Coming off a thrilling finish at the U.S. Open, the PGA Tour heads to the northeast this week for the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands. We nailed both U.S. Open bets we gave out in last week's Wednesday edition, so let's run it back with two more for the Travelers Championship, shall we?

First-round matchup: Davis Riley > Rickie Fowler (+100 DraftKings)

We're rooting for Fowler to turn his season around, but it's not looking good right now. The fan-favorite finished dead last at the Memorial Tournament two weeks ago then missed the cut at the U.S. Open after a second-round 77. Fowler has now lost strokes on approach in four of his last five starts, which is a bad omen heading into a golf course that demands precise iron play. He also ranks 169th out of 177 players in first-round scoring average (72.0) this year.

Riley is also coming off a missed cut in his last start, but he won the Charles Schwab Challenge thanks to the best approach week of his career before that. The American has a great track record on short, positional courses like TPC River Highlands, so we like him to get off to a hot start.

Tom Hoge top-10 finish after Round 1 (+450 DK)

Let's try for a bigger price with our second selection.

Hoge missed the cut at the U.S. Open, but he never stood a chance at Pinehurst No. 2 because it exposes his biggest weakness — his chipping. That's not the case this week. TPC River Highlands fits players who can drive it straight, hit their short irons and wedges close and get hot with the putter. Hoge ranks third on the PGA Tour this season in proximity to the hole and approaches from 125-150 yards, a crucial distance at this golf course.

He also ranks sixth in birdie average, and he's gained strokes on the green in 12 of his last 16 starts. A short course expert, Hoge has a great opportunity to go low with his early tee time on Thursday. 

In the news ...

Connor McDavid, Oilers take down Panthers to force Game 6 — The Edmonton Oilers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals and held on late to send the series back to Alberta for a Game 6. McDavid led the way for Edmonton yet again with two goals and two assists, giving him four points in back-to-back games. The Florida Panthers are still -360 to win the Stanley Cup, but they're starting to feel the heat after jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the series. 

Aaron Judge leaves game after HBP, avoids serious injury — New York Yankees fans around the world held their breath in unison on Tuesday night after Judge took a 94-mph fastball to the left hand. The superstar outfielder left the game in the fourth inning to undergo testing. Thankfully for Judge and the Yankees, the X-ray and CT scan on his hand came back negative, and he might not miss any time. Judge remains a -110 favorite to win AL MVP.

Kylian Mbappe won't undergo immediate surgery on broken nose — After Mbappe suffered a fractured nose in France's 1-0 win against Austria in the UEFA European Championship, initial reports indicated the 25-year-old would undergo surgery at the University of Dusseldorf. That may not be the case, as the French Football Federation announced Mbappe will go through treatment without undergoing immediate surgery. The team is constructing a mask for Mbappe to wear for the remainder of the tournament, but his status for Friday's match against the Netherlands is uncertain. France is tied with England at +350 to win Euro 2024.

Today's Bark Bets is written by Jack Dougherty