Sports Handicapper Frank Sawyer's Picks & Predictions

THE SITUATION: The PGA Tour moves to Texas for the next two weeks with the Master’s looming in the second week of April. The Memorial Park Golf Course hosts the Texas Children’s Houston Open for the sixth straight season as a PGA Tour event. After taking place in the fall for three PGA seasons, this tournament was moved to March two years ago to replace the World Golf Championship Dell Technologies Match Play event on the schedule — and playing in Houston in the spring changes how this course plays. The track consists of 7475 yards with five Par 3 holes and only three Par 5s for a Par 70 test. It is not only the third longest course on the PGA Tour, the track is the longest of any Par 70 on the tour. The professionals will have to contend with 21 sand bunkers and water hazards on four holes. After the rough was as high as 2 1/2 inches in the past, it has been cut down to only 1 1/4 inches. Bombers off-the-tee are not punished for missing the fairways that average 30-40 yards in length. The greens average 7000 square feet consisting of Poa Trivialis overseeded over dormant Bermudagrass that measures up to 12 feet on the stimpmeter. The 133 professionals teeing off will compete to make the cut for the weekend which will consist of the top 65 plus ties after Round Two. While weather is often a factor since the tournament moved to the spring here, sunshine is expected all week — so the conditions will be drier (and faster) than in previous years.  

LONG SHOT: Adam Scott (+3700 odds at DraftKings). Recommended Prop Bet: Scott (7131) versus Tony Finau (7132) in Round One head-to-head props. This prop goes off the board at 1:42 PM ET.

Money Management advice: I like to consider the three "to win" prop bets as lottery tickets. If your typical bet is X, then I am fine if you wager 10-30% of X into each golfer to win — just be consistent with that method from week-to-week. I am also fine if you are more ambitious with these bets and wager up to X on each golfer-per-week. Over the course of the season, we have been profitable -- so I preach consistency with the investments each week. I am also OK with a slow uptick in the initial investment if the bankroll warrants -- maybe go from 20% of X to 25%.  For the head-to-head prop bets, treat them as either 10* or 20* bets (if you choose to invest in them) -- and stay consistent from week-to-week.

THE SITUATION: The PGA Tour moves to Texas for the next two weeks with the Master’s looming in the second week of April. The Memorial Park Golf Course hosts the Texas Children’s Houston Open for the sixth straight season as a PGA Tour event. After taking place in the fall for three PGA seasons, this tournament was moved to March two years ago to replace the World Golf Championship Dell Technologies Match Play event on the schedule — and playing in Houston in the spring changes how this course plays. The track consists of 7475 yards with five Par 3 holes and only three Par 5s for a Par 70 test. It is not only the third longest course on the PGA Tour, the track is the longest of any Par 70 on the tour. The professionals will have to contend with 21 sand bunkers and water hazards on four holes. After the rough was as high as 2 1/2 inches in the past, it has been cut down to only 1 1/4 inches. Bombers off-the-tee are not punished for missing the fairways that average 30-40 yards in length. The greens average 7000 square feet consisting of Poa Trivialis overseeded over dormant Bermudagrass that measures up to 12 feet on the stimpmeter. The 133 professionals teeing off will compete to make the cut for the weekend which will consist of the top 65 plus ties after Round Two. While weather is often a factor since the tournament moved to the spring here, sunshine is expected all week — so the conditions will be drier (and faster) than in previous years.  

TOP OVERLAY BET: Nicolai Hojgaard (+2700 odds at DraftKings). Recommended Prop Bet: Hojgaard (7103) versus Harry Hall (7014) in Tournament Matchup head-to-head props. This prop goes off the board at 8:31 AM ET.

Money Management advice: I like to consider the three "to win" prop bets as lottery tickets. If your typical bet is X, then I am fine if you wager 10-30% of X into each golfer to win — just be consistent with that method from week-to-week. I am also fine if you are more ambitious with these bets and wager up to X on each golfer-per-week. Over the course of the season, we have been profitable -- so I preach consistency with the investments each week. I am also OK with a slow uptick in the initial investment if the bankroll warrants -- maybe go from 20% of X to 25%.  For the head-to-head prop bets, treat them as either 10* or 20* bets (if you choose to invest in them) -- and stay consistent from week-to-week.

THE SITUATION: The PGA Tour moves to Texas for the next two weeks with the Master’s looming in the second week of April. The Memorial Park Golf Course hosts the Texas Children’s Houston Open for the sixth straight season as a PGA Tour event. After taking place in the fall for three PGA seasons, this tournament was moved to March two years ago to replace the World Golf Championship Dell Technologies Match Play event on the schedule — and playing in Houston in the spring changes how this course plays. The track consists of 7475 yards with five Par 3 holes and only three Par 5s for a Par 70 test. It is not only the third longest course on the PGA Tour, the track is the longest of any Par 70 on the tour. The professionals will have to contend with 21 sand bunkers and water hazards on four holes. After the rough was as high as 2 1/2 inches in the past, it has been cut down to only 1 1/4 inches. Bombers off-the-tee are not punished for missing the fairways that average 30-40 yards in length. The greens average 7000 square feet consisting of Poa Trivialis overseeded over dormant Bermudagrass that measures up to 12 feet on the stimpmeter. The 133 professionals teeing off will compete to make the cut for the weekend which will consist of the top 65 plus ties after Round Two. While weather is often a factor since the tournament moved to the spring here, sunshine is expected all week — so the conditions will be drier (and faster) than in previous years.  

BEST BET: Brooks Koepka (+2500 odds at DraftKings). Recommended Prop Bet: Koepka (7005) versus Marco Penge (7006) in Tournament Matchup head-to-head props (and grab the +1.5 strokes if available and priced no higher than -150). This prop goes off the board at 8:20 AM ET.

Money Management advice: I like to consider the three "to win" prop bets as lottery tickets. If your typical bet is X, then I am fine if you wager 10-30% of X into each golfer to win — just be consistent with that method from week-to-week. I am also fine if you are more ambitious with these bets and wager up to X on each golfer-per-week. Over the course of the season, we have been profitable -- so I preach consistency with the investments each week. I am also OK with a slow uptick in the initial investment if the bankroll warrants -- maybe go from 20% of X to 25%.  For the head-to-head prop bets, treat them as either 10* or 20* bets (if you choose to invest in them) -- and stay consistent from week-to-week.