Steve Palmer's WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play day-two tips and best bets

Where to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 2.15pm Thursday

Best bets

Patrick Cantlay to win 4.54pm match
4pts 8-13 Betfair, Power

Rickie Fowler to win 3.37pm match
3pts 10-11 general

Tommy Fleetwood to win 6.11pm match
3pts 8-11 BoyleSports, Coral, Ladbrokes

Lucas Herbert to win 7.28pm match
2pts 6-4 general

Min Woo Lee to win 6.44pm match
2pts 11-10 Betfair, Power

Keith Mitchell to win 3.26pm match
1pt 7-4 Coral, Ladbrokes

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Story so far

Scottie Scheffler retained WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play favouritism after battling through a tough encounter with Davis Riley on day one of the Austin Country Club shootout.

Scheffler, 8-1 ante-post, is no bigger than 7-1 after edging out Riley on the 18th green. When Scheffler won the Match Play last year, he opened with a day-one victory over Ian Poulter, and the Texas-based star has made another ideal start.

Rory McIlroy is 10-1 from 14-1 in the outright market after defeating Scott Stallings, but Jon Rahm is on the drift after losing to Rickie Fowler. Rahm was two up through seven holes, but a resurgent Fowler won the match two and one.

There are two days of group matches left, before the group winners head into the weekend knockout action. Other big names who, like Rahm, tasted defeat on day one and face an uphill battle for qualification include Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Will Zalatoris, Shane Lowry, Viktor Hovland and Tommy Fleetwood.

Day-two matches
Tony Finau v Adrian Meronk (2.20pm UK and Ireland time)
Kurt Kitayama v Christiaan Bezuidenhout (2.31)
Will Zalatoris v Harris English (2.42)
Ryan Fox v Andrew Putnam (2.53)
Cameron Young v Corey Conners (3.04)
Sepp Straka v Davis Thompson (3.15)
Jon Rahm v Keith Mitchell (3.26)
Billy Horschel v Rickie Fowler (3.37)
Jordan Spieth v Taylor Montgomery (3.48)
Shane Lowry v Mackenzie Hughes (3.59)
Max Homa v Kevin Kisner (4.10)
Hideki Matsuyama v Justin Suh (4.21)
Sam Burns v Adam Scott (4.32)
Seamus Power v Adam Hadwin (4.43)
Patrick Cantlay v K.H Lee (4.54)
Brian Harman v Nick Taylor (5.05)
Collin Morikawa v Adam Svensson (5.16)
Jason Day v Victor Perez (5.27)
Viktor Hovland v Si Woo Kim (5.38)
Chris Kirk v Matt Kuchar (5.49)
Sungjae Im v JT Poston (6.00)
Tommy Fleetwood v Maverick McNealy (6.11)
Scottie Scheffler v Alex Noren (6.22)
Tom Kim v Davis Riley (6.33)
Matt Fitzpatrick v Min Woo Lee (6.44)
Sahith Theegala v JJ Spaun (6.55)
Xander Schauffele v Aaron Wise (7.06)
Tom Hoge v Cam Davis (7.17)
Tyrrell Hatton v Lucas Herbert (7.28)
Russell Henley v Ben Griffin (7.39)
Rory McIlroy v Denny McCarthy (7.50)
Keegan Bradley v Scott Stallings (8.01pm)

Best outright prices
7 S Scheffler, 10 R McIlroy, 12 P Cantlay, 16 X Schauffele, M Homa, J Spieth, 18 C Morikawa, T Finau, 22 bar

WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play day-two preview

Six matches appeal as betting propositions for Thursday's Austin Country Club action, with prices ranging from 8-13 to 6-4. Punters can treat the recommendations as they see fit – small-stake players having some multiples, with those comfortable at higher stakes considering singles.

The shortest-priced selection of the six is Patrick Cantlay, a Racing Post Sport pre-tournament outright recommendation at 18-1. Cantlay played superbly on day one – a seven-under-par, bogey-free effort to see off Nick Taylor, holing from 12 feet on the 18th green for victory. The Californian should be shorter than 8-13 to see off K.H Lee on day two.

Group Two is a fascinating affair, with Rahm putting poorly on his way to a Wednesday defeat. The Spaniard wilted from the eighth hole onwards against Rickie Fowler and looks a vulnerable short-price favourite against Keith Mitchell. Wednesday was the opposite story for Mitchell, who went behind early before covering the final seven holes in four under par to tie with Billy Horschel.

Mitchell has been playing consistently well on the PGA Tour this season and can have high hopes of upsetting Rahm. Fowler has grown greatly in confidence this season, becoming a force on the world stage again, and he can deliver back-to-back victories against Horschel, who is enduring a miserable year full of missed cuts.

On the Thursday of last year's competition, Tommy Fleetwood beat Scottie Scheffler – an immense achievement considering Scheffler was in tremendous nick and went on to take the trophy. Given Maverick McNealy was embarrassingly bad on day one – six over par through 11 holes – there is every reason to believe Fleetwood will enjoy more Thursday success at Austin CC.

Min Woo Lee, impressive at Sawgrass the week before last, was six under par on day one of the Match Play, making birdie at 17 and 18 to beat Sahith Theegala. Lee, slowly but surely getting the self-belief to match his extraordinary talent, looks good value against Matt Fitzpatrick.

And, finally, Lucas Herbert, who was seven under par on day one, is worthy of support against Tyrrell Hatton. Hand pain was bothering Hatton prior to his defeat to Wednesday defeat Ben Griffin. The Englishman took painkillers before his first match and is hoping the issue clears up before his second match, but regardless of fitness, Herbert is a cocksure and confident opponent who often carries a magic-wand for a putter.

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