Europe Is The Heavy Favorite To Beat The US In The Ryder Cup - Here's Why

The Europeans are the big favorites over the United States in the Ryder Cup, which starts Friday at 2:30 a.m. eastern time in Scotland.

The U.S. is a nearly 2-to-1 underdog at all the sportsbooks.

Six of 10 writers for Golf.com (an American publication) even think Europe is going to win, and that includes one prediction that reads simply, "U.S. in a landslide. Any other prediction is un-American."

There are a lot of reason to like Europe.

Europe has three of the top five players in the world (the U.S. has one). Since April, players on the European team have won six PGA Tour events to the U.S.'s three. Europeans won the 2014 U.S. Open, British Open, and PGA Championship. Nine of the 12 European players have played in at least two Ryder Cups. Six of the 12 Americans have never played a Ryder Cup on European soil - where the U.S. hasn't won in 21 years. Europe also has the best player in the world.

"The European team is loaded," U.S. captain Tom Watson told the Golf Channel earlier in the week.

A bunch of American players are struggling with their form as well. Webb Simpson, Keegan Bradley, Zach Johnson, Phil Mickelson, and Matt Kuchar are all lower in the World Golf Rankings than they were at the end of 2013.

Here's the American team:

• Jim Furyk
• Bubba Watson
• Matt Kuchar
• Rickie Fowler
• Phil Mickelson
• Jordan Spieth
• Zach Johnson
• Jimmy Walker
• Hunter Mahan
• Keegan Bradley
• Patrick Reed
• Webb Simpson

Here's the European team:

• Rory McIlroy
• Sergio Garcia
• Henrik Stenson
• Justin Rose
• Martin Kaymer
• Graeme McDowell
• Victor Dubuisson
• Jamie Donaldson
• Thomas Bjorn
• Stephen Gallacher
• Ian Poulter
• Lee Westwood

Things get underway with fourball early Friday morning.