phil Mickelson besting Tiger Woods after four playoff holes at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas. Almost two years later, the competition has been revived, but with a slight twist. Enter Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

Although the PGA Tour's scheduled start is still about a month away, we will get some live golf on May 24 as Woods and Mickelson get back at it, though now paired up with two NFL legends as part of the COVID-19 charity event which will broadcast live on TNT. Let's dive in.

DATE AND VENUE:

Sunday, May 24. Coverage begins at 2 p.m. ET from Medalist Golf Club in Florida.

THE PLAYERS:

Tiger Woods/Peyton Manning vs. Phil Mickelson/Tom Brady

THE ODDS:

BetMGM have Woods/Manning as -200 favorites with Mickelson/Brady as +150 underdogs. Caesars Entertainment released Woods/Manning at -175 and Mickelson/Brady at +155.

THE RULE SET:

The match will kick off with nine holes of four-ball, a.k.a. best ball, with the back nine being modified alternate shot play. Each player will tee off and then play alternate shots after drive selection. To make things even more interesting, added on-course challenges will be found throughout the round to raise additional donations for the cause. Each player will also have an open mic, so expect some trash talk along the way.

COMPARING THE PROS:

Woods, the defending Masters champion, currently sits 16th in world rankings, while Mickelson missed the cut in four of his last six events, dropping him to 222nd. Although Mickelson successfully defeated Woods in their first event, it's important to note that this event will be played at what is considered Woods’ home course, one at which he holds the course record at 62.

EDGE: Woods

COMPARING THE QUARTERBACKS:

Diving into handicaps, the players have very similar skill sets, with Manning having the edge with a 6 handicap in comparison to Brady’s 8. Manning has probably been more active with his golf game, while Brady continues to prep for his 21st season in the NFL, his first with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Manning has also played with Woods before in the 2005 Bay Hill Pro-Am and 2009 Quail Hollow Championship.

EDGE: Manning

PREDICTION:

Although Mickelson came through and cashed tickets as the +130 underdog in the first matchup, I am siding with the favorite this go around. Woods' home course, Manning/Woods' play history and Manning’s slight handicap edge over Brady has me liking that -175 line. I will go with Woods and his teammate leaving the charity event victorious. Let's even the Woods/Mickelson score at one a piece, setting up a rubber match down the road.

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Published May 11, 2020

CASEY OLSON