The 2018 American Century celebrity golf tournament is scheduled to get underway tomorrow in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada, featuring several current and former athletes who know their way around the golf course. For instance, guys like NBA champion Stephen Curry, former Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo, and retired MLB pitcher Mark Mulder, who is the three-time defending tournament champion.
According to ESPN's David Purdum, Mulder is once again the favorite to win it all, with odds of 8-5, followed by Romo at 2-1. Curry has odds of 15-1, and has reportedly attracted more bets than any other golfer at Harveys Lake Tahoe Hotel and Casino as of Wednesday.
"The bigger money was backing Romo, including a $9,000 bet on the current CBS broadcaster that was placed Wednesday and improved his odds from 4-1 to 2-1. Cudney said it's not unusual for there to be bets in the $10,000 range on the tournament, adding that the bulk of the wagers come in Thursday."
Of course, not everyone competing in the American Century celebrity golf tournament boasts such favorable odds. For instance, Jacksonville Jaguars QB Blake Bortles and Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff are both long shots at 2,000-1, while broadcaster Al Michaels is listed at 5,000-1. That said, they still have a much better chance of winning it all than NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, who is currently a 6,000-1 underdog.
Purdum reports that some have placed bets on Barkley to do the unthinkable, but according to Harveys sportsbook manager Dave Cudney, the wagers were "small" and like "souvenirs."
"They usually are laughing when they're making the bets," Cudney said, according to ESPN. "We all laugh."
According to ESPN, one oddsmaker said that it's impossible to define Barkley's true odds because his only chance of winning the tournament is "if all other players withdraw after teeing off."
Others competing in the tournament include Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (30-1), Ray Allen (40-1), Deron Williams (100-1), Chris Webber (2,000-1) and former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz, who is 10-1.
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