WGC Match Play day two preview and free golf betting tips

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the second day of the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club, Texas.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 2.30pm Thursday

Best bets

Brooks Koepka to beat Harold Varner 6pm
1pt 10-11 general
Justin Rose to beat Jordan Spieth 6.44pm
1pt 13-8 bet365
Maverick McNealy to beat Kevin Na 7.39pm
1pt 23-20bet365

Day Two preview

The WGC Match Play was at its trappy best on Wednesday and it seems sensible for punters to tread carefully again when the second set of group matches start on Thursday at the Austin Country Club.

However, there are still some opportunities for punters to get involved and four-time Major champion Brooks Koepka should be encouraged by his opening 3&2 win over Erik van Rooyen.

That was a decent result against the South African, who reached the knockout stage on his debut last year and while Koepka has slipped to 20th in the world rankings, there have been signs of life recently, and he closed last week's Valspar Championship with an impressive 65.

His Thursday opponent Harold Varner had a good victory over former Open champion Shane Lowry but while he finished sixth at the Players, his form has been patchy since his win in last month's Saudi International and this looks a tough assignment at 6pm UK and Ireland time.

Justin Rose tees off against Jordan Spieth 44 minutes later and it could be the Englishman who takes the honours despite Thursday's defeat to Adam Scott.

Spieth got the better of Keegan Bradley when he won two-up, but the former US PGA champion did his fair share to hand the Texan victory.

Spieth did not lead in the contest until Bradley carded a seven on the 16th hole and while the 2015 Masters champion won five holes, he needed a birdie to be successful in just one of those.

Rose, meanwhile, had been leading his clash against Scott by two holes when he was on the eighth tee and he has the potential to take this match to the wire too and come out on top.

The story of the first day was probably an 8&6 win for Maverick McNealy over Joaquin Niemann as the victor had joined the party only at the last minute as a replacement for Sam Burns, who withdrew after winning the Valspar Championship in a playoff on Sunday.

McNealy seized his opportunity and the 64th seed carded birdies on all eight of the holes he won.

A 12-hole outing was ideal in what can be a gruelling week and he should be fresh for his clash with Kevin Na.

Na battled back to beat Russell Henley in the closing stages of their match but this is only the sixth time the American has been in action since the turn of the year and he has missed the cut in his last two events.

McNealy has nothing to lose and a determination to enjoy his chance could see him claim another Group 14 success.

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