FedEx St. Jude Matchup Bets (Rory McIlroy vs. Scottie Scheffler Prediction)

The 2026 PGA Tour regular season is behind us, which means it's time for the FedEx Cup Playoffs. We only have three tournaments left before the best golfers in the world take a few months off, so let's make the most of them.

You can find my outright bets in my full betting preview, and in this article I'm going to dive into a few of my favorite matchup bets. These bets are straightforward head-to-head wagers between two golfers. It's a great way to target a golfer you like against a golfer you think will struggle this week.

FedEx St. Jude Championship Head-to-Head Bets

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Matt Fitzpatrick -112 vs. Hideki Matsuyama
Tommy Fleetwood -112 vs. Xander Schauffele
Scottie Scheffler -200 vs. Rory McIlroy

Matt Fitzpatrick -112 vs. Hideki Matsuyama

If there's one thing I've learned betting on Hideki Matsuyama over the years is that the week when it seems like all signs are pointing to him as the obvious bet to make is the week you should fade him. He's been in fantastic recent form and has a great course history at TPC Southwind, which means we should zig instead of zag and bet against him in a matchup bet.

Matt Fitzpatrick missed the cut at the British Open, but he rattled off three top-five finishes in his four prior starts, and he's had three top-six finishes at this event over the years. He's a great candidate when finding a golfer to take against Matsuyama.

Tommy Fleetwood -112 vs. Xander Schauffele

I'm never going to bet on Tommy Fleetwood to win a PGA Tour event again, but I love betting on him in matchup bets due to his high floor. He enters the week second in the field in total strokes gained over the past three months behind only Scottie Scheffler. He also has two top-three finishes at this event over the past three years.

Meanwhile, Xander Schauffele is 21st in the field in total strokes gained over the past three months. I'm not putting too much value into one strong finish at the Rocket Classic. I need to see more consistent play from him before I bet on him again.

Scottie Scheffler -200 vs. Rory McIlroy

If you're willing to lay the hefty -200 price tag, Scottie Scheffler to beat Rory McIlroy is going to be a great bet to place for a head-to-head wager. His numbers still make him the best golfer in the world this season, and he's been gaining strokes in all four major areas. Meanwhile, I have a lot of concerns about Rory McIlroy's performance based on his lack of competitive rounds this year. He has played in just three non-majors since March, and I think that has had a negative effect on him. He hasn't posted a top five finish and has posted only two top 10 finishes since winning the Masters.

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You can check out all of Iain's bets here!

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