Scottish Open 2025 Best Golf Betting Picks, Prop Bets

Europe is beautiful this time of year. And that’s just speaking of their sports offerings, never mind the weather.

Not only are Wimbledon and the Tour de France still going on daily, we get the Genesis Scottish Open and the Open Championship in quick succession — to Americans like me, the return of “coffee golf.” The field is stacked with PGA Tour stars at Scotland’s Renaissance Club this week, as players refamiliarize themselves with links golf in preparation for the Open next week.

Let’s break down three best bets for the Scottish Open before you wake up Thursday, grab your coffee and follow the action:

First-round leader

It’s too bad that BetMGM didn’t offer odds for Xander Schauffele posting a bogey-free first round, because that could have been a shoo-in. Schauffele played his final 61 holes of last year’s Scottish Open without a bogey, including the entire second, third and fourth rounds.

There is no question Schauffele, the defending Open champion and 2022 Scottish Open winner, is terrific on this style of golf course. “Something about playing over here relaxes me a little bit,” Schauffele said this week. He’s not only comfortable, but also motivated to turn his disappointing season around. I can easily see him picking up where he left off last July.

Xander Schauffele, first-round leader, +4000 (FanDuel)

Top 5 (including ties)

We can’t bet on the Scottish Open without considering Bobby Mac. He may have been a surprise winner to casual fans last year, but Robert MacIntyre’s game was rounding into terrific form before he became the first Scotsman to win the tournament since Colin Montgomerie in 1999. That’s not to mention MacIntyre finishing second to Rory McIlroy the year before.

Now, after the lefty’s runner-up finish at the U.S. Open, MacIntyre isn’t sneaking up on anyone. He’s available at +3000 to win the event at multiple books, which may be tempting given his history at Renaissance Club. But between his mediocre short game this season and the difficulty of repeating at this or any tournament, let’s hedge and go for a top-five finish.

Robert MacIntyre, top 5 (including ties), +550 (FanDuel)

Tournament winner

Certainly, any of the top five players in the world rankings would be a safe bet to lift the trophy, and the Scottish has seen some big-name winners since becoming a co-sanctioned event between the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. But for better value, I’m looking down the board and glad to find the surprise two-time winner this season, Ryan Fox.

The New Zealander is not only in the best form of his career, he also thrives in links golf. He was T12 at the Scottish just two years ago, he’s won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St. Andrews and he’s got two top-three finishes at the Irish Open this decade. If he notches his third title of 2025 this weekend, a lot of bettors will feel silly for disregarding him.

Ryan Fox, tournament winner, +6500 (FanDuel)