US Open 2023: Our experts' best bets for Los Angeles Country Club

• 33/134.00 Smith gets Steve Rawlings' backing

• 16/117.00 Hovland ready to win first Major says Dave Tindall

• First round leader, best outsiders to back and more

US Open: The Punter's in-depth preview

Steve Rawlings says: "This major tends to be an almighty grind, making headway up the leaderboard as the week progresses is incredibly tough, and up with the pace is where you need to be in a US Open.

"Looking at last year's edition, Fitzpatrick was never more than three adrift in-between rounds, and he was the 12^th winner in 15 years to sit first or second with a round to go. Denny McCarthy was the only player inside the top-nine, that was any further than four back after the opening round.

"I was happy to get Brooks Koepka onside at 13.0 and I thought 34.0 about fellow LIV rebel, Cam Smith, was reasonable too.

"The reigning Open Champion has been ticking along nicely enough on the LIV circuit since his disappointing 34^th in the US Masters, producing form figures there reading 3-7-2-9, and he has a pair of top-six finishes at Riviera.

"Smith burst onto the global stage when finishing tied for fourth in this event on the last occasion it was staged at a new venue, in 2015, and when looking at the North Course for the first time, the quirky 2015 host course, Chambers Bay, came to mind.

"Smith started slowly at the US PGA Championship last month, but he signed off the event with a five-under-par 65 to climb into the top-ten and I was happy to take 34.0 about him here."

US Open 2023 Each-Way Tips: 16/1 Hovland ready for first Major victory

Dave Tindall says: "Go through the quotes at the recent Memorial Tournament and the words "firm" and "fast" crop up numerous times.

"Given the similarity in conditions and proximity of that event (two weeks ago), it makes plenty of sense this week to pay particular attention to results at Muirfield Village.

"The winner was Viktor Hovland and I simply have to make him the headline bet this week.

"I'm more and more convinced that once a Majors season is up and running, the same cast list keep appearing on the leaderboard.

"Hovland is one of the leading actors so far. He finished seventh at the US Masters after sitting first, fourth and third respectively after the first three rounds while his round positions in the US PGA were sixth, first, second and second."

US Open 2023 First-Round Leader Tips: 28/1 Xander can land a Thursday punt

Dave Tindall says: "In the two US Opens he's played in his native California, Xander Schauffele has ended round one in second place at Pebble Beach in 2019 and in fifth spot at Torrey Pines in 2021.

"But it doesn't end there. The US Open specialist - his form figures in this event read: 5-6-5-5-7-14 - was also second after round one on debut at Erin Hills in 2017 and eighth following the opening lap at Winged Foot in 2020.

"Across those four events, twice Schauffele opened with a 66 while he also carded first rounds of 68 and 69.

"Wait, how about the 2020 US PGA that was played at another California venue, Harding Park? He was quick out of the blocks again there, shooting yet another 66 to sit third on the first-round leaderboard."

US Open 2023: 10-year trends point to...

Dave Tindall says: "Although having a strong run in a recent Major is seen as a big plus, is it an advantage to have won one already?

"History says not. Six of the last seven US Open champions hadn't won a Major before and, over our study period, seven of the last 10 were Majorless going into the week.

Won a Major = 3pts
Not won a Major = 7pts

"Common sense says you don't go into the US Open searching for your 'A' game. And there is decent evidence that you have to be in good nick to meet the demands of a testing US Open track.

"That's shown by eight of the last 10 winners posting a top 10 in one or both of their previous two PGA Tour starts. Fitzpatrick had been 10th in Canada the week before his 2022 triumph.

Top 10 in one of two previous PGA Tour starts = 8pts
No top 10 in one of two previous starts = 2pts

US Open Player Guide: Profiles of the top 50 in the betting

Matt Cooper says: "What's not to like about the World No. 1's chances this week? Form? 13 starts in 2023, all of them T12th or better, two of them wins. The majors? Ten top 20 finishes in his last 12 starts.

"Stats? He ranks first for Strokes Gained Off the Tee, Approach the Green and Tee to Green (sixth Around the Greens). He even puts a good spin on his problems saying: "Struggles with my putting have probably helped me elevate my ball striking."

"Los Angeles Country Club will feature many long shots into the greens and will that hurt him? The stats say he is much stronger with approaches below 200 yards."

US Open Find Me a 100 Winner Special: Box-ticking Burns a great price in LA

Steve Rawlings says: "Ranking as high as 15 in the Official World Rankings, Burns has only ordinary US Open numbers reading MC-41-MC-27, but he sat sixth after round one back in 2018 and he was in-the-mix with a round to go 12 months ago - sitting tied for seventh and trailing by just three strokes.

"Now a five-time PGA Tour winner, Burns has the long game to compete at Los Angeles Country Club and he also has form at Riviera, the only other course used on the PGA Tour that was designed by George Clifford Thomas Jr.

"Burns led the 2021 Genesis Invitational by five strokes at halfway and by two after three rounds before eventually finishing third (beaten by a stroke).

"Although he's finished sixth at the Charles Schwab Challenge and sixth at the Valspar Championship when defending both titles, either side of his victory in Houston at the Match Play in March, he's missed three of his last three cuts but that doesn't concern me.

"His 2023 figures, reading 32-11-6-MC-MC-35-6-1-29-15-11-MC-MC-6-16-MC, demonstrate perfectly that he's a brilliant but inconsistent player, and he's far too big at anything around 100.099/1.

Place order to lay 10u @ 10.09/1 & 10u @ 2.01/1

US Open 2023: Major form stats for Los Angeles Country Club

Andy Swales says: "In both previous Major events - The Masters and PGA Championship - those from the previously 'outlawed' LIV Tour certainly held their own when rubbing shoulders with the likes of Scheffler, Rahm and McIlroy. So who's likely to be in the mix, come Sunday afternoon at Los Angeles Country Club?

"If you're looking for a higher-priced 'outsider' to emerge from the pack this week, then you could do worse than take a punt on the 29-year-old American Wyndham Clark. He claimed his maiden PGA Tour victory last month, winning by four shots over the tricky Quail Hollow layout."

US Open 2023: Form stats ahead of this season's third major

Andy Swales says: "This will be the first US Open with Bermudagrass rough since Pinehurst in 2005.

"Fairways will be more generous than experienced at most US Open venues, although there won't be any graded rough in 2023. So any ball which runs off the short grass will end up immediately in three inches of the long stuf.

"Narrowest fairways will be 28 yards, around four yards wider than at most traditional US Open venues."