Popular proposition wager on NBA legend offered for third-straight year
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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. (July 10, 2023) – NBA Hall of Famer and current television analyst, Charles Barkley, will try to reward sports wagering supporters with a Top 70 finish when he tees it up this week at the 34th annual American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course.
The competitive goal of a Top 70 finish in the 90-player field has been established by Caesars Sportsbook, which posts odds-to-win and proposition bets every year for the popular 54-hole PGA TOUR-style competition.
This year, the official proposition bet appears as follows on the wagering sheets and on the Caesars Sportsbook Nevada app:
American Century Championship
Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course
July 14-16, 2023
TOP 70 FINISH: CHARLES BARKLEY
Yes +310
No -400
Bettors who believe that Barkley can ride his improved swing to a finish in the Top 70 will win $310 for each $100 wagered on the “Yes” proposition. Those convinced that the former NBA Most Valuable Player will fail to place in the Top 70 would bet “No” and must risk $400 to win $100. Caesars Sportsbook has offered the proposition bet each of the past two years and Barkley came up short, finishing 76th in 2021 and 74th in 2022 amidst much fanfare in media and at the tournament, which attracts galleries in excess of 60,000 fans.
Barkley’s best finish across 27 appearances at Lake Tahoe came in 1995, when he placed 60th, two years after winning the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award for the Phoenix Suns. The last time he posted a Top 70 came in 2002, when he finished 69th during his second year of retirement.
“The Top 70 prop for Charles Barkley is our most popular of all the bets we offer on the American Century Championship,” said Anthony Salleroli, Lead Golf Trader at Caesars Sportsbook. “Chuck gave us a good sweat last year, and he’s always hovering around that Top 70 finishing position, which makes this bet fun for a lot of people.”
The 54-hole tournament is set for Friday – Sunday, July 14-16, at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in the destination resort, where it was launched by NBC Sports in 1990. The event will be televised by GOLF Channel and NBC Sports with nine hours of coverage over the three days. Coverage is also available on the NBC Sports App and via streaming on Peacock. The tournament will be scored using a modified Stableford format awarding points per hole as follows: double-eagle – 10, hole-in-one – 8, eagle – 6, birdie – 3, par – 1, bogey – 0, double bogey – (minus 2).
According to Caesars Sportsbook, Barkley’s odds to win sit at 5000 -1, making him a long shot to win the event. The tournament favorite is CBS NFL analyst and defending champion, Tony Romo, who is listed at 5-2. The full American Century Championship field includes several golfers with major professional experience, including Annika Sorenstam (7-1), the most accomplished player in the history of women’s golf, and MLB Hall of Famer John Smoltz (8-1), who has started several PGA TOUR Champions events (age 50 and above).
Also expected to contend for the title are 2020 champion and former top-ranked American Tennis player Mardy Fish (11-4); 2021 winner and former NBA star and head coach Vinny del Negro (14-1); former MLB pitcher Mark Mulder (5-1); Dallas Stars standout Joe Pavelski (8-1); and Golden State Warriors NBA superstar Steph Curry (12-1).
Other prominent players and their odds include Super Bowl Champion and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (200-1), New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (45-1), Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (350-1), New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (150-1), Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams (250-1), Super Bowl Champion and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (750-1), Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (250-1), Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel (1,000-1), Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson (200-1), NFL free agent placekicker Robbie Gould (200-1), NBC’s Today Show meteorologist Dylan Dreyer (5,000-1), Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway (350-1) and Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost (5,000-1). This year’s field also includes six newcomers, including Zach LaVine (250-1) of the Chicago Bulls.
The tournament will award $600,000 in prize money, much of which is donated back to local and national charities by the celebrity players. Over $7 million has been donated to non-profit causes over the years.
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