FedEx Cup Playoffs 2019: Online Golf Betting Picks For The Northern Trust

Brian Sausa, Last Updated: June 7th, 2021 - NJ Sports Betting - Free $3,250 For Sports Bets In New Jersey

Nearly the entire PGA Tour schedule has been played, but the professional golf season is still far from over. Fans and gamblers alike are gearing up for the final three events of the 2019 PGA Tour season as the FedEx Cup Playoffs get underway at The Northern Trust in Jersey City, New Jersey. With breathtaking views of the New York skyline and some of its treasured landmarks, Liberty National Golf Course provides one of the most beautiful backdrops in all of sports.

Golf betting heats up for the playoffs as it does for the major championships, and we will break down the postseason structure and preview the upcoming event to get you ready for the action. Regardless of the sport, doing your gambling online is the most effective way to wager. It not only offers you the most markets to bet on, its most convenient option as well. So when it comes to The Northern Trust, you may want to download a few NJ online sports betting apps. Here, we’ll be making some predictions using The Northern Trust odds from FanDuel Sportsbook.

How Do FedEx Cup Playoffs Work On The PGA Tour?

The FedEx Cup is a season-long tournament on the PGA Tour that awards players points based on their performances each week. Points are accrued depending on the tournament and the player’s finishing position, and those points determine placement in the FedEx Cup standings.

The playoffs, which were first played in 2007, are comprised of the final events of the season, closing with the handing out of the FedEx Cup Trophy and $15 million to the winner following the final weekend. The top 125 players in the standings following the regular season qualify for the Northern Trust, while that number is slimmed to 70 for the BMW Championship. Only the top 30 in the standings make the cut for the TOUR Championship at East Lake. Below are the three events which make up the FedEx Cup Playoffs:

• The Northern Trust – Liberty National (Jersey City, NJ) – August 8-11
• BMW Championship – Medinah (Medinah, Illinois) – August 15-18
• TOUR Championship – East Lake Golf Club (Atlanta, GA) – August 22-25

Justin Rose is the defending champion while Tiger Woods is the only golfer to have won the playoffs more than once (2007, 2009). Other recent winners include Justin Thomas (2017), Rory McIlroy (2016) and Jordan Spieth (2015). The top five of the current standings heading into The Northern Trust go as follows:

1. Brooks Koepka – 2,887 points
2. Rory McIlroy – 2,315 points
3. Matt Kuchar – 2,313 points
4. Xander Schauffele – 1,858 points
5. Gary Woodland – 1,795 points

Golf Betting Tips For FedEx Cup Playoffs At Liberty National

Golf is unlike other sports in the way that the playing field constantly changes. Each course presents unique challenges and requires different skills in order to navigate successfully. Some courses are built for big hitters while others put an emphasis on accuracy and putting on difficult greens. The most versatile and adaptable players are the ones who generally achieve success all the way through the season.

When it comes to the professional golf postseason, things can also change because it’s not a one-off tournament like the rest of the year’s events. Below are some things to remember before making Northern Trust picks at FanDuel or any of the sports betting sites in NJ.

Tips For Online Golf Betting On Northern Trust

• Driving Accuracy

Liberty National can be as challenging as it is appealing to the eye. With ample water and bunkers to compete with, staying in the fairway is crucial. Players have stressed the need to drive the ball in play and hit greens this week. That means starting ono the fairway, and categories like Strokes Gained: Off The Tee and Hit Fairway Percentage could be a couple of PGA Tour stats to keep an eye on.

• Scrambling

All that water and the multitude of sand traps also means that scrambling comes into play in a big way at Liberty National. The Scrambling statistic measures the percentage of times a player misses a green in regulation but still manages par or better on the hole. See where the players you’re considering land in this area before making your golf betting picks. Approaching the green before the potential scramble is also critical.

• FedEx Cup Standings

Now that the playoffs have arrived, the pro golf season becomes more of a three-week marathon than a four-day sprint. The Northern Trust 2019 is about the overall standings as much as it’s about this one event, so be sure of where the players you’re considering are in the standings. Whether you’re in the top 10, just inside the No. 70 line or just outside of it, the pressure is on to perform well and either keep or improve overall standing for the next event. Still, some players have more pressure than others and it could affect which way you wager.

Please visit our Online Golf Betting guide for more tips and information about wagering on the PGA Tour.

