2025 U.S. Open: Experts’ picks and betting tips

Matt Barrie: Jon Rahm. Barrie notes that while Scottie Scheffler is the obvious favorite, Rahm appears to be regaining his major championship form, shown by his T14 finish at the Masters and T8 at the PGA Championship. He suggests Rahm is beginning to look like the top player he was before his move to LIV.

Tory Barron: Scottie Scheffler. Barron believes Oakmont will be a very challenging course requiring a formidable player to win. He picks Scheffler, highlighting his dominant recent form, including three victories in his last four starts with a combined winning margin of 17 strokes.

Michael Collins: Scottie Scheffler. Using a metaphor, Collins describes Scheffler as having all the necessary attributes (`Infinity Stones`) to win on this course setup. He feels Scheffler is inevitable on a course where only a select few have a real chance when the USGA makes it play difficult.

Jeff Darlington: Scottie Scheffler. Darlington compares the current situation with Scheffler to the era of Tiger Woods, where picking him is the logical choice despite the desire to find an underdog. He acknowledges Bryson DeChambeau`s potential but finds Scheffler`s current consistency and skill level too high to overlook.

Michael Eaves: Sepp Straka. Eaves suggests Oakmont`s setup emphasizes hitting fairways and greens, areas where Straka has excelled this season. He notes Straka`s accuracy, confidence, and two wins this year, fitting the trend of recent U.S. Open winners being first-time major champions.

Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Scottie Scheffler. Lawrence-Riddell admits part of him wants to pick against the obvious favorite Scheffler because such clear outcomes rarely happen. However, observing Scheffler`s play convinces him to pick the world number one.

Andy North: Scottie Scheffler. North`s reasoning is simple: Scheffler has won three of his last four events, and success at Oakmont requires excellent iron play, an area where Scheffler is arguably the best.

Mark Schlabach: Scottie Scheffler. Schlabach acknowledges this pick isn`t adventurous but argues that picking anyone else to win the trophy is difficult given Scheffler`s form. He highlights Scheffler leading the PGA Tour in most strokes-gained categories from tee-to-green and improving his putting. Schlabach believes if Scheffler is near the lead on Sunday, he has the ability to close out the win.

Marty Smith: Scottie Scheffler. Smith describes Oakmont as possibly the world`s hardest course, demanding extreme precision and accuracy. He feels Scheffler is currently playing with such freedom and precision that he will likely succeed there.

Curtis Strange: Scottie Scheffler. Strange points to Scheffler`s status as World No. 1, his three wins in the last four starts, and the strategic difficulty of Oakmont as reasons for his pick.

Paolo Uggetti: Jon Rahm. Uggetti was impressed by Rahm`s performance at the PGA Championship, seeing his game and competitive drive aligning. He believes Rahm`s style of play is well-suited for Oakmont and that he is one of the few players capable of challenging Scheffler this week.

Scott Van Pelt: Jon Rahm. Van Pelt humorously picks Rahm primarily because someone needs to pick a player other than Scottie Scheffler.

David Gordon, ESPN Research: Rory McIlroy (+1200). Gordon notes McIlroy`s price is significantly higher than at the recent PGA Championship, partly due to equipment issues. He trusts McIlroy to resolve these issues and perform well, citing his consecutive runner-up finishes in the past two U.S. Opens.

Pamela Maldonado, betting analyst: Collin Morikawa (+2200). Maldonado believes Morikawa`s composure and analytical approach suit Oakmont. Despite a recent cooling off after a hot start to the year, his game built for accuracy (fourth in accuracy, fifth in approach) makes him a quiet contender if he remains calm.

Anita Marks, betting analyst: Jon Rahm (+1200). Marks finds Rahm`s long game ideal for Oakmont and notes his strong current form and revived competitive spirit. His T14 at the Masters and T8 at the PGA Championship, along with leading LIV in greens in regulation, support her pick.

David Gordon: Xander Schauffele (+210). Gordon favors Schauffele based on his outstanding history at the U.S. Open, with seven top 10 finishes in eight appearances (his worst is T14), suggesting this price offers good value despite his recent seasonal form.

Pamela Maldonado: Keegan Bradley (+475). Maldonado sees Bradley`s recent back-to-back top 10 finishes and positive putting as signs of confidence. She highlights his high-quality ball striking and surprisingly strong short game, believing his ball-striking ceiling is high enough for a top performance.

David Gordon: To finish Round 1 in Top 10 (+150). Gordon points out Scheffler`s consistency in majors, being in the top 10 after 10 of his last 11 major opening rounds. He also notes that historically, most U.S. Open winners were in the top 10 after 18 holes.

Pamela Maldonado: To finish Round 1 in the Top 10 (+150). Maldonado cites Scheffler`s elite average scoring in Round 1. She emphasizes his exceptional performance off the tee, with irons, and tee-to-green specifically in the opening round, where he gains significantly more strokes than in later rounds.

David Gordon: Cameron Young (+10000). After a tough start to the season, Gordon sees value in Young following a recent T4 finish at the RBC Canadian Open and a T7 earlier. He also notes Young`s previous success in major championships, with five top 10s between the 2022 PGA and 2024 Masters.

Pamela Maldonado: Keegan Bradley to win (+7500). Maldonado acknowledges putting and scrambling are potential weaknesses but sees his current peak form (two top 10s in his last two starts) and strong tee-to-green play (second in the field over the last 32 rounds) as providing winning-level ball striking at attractive long odds.

David Gordon: Make the cut parlay: Tommy Fleetwood and Harris English (-104). Gordon feels confident in this parlay, stating English has never missed the cut in nine U.S. Open appearances, while Fleetwood hasn`t missed a cut this season and has consistently been inside the top 40 after 36 holes in his recent starts.

Pamela Maldonado: Scottie Scheffler Top 5 (-140). Maldonado believes these odds might still be undervalued despite being steep. She highlights Scheffler`s remarkable record since January 2024, with 19 top five finishes (including 10 wins) in 31 starts, emphasizing his consistency and ability to contend even without his best putting.

Tyler Fulghum: Dustin Johnson to miss the cut (-120). Fulghum notes that DJ`s 2016 Oakmont win feels like a long time ago. Since joining LIV, Johnson has struggled in majors, with his best finish since 2023 being T31 and five missed cuts, including both majors this year.

Anita Marks: McIlroy to miss the cut (+290). Marks suggests McIlroy hasn`t been performing at the same level since the Masters. She points to a high score in the Canadian Open and struggles at Quail Hollow, highlighting issues with his driver and inconsistent iron play. She speculates if his hunger has waned after achieving the career Grand Slam.

Anita Marks: Ludvig Aberg top 20 (+155) and top Nordic golfer (+190). Marks sees good value in Aberg for a top 20 finish, noting his strong driving and recent string of rounds in the 60s, including a near-win at the Canadian Open.

Anita Marks: Sepp Straka top 20 (+170). Marks views Straka as having a career year with a third-place finish at the Memorial and two wins. She believes his ball-striking strengths – ranking first in greens in regulation, fourth tee-to-green, second in strokes gained: approach, and top 10 in driving accuracy – make him well-suited to dominate this course and finish in the top 20.