NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley enters the American Century Championship this week as the betting underdog with the largest odds.
Barkley, 62, was dealt 7,500-1 odds to win the celebrity golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Lake Tahoe according to Caesars Sportsbook, the longest odds in the entire field, and for the second straight year he’ll be the least liked player.
For context, Mardy Fish and defending champ Joe Pavelski are tied as favorites at 3-1 while Stephen Curry and John Smoltz are second best at 7-2.
However, even with his longshot odds, Barkley has actually become an unexpected liability for Caesars Sportsbook with several players taking him to win due to his enormous odds.
Barkley has shed some weight over the years and recently posted two consecutive top career finishes, with a 58th-place finish in 2024 after a 69th last year. John Smoltz thinks that the legend is underrated given his improvement.
“He’s come so far,” Smoltz said. “He’s motivated, has lost weight and looks great.
Every year he’s raising the bar.” Still, the odds makers don’t expect Barkley to even crack the top 63 at this year’s event.
