The 2024 Genesis Invitational will be must-see TV for golf fans and bettors alike this weekend, as Tiger Woods will be making his 2024 PGA TOUR debut at the iconic Riviera Country Club event in Los Angeles.
People love betting on Tiger, a 15-time major champion and winner of 82 total tournaments throughout his 27-year career. But the modern GOAT of golf hasn't been in good health in many years, and his performance over his past few events have yielded suboptimal results (to put it mildly).
As we do with every sport, we must put in the research and assess the value of every bet or prop before locking in wagers. You can't just go with your gut or blindly bet a legend based on what you want to see — you have to bet with your head, not your heart, and wager on what you're most likely to see.
Let's get right to Tiger Woods' odds, props and best bets for the 2024 Genesis Invitational.
Tiger Woods predictions and best bets at Genesis Invitational
Tiger Woods' odds to win
The times, they have a-changed. Tiger's outright odds to win sit at +12500 on BetMGM, which translates to an implied winning probability of less than one percent. Over 50 PGA pros sit ahead of him on the odds board, which lists OWGR No. 1 and 2 Scottie Scheffler (+650) and Rory McIlroy (+1000) as the favorites.
It's weird to see Woods carrying long shot odds, but that's just how it goes. His health issues — especially his diminished endurance since his car accident nearly three years ago — have capped his tournament upside.
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Woods played just three events last year, finishing T45 at the Genesis, withdrawing in the third round from the Masters, and finishing 18th out of 20 at the Hero World Challenge last November/December. He hasn't won an event since the ZOZO in October 2019.
Betting advice: Fade. If you do have the intestinal fortitude to back Woods to make a serious run, shuck some of the volatility and bet Tiger to finish as the top American (+8000). That will at least remove McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Adam Scott, Jason Day, Cam Davis, and multiple other international stars from the mix. Tiger surmounting American studs like Scheffler is still a long shot, though, so keep your stakes modest.
Tiger Woods' final results odds
- Top 5: +2000
- Top 10: +800
- Top 20: +333
Final placement odds, which have gradually risen in popularity over the past few years, allow bettors to back their favorite golfers without needing them to win outright. Woods' bettors often turn to these odds over his outright lines, as he no longer poses a legitimate threat to finish atop a star-studded field.
The past five seasons (dating back to 2018-19) have seen Tiger finish in the top 20 on 10 different occasions but first just twice. Over the past three seasons, though, he has finished top 20 just once in nine starts. So, while betting arguably the best golfer of all time +333 to finish top 20 may seem like value, looks can be deceiving.
Betting advice: Fade. Like the price of the clothing made by his old sponsor Nike, you would be paying up for a name rather than the quality of the actual product. Anybody else with Tiger's past 3-5 years of underwhelming results would be +800 or longer to finish top 20. We have him finishing somewhere between the top 20 and top 40, making all of these placement bets too risky to touch.
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Realistic Tiger Woods' prop bets: first round specials
- Leader after first round: +8000
- Top five after first round: +1100
- Top 10 after first round: +500
This is a prime example of why it almost always pays off to look at an entire betting card before making a wager or walking away. We love Tiger to place in the top 10 in the first round, as he tends to start hot but slowly trickle down as his level of physical exhaustion ramps up. Just imagine how raucous Riviera will be to see Tiger's name among the early leaders on Thursday after a few birdie and fist bumps. Yes, we're tempering Sunday expectations but that doesn't mean we're all out on the Tiger hype.
Over the past four seasons, Tiger has averaged a first-round score of 71.3. Seven of his 17 Round-1 scores during that span have been 69 or lower, including an opening-round 69 at the Genesis last year.
Betting advice: We're playing Tiger to finish in the top 10 after the first round (+500). Let's have some fun!
Tiger Woods' past results at Riviera Country Club
Tiger has played the Riviera more than any other venue, so the California native has a deep-rooted connection with this course. Dating back to the early 1990s, Woods has played Riviera a whopping 13 times, with mixed results.
This is the only course he has played more than four times without winning.
| Year | Finish |
| 1992 | Missed cut |
| 1993 | Missed cut |
| 1997 | 20 |
| 1999 | 2 |
| 2000 | 18 |
| 2001 | 13 |
| 2003 | 5 |
| 2004 | 7 |
| 2005 | 13 |
| 2006 | Withdrew |
| 2017-18 | Missed cut |
| 2018-19 | 15 |
| 2019-20 | 68 |
| 2022-23 | 45 |