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Players Championship betting guide: 8 picks our expert loves at TPC Sawgrass

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Might this week bring Jason Day's return to glory?

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Welcome to our weekly PGA Tour gambling-tips column, featuring picks from G OLF.com’s expert prognosticator, Brady Kannon. You can follow Kannon on Twitter at @LasVegasGolfer and you can read below to see his favorite plays for the Players Championship, which kicks off Thursday at TPC Sawgrass , in Ponte Vedra, Fla. Keep scrolling past Kannon’s picks, and you’ll also see data from Chirp, a free-to-play mobile platform — and GOLF.com affiliate — that features a range of games with enticing prizes, giving fans all kinds of ways to engage in the action without risking any money.

This has been the year of “the elevated event.” In just three months, we’ve already had four such tournaments and each has been a treat. The Players Championship has always been elevated, if you will. It carries the largest purse on Tour and arguably assembles the game’s most competitive field. Kurt Kitayama earned $3.6 million at Bay Hill last week , holding off Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and Jordan Spieth for his first PGA Tour victory. This week we head north to Ponte Vedra Beach, where a $4.5-million winner’s check awaits.

The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass , a Pete Dye design, has been hosting The Players Championship since 1982. It is commonly referred to as “the 5th major.” The governing body at Augusta National Golf Club puts on the Masters . The PGA of America conducts the PGA Championship. The USGA plays host to the U.S. Open and the R&A runs the Open Championship. The Players Championship is the Tour’s baby and its crown jewel event. The 17th hole, a par 3 with an island green, is part of a three-hole finish that ranks among the most dramatic closing stretches in the world.

At less than 7,200 yards, the course is short by Tour standards, but we have seen both bombers and short knockers win here in the past. Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Fred Couples, Davis Love III fit the bomber mold, but they’re offset by former champions, Si Woo Kim, Webb Simpson, Matt Kuchar, Tim Clark and Fred Funk. I favor Driving Accuracy over Driving Distance this week. But at Sawgrass, it is really about positioning. Many players will play 3-woods and long irons off the tee to avoid water hazards and other trouble. The rough is not as brutal as what we saw last week at Bay Hill, and the greens, which are also Bermuda grass, are smaller than Tour average. Ball Striking will be paramount this week. The forecast calls for 10-15 mph winds. Nothing fierce. But given that no two holes run in the same direction, players will be tested from all possible angles and will have to be able to work some shots.

That said, the most important statistics this week are Good Drives Gained and/or Fairways Gained (Total Driving is not a bad place to look either), Strokes Gained: Approach, Par 4 Scoring (or SG: Par 4’s) and Scrambling. Work around the greens has proven crucial at the Players, with the top tier of past leaderboards loaded with players who scrambled best. It makes sense with the undulations on and around the greens, the quirky bunkering, and the small putting surfaces. Other areas I looked at this week were Bogey Avoidance, Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermuda Grass), and how these players have fared on other Pete Dye courses and/or the comp courses. For comps, I considered Sedgefield (Wyndam), Innisbrook (Valspar), The Concession (WGC-Workday), Muirfield Village (The Memorial), and Sea Island (RSM Classic). The Pete Dye designs I used were Harbour Town (RBC Heritage), TPC RIver Highlands (Travelers), TPC Louisiana (Zurich Classic) and the Stadium Course at PGA West (American Express).

Picks to win the Players Championship (and finish Top 20)

Patrick Cantlay (16-1)

Cantlay is getting a lot of betting attention this week. I could have taken 18-1 but got greedy and waited, thinking I might get something a tad higher. Ultimately, I had to settle for 16-1 but I’ve seen as low as 13-1. This is our third time in four weeks backing the UCLA Bruin and while we have cashed Top 20 finishes, the outright win still eludes us. He was 3rd at the Genesis and 4th last week in his first ever trip to Bay Hill. Cantlay fits our criteria this week. He’s 4th in Total Driving, 19th in Scrambling, 2nd in Bogey Avoidance, and 1st in Par 4 Scoring. He is also 22nd in this field over the last 36 rounds in SG Approach. He’s been tremendous on some of the comp courses with 2nd, 7th, and two 3rd place finishes at Harbour Town, a win at TPC Louisiana, and three Top 10 finishes, including a runner-up at the American Express. In his last five trips to TPC River Highlands, Cantlay hasn’t finished worse than 15th and shot a 60 on that course back in 2011. I feel like he’s primed and ready to put it all together this week at TPC Sawgrass.

