FedExCup betting preview: Tips for the Deutsche Bank Championship

It is a Friday start for the Deutsche Bank Championship, event two of four in the season-ending FedExCup Play-offs. Ben Coley takes a look at the possible contenders.

Of the 100 players to have qualified, 99 are set to take part with Masters champion Danny Willett instead choosing to stay loyal to the Omega European Masters, defending the title he won there a year ago.

That is assuming Kevin Na, who became a father earlier in the week, does not withdraw late in the day but whatever the case, we've got a limited field as players battle for the riches this system offers.

Just 70 will advance to the BMW Championship so watch for players on the bubble like Chez Reavie, a former runner-up here, who helps prove that power is not top of the list of requirements at TPC Boston.

He could go well, but the best bet by some distance is Jordan Spieth at around the 14/1 mark.

Spieth looks to be set for a strong end to what's been a disappointing season, having finished 13th in the PGA Championship at Baltusrol and 10th last week in The Barclays at Bethpage.

Both events favoured power hitters but the key issue for Spieth has really been putting. On his day, there is probably nobody on the planet who can match him on the greens, yet Spieth's top-10 last week came despite a decidedly average display with putter in hand.

That's not a huge surprise given he's never been fond of poa annua surfaces, which tend to get really bumpy, so the switch to the much smoother bentgrass greens at TPC Boston has to be considered a huge positive.

It's also to Spieth's benefit that, unlike Baltusrol and Bethpage, he has tournament experience at this course where he was fourth in 2013, and if he hits the ball as he did last week he should be very hard to beat.

With the battle for US Ryder Cup wild card places very much on, youngsters Daniel Berger and Justin Thomas could throw their hats into the ring.

Berger won the FedEx St Jude Classic earlier this season with an outstanding display of ball-striking, and it's only two starts ago that he was the 54-hole leader in the Travelers.

A poor Sunday in the tournament won by Russell Knox probably knocked his confidence a tad, but he will bounce back very quickly and having played well in this event last year, he looks overpriced at around the 80/1 mark.

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Thomas, like Berger, has also won this season and he's shown some very good signs lately, finishing third at the Travelers and 10th last week in New York.

He'd love to be on that Ryder Cup side with his friend, Spieth, and a big performance at a course which will suit his aggressive style would make that a possibility.

Finally, Aaron Baddeley is worth one more chance given that he's 250/1.

The Australian won recently and while that was in a modest field, he did see off subsequent Wyndham Championship winner Si-Woo Kim, who looks set to be a massive star of the future.

Baddeley has been working hard on the long game but his key attribute remains deadly putting, which makes him dangerous at a low-scoring course like this one if he can stay out of trouble.

With family in town to offer their support, Baddeley - who was actually born in this part of the US before being raised in Australia - could spring a surprise.

Watch the Deutsche Bank Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports - your home of golf. Coverage begins on Friday from 7.30pm.