Ever since Europe won the Ryder Cup two years ago, a narrative as persisted when discussing the international competition: Why is the United States side not more … united? Narratives generally do not get created out of thin air. The Americans were a team in chaos two years ago, which is why the selection of captain Keegan Bradley was seen as such an out-of-left-field move. How is a 39 year old whose lone goal was to play the Ryder Cup going to unite his contemporaries in a shared mission — particularly against a counterpart in Luke Donald who has the European side humming along, almost singing “Kumbaya” on its way to Bethpage Black?
Helping the U.S. along is Ryder Cup history as neither side has been successful on the road since 2012. Will that streak be broken after five playings, or will the Americans level out with their stars and rookies coming together to beat the Europeans. Don’t forget: The last time the Ryder Cup was played stateside, the U.S. mopped the floor with Europe with a record-breaking 19-9 victory.
The United States enters -150 to win the Ryder Cup with Europe holding +175 odds, per Caesars Sportsbook. While Europe can retain by grabbing just 14 points — given it holds the cup and would maintain possession with a tie — the U.S. needs 14.5 points for an outright win. Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are, respectively, favored as the top point scorers for each side, but while the Americans are expected to win by prognosticators, they are also playing four first-timers compared to just one for the Europeans (who was in team meetings two years ago as the brother of another player).
The talent gap is not as wide as it was four years ago; in fact, Europe has more golfers playing better at this juncture in 2025 than the U.S. That’s why CBS Sports has Europe with three of the top four players in the 24-man field as listed in our detailed Ryder Cup rankings.
All of it boils down to the Europeans looking to win consecutive Ryder Cups for the first time since 2010 and 2012, and the United States seeking to maintain its stranglehold on its homeland.
Let’s take a look at how our CBS Sports experts believe the 2025 Ryder Cup will play out, and feel free to review the all-time Ryder Cup records for every golfer on the U.S. and Europe sides.
2025 Ryder Cup predictions, expert picks
United States MVP
Scottie Scheffler: The agent of chaos in me wants to roll with someone like Patrick Cantlay, but the U.S. doesn’t stand a chance without the world No. 1, and he is going to stand tall this weekend. Scheffler is the clear best player in the world, and he will have a target on his back, which he will wear with pride in both foursomes and four-ball sessions where he draws comfortable partnerships. The putter was a significant issue entering the 2023 competition; that has since been sured up leaving Scheffler in a position to control this Ryder Cup. Odds as top American: 2-1 | top point scorer: 3-1 — Patrick McDonald
Scottie Scheffler: Feel free to make a case for others, but Scheffler is the man leading the way for the Americans. He’s the best player in the world by a fairly wide margin, and how his matches go will be critical for the belief of players on both sides. If Europe can steal points from the U.S. in Scheffler matches, it will fuel belief on the European side leading to a potential road upset. On the flip side, Scheffler can set the tone for the Americans and help them settle the nerves. If you know that guy is on your team and he’s handling his business, suddenly the task of winning 14.5 points feels a bit less daunting. Odds as top American: 2-1 | top point scorer: 3-1 — Robby Kalland
Europe MVP
Viktor Hovland: Europe expects contributions from its big three: McIlroy, Rahm and Fleetwood. Hovland will turn that into a core four similar to Rome. Bethpage Black seems like a great fit for him on paper with its rough seemingly trimmed down, which will alleviate the stress caused by his driver and open up the golf course with his irons where he ranks second-best only to Scheffler in 2025. The short game has been serviceable as of late, and he has a real sense of the moment. Odds as top European: 12-1 | top point scorer: 28-1 — McDonald
Rory McIlroy: If Europe is going to pull off the upset at Bethpage, Rory is going to have to lead the charge. He went 4-1-0 in Rome and I’d be shocked if he isn’t out for all five sessions again this week. McIlroy was the one who boasted they were going to win on the road after their victory in Italy, and he’s not only Europe’s best player, he’s also the heartbeat of the team. He needs to put up 3.5 or 4 points again this week if Europe is going to silence the masses at Bethpage. Odds as top European: 4-1 | top point scorer: 9-1 — Kalland
Breakout candidate
Cameron Young (United States): Familiar with the golf course, playing as well as anyone and having garnered experience in big moments, Young could be the player to put the U.S. over the top. The former PGA Tour Rookie of the Year is as long as anyone off the tee, and his improvement on the greens (second best on the U.S. team behind only Burns) makes him a really difficult out in these playing formats. If the iron play is sharp, Young will have himself a week. Odds as top American: 12-1 | top point scorer: 22-1 — McDonald
Ben Griffin (United States): Based on the early practice round schedule, it looks like Griffin might be the guy that draws the DeChambeau pairing this week. If that’s the case, I love his chances to become a star on this U.S. team. We spent all season waiting for Griffin to come back to Earth, but he’s continued to play at an incredibly high level as the lights have gotten brighter. If he’s alongside DeChambeau, I could see him pulling down 2.5 or 3 points this week and becoming a beloved figure at Bethpage. Odds as top American: 20-1 | top point scorer: 27-1 — Kalland
Surprise prediction
Fans will be treated to a memorable Sunday singles: It’s been more than 10 years since the Ryder Cup has been tight on Sunday — the last five have each been won by 5+ points — but that changes this year with the teams incredibly even on paper. Fans will see version 3.0 of Bryson vs. Rory and Rahm vs. Scheffler as more than just 5 minutes of well, if this happens and that happens then maybe the U.S. has a chance to win self-generated excitement. This bad boy will come down to the wire with those in the back half of the lineups having a major say in the final outcome. — McDonald
J.J. Spaun or Russell Henley score the winning point for the United States (odds: 6-1 each): This is almost assuredly going to be decided late Sunday, and given the way Bradley has talked about Spaun and Henley, both will be put out in the back end of Sunday singles. You’d expect guys like Scheffler and DeChambeau to be sent out early to try and get points on the board, but you need some trusted dogs in the back end to get it done. Bradley has gushed about the competitive spirit of both guys leading up to the Ryder Cup, and they could be aong those final four pairings to go out Sunday with the Ryder Cup in the balance. — Kalland
Winning side
United States (15-13): Everything screams Europe — form, experience, continuity, leadership, pedigree, meaning and whatever else you want to pile on — but something inside says the U.S. will get the job done by the thinnest of margins. (Extremely scientific, I know.) Europe is the known quantity in this equation, and while the U.S. has many unknowns, that does not necessarily mean they are all negative. There will be some surprise performances — good and bad — and enough good from a blend of rookies and stalwarts such as Thomas and Schauffele to put the red, white and blue over the top. Odds to win: -150 | exact score odds: 10-1 — McDonald