Online Golf Betting Picks For The Northern Trust

One of the reasons so many New Jersey sports gambling enthusiasts love to use FanDuel Sportsbook is the variety of wagering options. The site takes it to a new level with golf, offering a wide range of markets including:

• Outright Winner
• Finishing Position (Top 10, 20, 30, 40)
• Heat-To-Head Matchup Betting
• Head-To-Head By Round
• Group Matchups
• Nationality Props (Top USA Player, Top England Player, etc.)
• Make/Miss Cut Props

Below is a look at the outright winner odds from FanDuel for the first event of the 2019 FedEx Cup Playoffs:

The futures lines for The Northern Trust reflect the standings in many ways. World No. 1 and points leader Brooks Koepka (+850) is the odds-on favorite in front of Rory McIlroy (+1000), Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm (both +1400). Tiger Woods is a few spots down at +2700, still garnering some public action despite having played very little golf in the second half of this season. 

The Northern Trust: Golf Betting Online Predictions

We are making online golf betting picks on outright winners for The Northern Trust in addition to various finishing position wagers. Predicting the champion of a golf tournament is one of the more difficult wagers there is, so we like being able to go deeper into the field to find value. Below are our official gambling predictions for the first round of the FedEx Cup Playoffs at Liberty National:

• Brooks Koepka Outright Winner (+850)

The best player on the planet right now, Koepka deserves consideration in any tournament he plays. He is a golfer built for the big stage, turning it on when the lights are brightest. As the current No. 1 in the FedEx Cup standings, Koepka is looking to maintain his lead. The pressure may not be on like it is during a major week, but this is a golfer that rises to all occasions. He’s not only a masher of the ball, but boasts great scrambling and approach numbers as well. This is not a man to bet against on a golf course in 2019.

• Xander Shauffele Outright Winner (+2700)

Casual golf fans may not realize that Xander Schauffele has put together one of the best seasons of any player on the PGA Tour not named Brooks Koepka or Rory McIlroy. In addition to a couple of early wins, Schauffele managed a T-2nd at The Masters and a T-3rd at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, which could play a similar way as Liberty National will this week. He ranks decently in the important statistical categories and also has a chip on his shoulder knowing many judged him harshly for a failed driver test at The Open Championship last month.

• Brooks Koepka Top 10 (+110)

During his win at the 2019 PGA Championship, Koepka handled the pressure and the raucous crowds with ease, fully embracing everything that comes along with the big moment.

The difference this week is that he doesn’t need to win the tournament since this is a long road that ends at the TOUR Championship. He definitely does need to perform well and keep pace, however, and we expect that from Koepka in any type of important event. At plus-money, you’ve got to love Koepka in the top 10 at The Northern Trust.

• Gary Woodland Top 20 (+200)

Currently No. 5 in the FedEx Cup standings, the 2019 US Open champion has played well at Liberty National before, and we expect him to do it again this week. Woodland ranks well off the tee and approaching greens. Another personality that doesn’t rattle much in a big spot, as we saw at Pebble Beach. Potentially doubling your money for a top-20 finish on a course we think suits Woodland pretty well is a great feeling. We also love a +120 wager on a top 30 finish.

• Joaquin Niemann Top 40 (+145)

Niemann is just outside the top 70 and knows he needs a big performance this week. He does well gaining strokes off the tee and approaching the green, so we like him from a metrics standpoint. He also got hot with the putter to shoot a 7-under 63 in the final round of the Wyndham Championship, so the form is there.

• Sungjae Im Top 40 (+120)

Nobody has played more rounds (110) than Sungjae Im, and his No. 23 ranking in the standings shows it. He’s awesome at gaining strokes off the tee and his scramble numbers are impressive. He’s coming off a T-6th finish at Wyndham last week but has not played well in the bigger tournaments this season. We like that to change to some degree this week.

Additional PGA Tour Playoffs Golf Betting Options:

• Jon Rahm Top 10 (+185)
• Bryson DeChambeau Top 10 (+380)
• Tommy Fleetwood Top 20 (+145)
• Hideki Matsuyama Top 30 (+120)
• Patrick Cantlay Top 20 (+125)
• Bubba Watson Top 30 (+195)
• Charles Howell III Top 40 (+130)

ABOUT Brian Sausa

Brian Sausa is BonusSeeker’s Copy Editor and lead sports betting pundit. A journalism graduate with an extensive sports background, Brian has been employed by multiple professional leagues including MLB, MiLB (Minor League Baseball), and the NHL. MLB, NHL, IBTimes, Brooklyn Cyclones, FanSided