Why Are U.S. Oddsmakers Above Booking LIV Tour Action?
Bookies being holier-than-thou is cute. Sportsbooks aren't accepting action for the 2023 LIV Tour season-opener — Mayakoba — at the El Camaleón Golf Course in Mexico.
When it comes to sports betting, morals don't exist. If they did, then why did legal sportsbooks take action on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar? Literally, hundreds of people died to put on the World Cup.
At first, I was confused why oddsmakers weren't listing odds for the LIV Tour. Sportsbooks not accepting bets for legitimate sports breaks my brain.
But, after pondering it more, the explanation became clear ...
Is the PGA Tour squeezing LIV Tour out of legal sportsbooks?
Oddsmakers want to integrate with professional sports leagues. The best way to do that is by embedding into American culture and being entrenched into the coverage of sporting events.
This is just a guess on my part but the PGA Tour probably told sportsbooks it wouldn't work with them if they took LIV Tour bets. It's a shrewd business move yet what's the other explanation?
For the record, I hate the LIV Tour. I hate what it did to the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund is pretty much blood money. However, I like winning bets way more than I hate the LIV Tour.
Brooks Koepka celebrates on the podium with his team following his play-off win in the LIV Tour Invitational-Jeddah at the Royal Greens Golf Club. (Photo by AMER HILABI/AFP via Getty Images)
The hardest thing about betting the LIV Tour is the lack of actionable data. There isn't shotlink data on the LIV Tour tourneys and there is no information for most of its host courses.
It's a different story for this Mayakoba event. I cashed on a Russell Henley 45-1 bet to win the PGA Tour's 2022 World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba and I know this course well.
I saw dollar signs when noticing the LIV Tour's 1st 2023 event was at Mayakoba. That's how I'm conditioned to think as a sports bettor and that's what sportsbooks want.
Mayakoba Best Bets
Native Mexican Carlos Ortiz (+3300) is my 1st look to win at Mayakoba. Ortiz is 265th in the Official World Golf Rankings but 177th on Data Golf's model.
Ortiz finished 4th at the LIV Tour's Bedminster event and 2nd in Portland. He finished 2nd at last year's Mayakoba event on the PGA Tour, T8 in 2021 and T2 in 2020.
My other Mayakoba bet is Mito Pereira (+2000) who just joined the LIV Tour. Pereira is one of the best ball strikers in the world. He still leads the PGA in average Strokes Gained on Approach shots this season.
Unfortunately, illegal bookies and off-shore shops are the only oddsmakers accepting LIV Tour action. Fortunately for me, I know a guy who accepts bets on the LIV Tour 😉. Hopefully you do too.