Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson: Early prediction, viewing and betting odds

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have three months to go until “The Match”. Of course, it’s never too early to take a look at how to watch, betting odds and some too-early exhibition match predictions.

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are going to add a final chapter to their decades-long (professional) rivalry. The duo have agreed to play in a one on one match play style tournament that will be the first of its kind.  “The Match” is set to be played  in Las Vegas on Thanksgiving Weekend, Friday November 23rd at Shadow Creek Golf Course.

Tiger versus Phil on pay per view almost mirrors the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao boxing match a few years back, with two legends squaring off in a ultra hyped up event way past their primes. However this match should be more entertaining than that one, and golf fans will flock to anything that includes the legends of the game like Phil and Tiger.

They have been rivals since they were the top two golfers in the world, but it was never much of a rivalry because Woods was the one taking home all the majors and trophies. At this point in their careers, they both are not the golfers they used to be – especially Woods – so they should be much more evenly matched when they go head to head.

Phil and Tiger might be friendly towards each other now, but their rivalry was not always that way and that will make it interesting to see how this match plays out. There was a known animosity these two guys had towards each other when they were both at their peak. That is why it was so surprising back in 2004, when captain Hal Sutton put them together in a Ryder Cup pairing at Oakland Hills that did not have much success.

This match is symbolic of just how far their rivalry and relationship has come over the past two decades, playing against one another. It shows how they have grown from heated rivals and terrible Ryder Cup partners, into friends that have the ultimate respect for one another. This type of exhibition match has really never been done before, and it should go down in golf history because of the new and interesting perspective it will give fans.

What is on the line between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson?

They will be playing for an impressive winner take all $9 million prize. They have also mentioned that they will both be mic’d for the event and fans will be able to listen in to all the hole by hole side bets they will be making along the way.

Tiger got the banter started on twitter the day the match was announced, by sending out a two word tweet, that said “It’s on.”

Phil almost immediately responded by talking some friendly trash and calling out Woods and saying “I bet you think this is the easiest $9 million you will ever make.”

Apparently there will also be other challenges aside from the $9 million dollar main bet, like  closest to the pin, a long drive contest, and bets on if the opponent will sink a putt. Vegas seems like the perfect place for this event to go down because all of the money that is certain to be wagered, and the best part about it is that the money won will be going to worthy causes and charities.

Where will it be televised?

Perhaps the biggest mistake golf is making with this event is that they are making it a pay per view format on television making it more difficult for fans to see. The match will be hosted by Turner Sports and aired on Bleacher Report Live, DirecTV and AT&T U-verse, but there will be a fee to view it on all platforms.

The price to see the match has not been set, but one has to wonder how many casual fans are going to want to see an exhibition match play event on Thanksgiving with other sports like the NFL and NBA normally dominating people’s screens around that holiday. However, the draw of seeing Tiger play against his biggest rival should be enough to get viewers excited enough to buy the match.

The PGA Tour might have missed an opportunity by not making this a free event to watch, like every other golf tournament televised during the season. Golf fanatics will not mind paying to see this once in a lifetime event, but depending on the price, other people might wait to watch the highlights once the match is over.

Who will win?

Right now Las Vegas’ Westgate Superbook has Tiger Woods as the betting favorite to win this special event at -180 compared to the underdog Mickelson’s +150.

It makes sense because Tiger has had a better year overall, playing incredibly well after making a tremendous come back from back surgery. However Phil just had an impressive showing at the fist FedEx cup Playoff event at the Northern Trust leading at an early point in the tournament and finishing in the top 15. Tiger on the other hand finished tied for 40th, so it could be smart to bet on Mickelson as an underdog because his game has been much easier to predict over the past decade.

Yet Tiger still looks like the better choice to win this match, not only because he has had Phil’s number throughout their careers, but because his game is well suited for match play. If he has one blow up hole or misses a fairway by a wide margin it won’t effect him as much as if it were a stroke play event, so he will be able to go after nearly every shot.

Anyway you look at it, this event will end up being good for the game of golf. It will give fans a chance to hear two legends talk smack back and forth, and allow them to see a side of golf not normally presented. It will also give gamblers a chance to bet on areas of the game that has not been seen before, which will add an extra layer of excitement for some people. Sure, they might have made a mistake by making it a pay per view event, but it should still generate a solid buzz for the PGA Tour heading into next season’s schedule of tournament play.