2021 RYDER CUP PREDICTIONS

SportsBeat!

Written by Aaron Cantin

The predictions have been made, the ballots have been counted and it's time to unveil what's (probably) going to happen at the 43rd Ryder Cup. With the United States fielding one of its most talented (but youngest) teams ever and Europe countering with one of its most experienced, there's been much debate about the proper path to a Sunday celebration.

This narrative has been set for a while now, even before captains Steve Stricker and Padraig Harrington made their official picks. Youth and talent on the U.S. side. Experience and mettle for the Euros. Which strategy wins out could come down to how brawny Whistling Straits sets up and plays on the shores of Lake Michigan. Stricker and his vice-captains will try to set it up to play right into the hands of a roster full of mashers. Harrington and his side will likely hope for whipping winds and a scenario in which flighting the ball is paramount.

The U.S. is going for its third Ryder Cup in four tries on U.S. soil while Europe is trying to make it eight of 10 overall. Each side is loaded with talent at the top, but the U.S. runs deeper all the way down its roster with no player ranked outside the top 21 in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Team USA is the -200 favourite to win in the latest 2021 Ryder Cup golf odds with Team Europe the +200 underdog and a tie priced at +1200. The event offers a plethora of other options for bettors to choose from, with Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay both listed at +300 to be the top USA rookie, while Viktor Hovland is the clear -125 favourite on the European side.

With that in mind, here are my picks for the 43rd Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits and how I see things going for one of the most-anticipated team events of the last few decades.

Patrick Smith | Getty Images

United States MVP

Patrick Cantlay: This is the first Ryder Cup appearance for Cantlay, and it couldn't come at a better time coming off his incredible run in the FedEx Cup Playoffs and at the Tour Championship. Cantlay splashed just about every putt along the way. He's not the best golfer in the field -- he's not even the best golfer among U.S. players -- but he carries as much momentum as anyone in the field and ranks first among players on his team the last three months in strokes gained. I like his chances here to be the U.S. MVP and like even more his odds you can get for him to be the top combined point scorer.

Odds as top point scorer: +1100

Europe MVP

I'm not going to overthink this. There are other long hitters on the European side but none who you can trust to maintain the kind of control like Rahm. I mention that because I think Stricker tipped his hand on how the United States will set up the course in picking a handful of bombers to add to the squad's length advantage off the tee. Rahm hits it far, straight and rises to the occasion when he needs to roll in putts under pressure. Real contrarian takes here to pick the No. 1 player in the world who just won the U.S. Open and has 13 top-10 finishes to just two missed cuts in 19 worldwide events in 2021, but he's the new face of this team.

Odds as top combined point scorer: +750

Surprise prediction

U.S. rookies will outplay the vets. In what already seems to be a real page-turning year in terms of the United States side and ushering in a new era, I think this Ryder Cup plays out with the six U.S. rookies taking the headlines and possibly outscoring the vets. "Vets" even feels like a little bit of a stretch when only Dustin Johnson (four prior appearances), Jordan Spieth (three) and Brooks Koepka (two) have multiple Ryder Cups under their belt, but I think there's a chance for the enthusiasm of this young group (both in age and experience) to power a loose and more successful effort in this mentally challenging format. Schauffele and Cantlay are good for three points across four team sessions if paired together; Daniel Berger is prepared to take over as the instigator; and while I don't know where Scottie Scheffler and Harris English fit for four-ball or foursomes, I can trust both to win in singles on Sunday.

Winning side

United States (15.5-12.5): The individualism of the United States side is often cited as the reason why a group that has often had better players in terms of the world rankings has played down to Europe, while the European side seems to raise its level of play. I think that individualism is overtaken this year by a commonality that is lack of experience. Johnson and Spieth have seen some things on the course and behind the scenes, but for the most part, this group doesn't have the kind of mental scars that could keep the team from playing to its potential.

Odds: -197 | Score odds: +1000