Steve Palmer's Ryder Cup day-two foursomes predictions & free golf betting tips

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for Saturday's foursome at the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Main Event & Golf, 11am Saturday

Best bets

Xander Schauffele & Patrick Cantlay to beat Lee Westwood & Matthew Fitzpatrick
3pts 8-11 Coral, Ladbrokes

Justin Thomas & Jordan Spieth to beat Viktor Hovland & Bernd Wiesberger
2pts 5-6 Coral, Ladbrokes

USA to win day-two foursomes 3-1
2pts 9-2 Coral, Ladbrokes

Story so far

The United States lead Europe 6-2 after the first day of the Ryder Cup - Steve Stricker's side emphatically outplaying the visitors at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin.

The USA, available at 4-7 at the start of the week, are no bigger than 1-8 with two days of competition remaining. The home team could be backed at a pre-tournament 15-8 to lead after every day and win, and that scenario seems extremely likely after the day-one dominance.

The States won the morning foursomes 3-1, with Sergio Garcia and Jon Rahm the only Europeans able to offer any resistance, then it was the same score in the afternoon fourballs, with Europe's only gains from ties in two of the four matches.

Rahm is the leading European points scorer at this stage, with one-and-a-half points from his two matches. Garcia is second on one point, with Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland tied for third on half a point.

Dustin Johnson and Xander Schauffele are tied first in the top American points scorer market, with a 100 percent record. Patrick Cantlay is alone in third spot, with one-and-a-half points.

Day-one foursomes results
Sergio Garcia & Jon Rahm beat Justin Thomas & Jordan Spieth 3&1

Dustin Johnson & Collin Morikawa beat Paul Casey & Viktor Hovland 3&2

Brooks Koepka & Daniel Berger beat Lee Westwood & Matthew Fitzpatrick 2&1

Patrick Cantlay & Xander Schauffele beat Rory McIlroy & Ian Poulter 5&3

Day-one fourballs results
Dustin Johnson & Xander Schauffele beat Paul Casey & Bernd Wiesberger 2&1

Bryson DeChambeau & Scottie Scheffler tied with Jon Rahm & Tyrrell Hatton

Tony Finau & Harris English beat Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry 4&3

Justin Thomas & Patrick Cantlay tied with Tommy Fleetwood & Viktor Hovland

Day-two foursomes draw (best prices in brackets)
1.05pm Brooks Koepka & Daniel Berger (11-8) versus Jon Rahm & Sergio Garcia (11-10); tie 6-1

1.21pm Dustin Johnson & Collin Morikawa (10-11) versus Paul Casey & Tyrrell Hatton (15-8); tie 6-1

1.37pm Justin Thomas & Jordan Spieth (5-6) versus Viktor Hovland & Bernd Wiesberger (15-8); tie 6-1

1.53pm Xander Schauffele & Patrick Cantlay (8-11) versus Lee Westwood & Matthew Fitzpatrick (5-2); tie 6-1

Best outright prices
1-8 USA, 10 Europe, 22 draw

Day-two foursomes preview

Padraig Harrington probably slept badly in Wisconsin last night. The Ryder Cup dreams of the Irishman and the rest of the European squad were savagely dented on day one, and it would be a surprise to see the tide turn on Saturday.

Harrington's day-two foursomes selections have done nothing to suggest a morning fightback is on the cards - and Steve Stricker's rampant Yanks could easily further their advantage.

Remarkably, Rory McIlroy has been left out of the day-two foursomes line-up. The Northern Irishman struggled on day one, suffering heavy defeats alongside Ian Poulter in the morning and Shane Lowry in the afternoon, but it is a surprise to see Harrington lose faith in one of his star men so quickly.

Europe's side for this edition is badly lacking superstar quality - and it has been shorn of McIlroy for Saturday morning. Form is temporary, class is permanent, and it is incredible that Harrington believes Bernd Wiesberger is a better option to partner Viktor Hovland in the foursomes than a vastly experienced four-time Major champion.

The foursomes line-up gives Europe the chance of a small early rally - surely the best hopes of getting some blue on the board are the first two matches - but the final two contests look at the mercy of Team USA.

Sergio Garcia and Jon Rahm, the only Europeans to win a full point on day one, can be expected to keenly contest the opening match after yesterday's fillip. The Spaniards won a high-quality encounter and can have high hopes of earning at least a half against Brooks Koepka and Daniel Berger.

Tyrrell Hatton has got his tail up - a brilliant approach to the last set up a closing birdie to scrape a tie for him and Rahm against Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler - and the Englishman works well with compatriot Paul Casey. The English lads linked up together in the last Ryder Cup and may secure a half against Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa.

From there, it is tough to be an optimistic European. Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth played well in defeat to the Spaniards in the day-one foursomes, then Thomas was superb in the fourballs. The suspicion is that both players have much more to offer in the remainder of the event.

Hovland is brilliant - and will be a Ryder Cup star for decades - but the Norwegian rookie appears to have been thrown under a bus with the Wiesberger pairing. It was a big price that Harrington would pair two rookies at any stage this week - he has only three in his team - but the gamble has been taken and seems likely to fail.

Thomas and Spieth looks a bargain at 5-6, while the 8-11 about Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay in the bottom match also seems mightily generous.

Cantlay was not at his best in the fourballs - Thomas carried him to a large extent - but the FedEx Cup champion is full of form and confidence and relishes teaming up with his pal Schauffele. Cantlay and Schauffele is one of the strongest foursomes combinations in golf. Lee Westwood and Matthew Fitzpatrick are surely up against it.

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