The Presidents Cup is not the Ryder Cup. It lacks the oomph that the biennial United State-Europe matches pack, mostly because the international side only has one win. However, it's always fun when two teams tee it up against one another, no matter the nationalities or what's at stake. The matches will feel close until Sunday, even if they're not. And who knows? We could get an all-time International upset of one of the most loaded U.S. teams ever.

Let's take a look at this week's contest.

What: 2017 Presidents Cup | Where: Jersey City, New Jersey | When: Sept. 28-Oct. 1

Past winners

  • 2015: United States
  • 2013: United States
  • 2011: United States
  • 2009: United States
  • 2007: United State
  • 2005: United States
  • 2003: Tie

The 2015 matches were some of the closest we've seen in a while. With the match count lowered from 34 to 30, the international team put up a real fight and lost 15.5 to 14.5. It came down to the final few matches on Sunday, which is more than I can say of what I think this year's event is going to look like.

Odds

• U.S. (-400)
• Internationals (+400)
• Tie (+1200)

I suppose the tie is the way to go with this one considering how 2015 ended up, but it's very difficult for me to see the U.S. coming that close to losing this year in their own country. That -400 number is awful, but I'm riding with the Americans.

Picks to win

United States 17-13: The U.S. side has too much firepower. It's been referenced a lot, but America's "worst" golfer is Phil Mickelson, and he's ranked No. 30 in the world. The international team has six players ranked below that. There will be fireworks at the top, but there's no way for the international side to expect to keep up with the U.S. juice.

Prop bets I love

U.S. as Day 1 winner (-170): Foursomes will be played on Thursday, and the U.S. will have a big advantage with its depth. There's nowhere for the International Team to hide because, for example, Adam Scott can't carry Anirban Lahiri across the finish line like he could if it was a fourball matchup.

Brooks Koepka to lead U.S. in scoring (10-1): That's a good number for Koepka, who finished second on the Ryder Cup team last year in points (he had 3 to Patrick Reed's 3.5).

Branden Grace to lead the Internationals in scoring (8-1): You mean I can get the guy who went 5-0-0 at the 2015 Presidents Cup at 8-1? I'm here for that. Another solid pick here is Louis Oosthuizen. He's 6-1, and he went 4-0-1 in 2015.

Most valuable player

Jordan Spieth: It's not the Ryder Cup, so I'll let Patrick Reed have the year off. I'm not sure how many people understand the season Spieth just had. He touched off three wins, finished first in scoring and approach shots and won $9.4 million. That's unbelievable, and he has an 18-11-3 record all time in match play.

Breakout star

Kevin Kisner: I love Kisner, and I think he's going to show out in this format. He's a bulldog, and he should get some of the lesser talents on the international side. He's not a household name (yet), and I'm not sure he'll ever be a star or superstar. But his game (accurate driver, tough putter) is perfect for team events.

Surprise prediction

Jason Day goes winless (or something close to it): This sounds crazy, and it probably will be considering how many matches Day will play. But I think he'll have tough draws on the U.S. side, and he's not had his most compelling season. Furthermore, Day went 0-4-1 in 2015 in South Korea.