Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are the two biggest money-winners in golf history. On Thanksgiving weekend, one of them will become $10 million richer. The two golf legends will face off on Friday, Nov. 23 at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas in a winner-take-all match play event. Mickelson, 48, and Woods, 42, were once bitter rivals, challenging one another for the honor of being called "best golfer in the world." Over the years, the two have become friendly rivals, often playing practice rounds before tournaments.
Fresh off winning the 2018 Tour Championship, Woods is a -220 favorite (risk $220 to win $100) after opening at -130. Mickelson, who opened at +110, is now +180 (risk $100 to win $180). Before you make any Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson picks, you'll want to hear what Vegas legends Micah Roberts and Kenny White have to say.
White was running his own sportsbook by age 24 and by 26 was setting lines for Vegas' biggest casinos. The originator of the Player Power Ratings system and former head of the powerful Las Vegas Sports Consultants now breaks down the lines armed with algorithms, ready to exploit mistakes in the spreads.
Roberts has worked in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry for 20 years, including a 13-year run as Station Casinos' book director. Armed with an unmatched network of sources, Roberts has covered the Las Vegas sports betting industry for a variety of well-respected outlets. In 2016, he became a SportsLine expert and has delivered picks in all sports since, not to mention his role as the nation's premier NASCAR betting expert.
Now, both have immediate and confident thoughts on the Tiger vs. Phil match-play showdown, and they're not only on the same page, they also agree that you should grab one side right now.
White and Roberts know that in terms of play this year, Mickelson won the WGC-Mexico Championship in March, his first PGA Tour victory in five years. Woods, meanwhile, just completed one of the biggest comebacks in golf history, taking down the Tour Championship for his first PGA Tour win in a half-decade.
The two legends have been paired in stroke-play tournaments 35 times, and it's a relative dead heat, with Mickelson holding a 16-15-4 advantage according to Golf.com. Woods has had more success in match play at international events, but not a big one. He's 4-1-2 in singles action at the Ryder Cup, compared to 8-5-1 for Mickelson. At the Presidents Cup, Tiger is 7-2, while Phil 4-6-3.
At the annual WGC Match Play, however, Woods has been a star. He has more titles than anyone -- three -- in 2003, '04 and '08, with a runner-up finish in 2000. Mickelson has yet to win the title or even reach the final.
Shadow Creek presents unique challenges, including a massive length of 7,560 yards. Hitting farther off the tee means hitting second on the following shot, a huge advantage in a match play format.
That advantage goes to Woods, who ranks 34th in driving distance at 303.4 yards and a not-so-great 129th in driving accuracy at 58.98 percent. Mickelson falls behind, coming in at 54th and 192nd.
But if it comes down to putting, the advantage is Phil's. In the key statistic of putts per round. Mickelson is second on tour at 27.88, while Woods is 22nd at 28.47.
Which golfing legend do Roberts and White see earning bragging rights and the hefty $9 million prize on Thanksgiving weekend? Visit SportsLine now to see the who you should back in Tiger vs. Phil, all from a pair of Vegas legends who now crush the books with expert picks and analysis, and find out.
