Schwab challenge? Get the most for your money

After a thrilling finish to the PGA Championship, the PGA Tour heads to Texas this week for the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club. The top two players on the odds board, Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa, are too expensive to bet in the outright market, so let's get creative with a few ways to back them in the first round on Thursday. 

Scottie Scheffler top-10 finish — end of Round 1 (+165 DraftKings)

We want to get some exposure to Scheffler in this weaker field, but there aren't many options considering he's such a big favorite. Instead of taking him to finish in the top 10 at -245, let's ride him to finish in the top 10 after the first round at much better odds.

Not only does Scheffler rank No. 1 on the PGA Tour in scoring average, but he also ranks No. 1 in Round 1 scoring average (67.45). In his last eight rounds at Colonial, the Texas native's average score is 68. He shot 67 in the first round last year and 66 in the first round in 2022 to tie for the early lead. We trust the best player in the world to get off to a strong start.

Collin Morikawa Round 1 score under 68.5 (-140 FanDuel)

Morikawa is on fire right now with three top-10 finishes in his last four stroke-play starts. The 27-year-old was in the final pairing in his second straight major championship last week, but his putter went cold in the final round. You might think this is a fade spot coming off that disappointing finish, but Morikawa did the exact same thing in the final round of the Masters and followed it up with a 65 in the first round of the RBC Heritage a week later.

Colonial is a perfect fit for Morikawa's game because it emphasizes driving accuracy and precision with your irons, which are his two biggest strengths. Morikawa also ranks fourth in Round 1 scoring average (68.09) this season.

In the news ...

Celtics survive overtime thriller in Game 1 of ECF — The Indiana Pacers were on their way to a shocking upset in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but a late turnover led to a game-tying Jaylen Brown three to send it to overtime. Boston then outscored Indiana, 16-11, in OT to survive and maintain home-court advantage. Now holding a 1-0 lead in the series, the Celtics are -2000 to advance to the NBA Finals. 

Brandon Aiyuk absent from 49ers' OTAs as he seeks new contract — The dramatic offseason for Aiyuk continues. As the San Francisco 49ers began their voluntary offseason team activities this week, Aiyuk was nowhere to be found. The second-team All-Pro, who's set to earn more than $14 million this season on his fifth-year option, is looking for a new deal likely in the $20 million to $30 million range. The 49ers are +550 favorites to win the Super Bowl, but they still have some messes to clean up in their WR room. 

Victor Wembanyama becomes first rookie to crack All-Defensive First Team — Wembanyama made some more history on Tuesday night. One day after being selected to the All-Rookie First Team, the French phenom was voted to the All-Defensive First Team alongside Rudy Gobert, Bam Adebayo, Anthony Davis and Herb Jones. Wembanyama is the first rookie in NBA history to accomplish that feat. As for the players still alive in the postseason, Jayson Tatum is the betting favorite to win Finals MVP at +105. 

Today's Bark Bets is written by Jack Dougherty