Full betting breakdown, picks for the Open Championship

The Open Championship is heading to Northern Ireland for the first time since 1951, and the event should produce compelling drama that golf fans have grown accustomed to whenever the Claret Jug is on the line.

Royal Portrush - a 7,334-yard, par-71 traditional links course - will host the 156-man field. While little is known about the Harry Colt masterpiece, which hasn't hosted a major since 1951 or the Irish Open since 2012, one thing is certain: If the wind doesn't blow, scores will be low.

Most links-style courses reward elite ball-striking and creativity. Meanwhile, it's difficult to overpower these unique tracks given their oddly designed holes that date back to the early 1900s.

Regardless of how the 148th Open Championship unfolds, enjoy it. It's the final major until the 2020 Masters and the last chance to cash a major championship ticket this year.

Previous Winners

2018 - Francesco Molinari (-8)
2017 - Jordan Spieth (-12)
2016 - Henrik Stenson (-20)
2015 - Zach Johnson (-15)
2014 - Rory McIlroy (-17)
2013 - Phil Mickelson (-3)
2012 - Ernie Els (-7)
2011 - Darren Clarke (-5)
2010 - Louis Oosthuizen (-16)
2009 - Stewart Cink (-2)

Trends

• The last player to win the Open Championship without participating in any event worldwide after the U.S. Open was Johnny Miller in 1976. (Notables in 2019 who haven't played since the U.S. Open are Tiger Woods, Justin Rose, Xander Schauffele, Adam Scott, and Webb Simpson).
  
• Five of the last six Open Championship winners had recorded a victory within their previous five starts and were ranked top 15 in the Official World Golf Rankings.
  
• Gary Woodland’s victory at Pebble Beach was the 31st consecutive major championship win by a player ranked among the top 50 in the world.
  
• The last player to win The Open one year after finishing runner-up was Jack Nicklaus in 1978. (Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy, Kevin Kisner, and Xander Schauffele all tied for second last year.)
  
• The average age of Open Championship winners since 2011 has been 36.1, which is five years older than the next closest average for a major. This event has also produced four champions older than 40 in that span, compared to just one from the other three combined.

The favorites

The Open Championship betting board features five players at less than 20-1 odds. Rory McIlroy tops the list due to his impressive track record at The Open and his recent stellar form.

Here's a look at the last five Open Championship results for each 2019 favorite:

The 8-1 price for McIlroy is fair, but the intense pressure he will face in his attempt to hoist the Claret Jug on home soil is concerning.

Brooks Koepka can never be written off in any major championship. And his caddie, Rickie Elliott, is a Portrush native who grew up playing at the host venue, which should further improve Koepka's chances of bagging another major trophy.

As for Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm, both players are beyond capable of winning this week and their 16-1 numbers are very fair. However, Johnson's recent form is slightly concerning, whereas Rahm is entering after winning the Irish Open two weeks ago.

Finally, there's Tiger Woods. The Masters champion seems out of sorts and it's shown in the way he's discussing his game. Woods has admitted his ball-striking isn't "quite as sharp" as he'd like it to be right now, and has continually referenced how draining his triumph at Augusta was. He also hasn't played tournament golf since the U.S. Open and will likely need time he doesn't have to shake off the rust.

If forced to pick from the group of favorites, Koepka seems like the best bang for your buck, and he'd almost certainly give you something to pull for on Sunday. Rahm, followed by Johnson, are close second and third selections.

The next tier

The range from 20-1 to 50-1 odds is loaded with talent, and a strong argument could be made that the eventual winner will come from this area. If you are a bettor who likes to pick a couple of players to win and spread the wealth, this is the group to choose from:

Among these players, only Justin Thomas has never finished top 12 at The Open. However, his recent strong form in terms of ball-striking suggests he's closer than he may look. Thomas will need to avoid the type of blowup round that's hampered him in the past.

Adam Scott and Henrik Stenson fit the mold of experienced Open Championship players who can rise to the challenge if winds start to howl and Royal Portrush begins to present a true links test.

Patrick Cantlay, Tommy Fleetwood, and Xander Schauffele are all remarkable talents who've yet to claim their first major trophy. Schauffele has become a staple on major leaderboards with four top-six results in his last six starts at golf's biggest events. It's worth noting that Cantlay was previously at 33-1, but has seen his number shrink.

Just outside the 20-1 range sits Jordan Spieth (33-1), Matt Kuchar (33-1), Bryson DeChambeau (40-1), and Hideki Matsuyama (40-1). Kuchar is playing the best golf of his career, DeChambeau nearly won the 3M Open two weeks ago, and Matsuyama is always a threat due to his elite iron play. On the other hand, Spieth will remain unbettable until he shows signs that he's turned his tee-to-green game around.

The long shots

If a long shot is going to win a major, the Open Championship will be the one. Over the last 20 years, The Open has featured five winners from outside the world's top 50 - the most of any major during that span.

However, you don't need to dig outside the top-50 rankings to find great players who can provide value.

For starters, Louis Oosthuizen (50-1) and Marc Leishman (66-1) have enjoyed past success at The Open. Oosthuizen won the event in 2001 and lost in a playoff - along with Leishman - to Zach Johnson in 2015.

Patrick Reed (80-1) has turned a corner with his ball-striking over the past month. He finished T-5 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and has gained six or more strokes through approach shots in back-to-back tournaments.

Brandt Snedeker and Kevin Kisner are both listed at 150-1 and set up well for a links course where length off the tee isn't required. They also both have top-five finishes under their belts at The Open, including Kisner's last year.

Picks to win

Adam Scott (28-1)

The concern with Scott is that he hasn't played since the U.S. Open, but he's also spent the past week at Royal Portrush preparing for this event. Looking back, he's posted four top-10 results in his last seven Open Championships and will enter the 2019 edition after three straight top-10s - at the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship, and the Memorial, where he finished runner-up.

Henrik Stenson (28-1)

Stenson's in the midst of an impressive run of form. He's rattled off three straight top-10 performances - one at the U.S. Open and one at last week's Scottish Open - so the former Claret Jug winner could easily add a second to his trophy case.

Patrick Reed (80-1)

The former Masters champion is being disrespected at this price. He's rounding into form, especially with his iron play. If the wind gets blowing and greens become increasingly harder to hit, Reed's short game will shine and vault him into contention.

Brandt Snedeker (150-1)

Snedeker at 150-1 is a steal. He's turned in two top-five showings in his last four tournaments and has made seven straight cuts. Similar to Reed, if the wind picks up, Snedeker has all the tools required to navigate through difficult scoring conditions.

(Betting odds courtesy: Bodog)