123rd U.S. Open: Preview, prop picks, best bets

Cameron Smith, Top Australian (+200 at BetRivers): The reigning Open champion quietly rallied for a T9 at the PGA Championship after a T34 at the Masters. He has drawn 3.9 percent of both the outright winner tickets and money at the book, placing Smith just behind the favorites. He does face worthy competition from his countrymen, including former major champions Jason Day (+275) and Adam Scott (+350), who are both enjoying a resurgence this year. The market also includes Cameron Davis (+700), Min Woo Lee (+700), Lucas Herbert (+800) and Karl Vilips (+8000).

Jon Rahm to Beat Scottie Scheffler (+100 at DraftKings): Scheffler's incredible consistency dating back to last fall is daunting. So, too, has been Rahm's, despite a T16 at the Memorial following a T50 at the PGA. The 2021 U.S. Open champion at Torrey Pines loves playing in California. This year alone, he destroyed the PGA Tour's "California Swing" with wins at the Genesis and the American Express along with a T7 at Torrey Pines.

2023 Prop Picks Record: 24-35-2

BEST BETS

Scottie Scheffler (+600 at BetMGM) has 16 consecutive finishes of T12 or better, including a win at this year's The Players and T2 at the Masters. He finished T2 to Matt Fitzpatrick in last year's U.S. Open and Scheffler's odds continue to shorten. Since opening at +1200, he has been backed by the second most money to win (11.0 percent) and the third most total bets (6.6 percent).

Jon Rahm (+1000) won the 2021 U.S. Open and captured his second major at this year's Masters. However, action on the Spaniard has been relatively modest, as Rahm has drawn the fifth most total bets (5.9 percent) and the fourth most money (7.4 percent). He has been backed by only 3.8 percent of both markets at BetRivers.

Brooks Koepka (+1100) is already a two-time U.S. Champion. In this year's first two majors, he finished T2 at the Masters and won his third PGA Championship. Koepka is BetMGM's second-biggest liability this week. Since opening at +3300, he has been the most popular pick in the field with the most total bets (9.4 percent) and money (13.2 percent) backing him among the entire field.

Viktor Hovland (+1600) battled Koepka down the stretch on Sunday at the PGA and followed it up with a win at the Memorial. He's the only player to finish in the top 10 in each of the past three majors. Hovland's odds have shortened from +3000 at BetMGM. At the same odds at BetRivers, the Norwegian has been supported by the fourth most tickets (5.5 percent) and money (6.0 percent).

Max Homa (+2800) set the course record at the Los Angeles Country Club with a 61 in the first round of the 2013 Pac-12 Championship. He's a popular "darkhorse" this week, and Homa is BetMGM's biggest liability to win as he has drawn the second most bets (6.9 percent) and third most money (8.1 percent).

One bettor at BetMGM placed a $5,000 wager on Justin Thomas to win at +5000 that would pay $250,000.

NOTES

The 156-player field will be cut to the low 60 players and ties following 36 holes.

This is the first major championship to be held at The Los Angeles Country Club, and it will be contested on the North Course. The first edition of the Los Angeles Open (now The Genesis Invitational) was played on the North Course in 1926 and was held there four additional times.

Rahm will make another attempt to become the first player to win five times in a season since Justin Thomas in 2016-17. He's also attempting to be the first winner of multiple majors in a year since Jordan Spieth in 2015.

Fitzpatrick (+3300) is trying to become the first player to successfully defend a U.S. Open title since Koepka in 2018.

Rory McIlroy (+1200 at BetMGM) has 18 top-10s in majors since claiming the most recent of his four career majors at the 2014 PGA Championship. This will be his 33rd start in a major since that victory.

No. 4 Patrick Cantlay (+1600), a Los Angeles-area native, is the highest-ranked player in this week's field who has yet to win a major title.