US Open 2021 Odds: Early Lines and Predictions for Top Sleepers in the Field

Torrey Pines Golf Course is different from most major golf championship venues because the PGA Tour goes there every year. 

Torrey Pines, the 2021 U.S. Open host, is the home of the Farmers Insurance Open. That event can give us a glimpse into which players with longer odds for the U.S. Open could thrive this week. 

We may not see someone with incredibly long odds win, like Phil Mickelson did at the PGA Championship, but someone in the middle of the odds board could come out of nowhere to win. 

The challenge will be steep for the potential sleepers since Jon Rahm is the pre-tournament favorite; he won at Torrey Pines in 2017 and was a runner-up there in 2020. 

If someone feels comfortable on the Torrey Pines South Course over four days, it could lead to an upset win over the likes of Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka. 

Marc Leishman is typically a favorite sleeper pick at majors because of experience and ability to work up leaderboards at big events. 

The 37-year-old took a tie for 13th at the Masters and has incredible form at Torrey Pines from an extensive list of appearances at the Farmers Insurance Open.

Leishman won the event in 2020 and finished inside the top 20 earlier this season. He also has a pair of second-place marks in his career at the San Diego course. 

At +8500 (bet $100 to win $8,500), Leishman could be one of the best value plays on the odds board at DraftKings Sportsbook. 

Leishman is +1400 to land inside the top five and +600 to finish in the top 10, so if you do not think he will win, he is worth a play on the props board. 

Leishman could fly under the radar a bit since he is coming off a tie for 57th at the Memorial, but that should not be a massive concern because of his past success at Torrey. 

Prediction: Top-20 finish

Jason Kokrak's season-long form should make him an intriguing sleeper pick at Torrey Pines. 

Kokrak is coming off a victory at the Charles Schwab Challenge, and he had a string of three straight top-10 finishes in the buildup to the Masters. 

He rebounded from a 49th-place finish at Augusta National Golf Club with three top-25 finishes in four PGA Tour appearances, including the win two weeks ago. 

Kokrak has a decent set of results at Torrey Pines, finishing inside the top 30 in four of his last five appearances there. 

Kokrak sits at +110 to finish in the top 30 and +188 to land inside the top 20. Both of those prices could be worth firing on because of his consistency on the course. 

The American's tie for 17th at Winged Foot last year could strengthen the case to take his props or fit him into daily fantasy lineups. 

Kokrak has a high ceiling for the U.S. Open, and his floor is probably around the top 40 or 50 based off his recent form and recent results in California. 

Prediction: Top-20 finish

Stewart Cink has quietly put together a nice run of results at major tournaments. 

The 48-year-old finished inside the top 30 in five of his last six major starts, including a tie for fourth at the 2018 PGA Championship. 

Cink tied for 12th at Augusta and followed that up with a win at the RBC Heritage, where he shot back-to-back 63s to open the tournament. 

The 48-year-old has an extensive history at Torrey Pines, and although his recent results there have not been great, he does have some strong results there. 

The Alabama native has 10 top-30 finishes at the Farmers Insurance Open and Buick Invitational, and he shot a first-round 68 there in 2020.

Since Cink has incredibly long odds to win the tournament, his prop numbers are high as well. That is where you could take advantage of his form.

Cink is at +150 to finish inside the top 40 and +225 to land inside the top 30. Those could be the best numbers to bet on Cink if you do not believe he will contend for the win.

Prediction: Top-30 finish

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from PGATour.com.

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