Scottie Scheffler vs. Rory McIlroy: Matchup Bets for Genesis Invitational

Can Rory McIlroy finish ahead of world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler at Torrey Pines?

Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are the two favorites to win this week's Genesis Invitational. / Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK

The third signature event of the 2025 PGA Tour season is set for Torrey Pines, the temporary home for the Genesis Invitational.

Rory McIlroy is still the No. 3-ranked golfer in the world but after his win at Pebble Beach, oddsmakers are starting to close the gap between him and the top-ranked golfer, Scottie Scheffler. As a result, BetMGM Sportsbook has released head-to-head odds for which of the two will finish further up the leaderboard.

Let's take a look at that matchup as well as two others I like for this week's tournament.

Genesis Invitational Head-to-Head Bets

Odds via BetMGM Sportsbook

• Rory McIlroy (+120) vs. Scottie Scheffler
• Justin Thomas (-125) vs. Hideki Matsuyama
• Will Zalatoris (-105) vs. Tony Finau

Rory McIlroy (+120) vs. Scottie Scheffler

Rory McIlroy has won two of his last three events including the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am where his game looked as sharp as ever, gaining significant strokes in all four areas. Now, he heads to Torrey Pines which his driving distance will give him a leg up on the competition. He hasn’t won at Torrey but has finishes of T3, T5, T6 and T16 the four times he’s teed it up here.

It’s tough to fade Scottie Scheffler, but he may need some time to find his swing again after missing time with the hand injury. A T25 finish at last week’s WM Phoenix Open has to be concerning based on the strength of that field. We should bet against Scheffler while we still can because, at some point, he’s going to return to his dominant self.

Justin Thomas (-125) vs. Hideki Matsuyama

What happened to Hideki Matsuyama? After winning the Sentry to start the year, he hasn’t finished inside the top 15 in his four starts since. He has reverted to being a poor putter and his driver has become increasingly inaccurate over his last four starts.

Meanwhile, Justin Thomas has posted a solo second finish at the American Express and a T6 last week. His game is starting to become more consistent and his solid ball-striking numbers to start 2025 make him a safe option against a regressing Matsuyama.

Will Zalatoris (-105) vs. Tony Finau

I’ve already broken down why I'm betting on Will Zalatoris to finish in the Top 10 in my betting preview, but I’m going to double up on him by taking him to beat Tony Finau. The betting market continues to evaluate Finau like he’s as good as his former self but he has missed the cut in two of his last three starts including at Torrey Pines at the Farmers Insurance Open.

His ball-striking numbers have been poor and he’s been extremely inconsistent with his putting. I’d rather back Zalatoris who is on record saying he thrives at this course.

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