Collin Morikawa (27-1)

I like it when it seems like one of the best players is being ignored or there isn’t much buzz in the betting world about that player. That feels like the case this week with Morikawa, the 10th ranked player in the world. He stumbled mightily in the final round at Kapalua to kick off 2023 (I remember it well as I was on him that week) and his stock has drifted downward ever since. He missed the cut last week at Bay Hill and did so in Phoenix, too — but he also recorded a 3rd at Torrey Pines and finished 6th at the Genesis. He is a Top 5 player in the field for Good Drives Gained, Fairways Gained, and SG Approach over the last 36 rounds. He also won the WGC-Workday at The Concession in 2021. The problem is the short game as it has been off recently. Over the course of the 2022-23 season, his Scrambling is solid, but it will need to return to form if he’s going to win here this week. With everything else he does so well, I believe he has a real shot and at close to 30-1, he’s almost an auto-play in my opinion.

Jason Day (32-1)

As with Cantlay, we took a shot with Jason Day to both win and finish in the Top 20. He delivered for us by recording his 4th straight Top 10 finish on Tour. I wrote about how he has sneaked up on us in the last five months. It has been an incredible return to form for the Australian and I’m going to back him again this week, on another course, like Bay Hill, where he has won. Day ranks No.1 in this field for Bogey Avoidance over the last 36 rounds, 2nd for Scrambling, and 1st in SG Par 4’s. In addition to his win here, Day has also finished 8th, 5th, 19th, and 6th. He has a Top 10 in his career at Harbour Town, a 20th at the Valspar, and was 18th in 2021 at The Concession. Though Whistling Straits is a far cry from a clone of Sawgrass, it’s also worth nothing that Day one the 2015 PGA Championship on that Dye design. As we noted last week, we’ve always known about his short game – but now the driver and the irons are working too. I have to take another shot with him as it appears he is destined to win again soon.

Tyrrell Hatton (35-1)

The Englishman has really been playing great golf with two Top 10 finishes and a Top 15 in his last four starts. He is 2nd on Tour in Total Driving, 40th in Scrambling, and 4th in this field over the last 36 rounds for SG Putting on Bermuda. He has Top 10 finishes at Harbour Town and Sedgefield and Top 25 finishes at Innisbrook and The Concession. He was 13th here at The Players last year. His iron play can sometimes get away from him despite ranking 28th on Tour in SG Approach. With his work off the tee and around the greens however – combined with his comp course history and current form, I think he’s in the mix again here roughly 140 miles from his Florida home.

This Canadian long shot could help you win BIG at TPC Sawgrass: 2023 Players Championship odds

Sungjae Im (40-1)

As is the case with Cantlay, we are backing Im for the third time in four weeks. Unfortunately, he missed a Top 20 finish for us last week by one shot. But we can’t ignore his consistency in all areas of the game while still getting juicy prices on him to win. Im ranks Top 21 in this field over the last 36 rounds in SG Off the Tee, Bogey Avoidance, Scrambling, and Fairways Gained. He hasfinished as high as 13th at the RBC Heritage and 17th here at Sawgrass. He has a 4th place finish at the Valspar, a runner-up, a 6th, and a 9th place finish at the Wyndham, and has never finished worse than 18th in five trips to the American Express. If you also look at what Im has done on courses that measure less than 7200 yards, he ranks 10th in this field over the last 36 rounds on such courses for SG Ball Striking. I believe he’s worth another shot at 40-1 or better.

Si Woo Kim (90-1)

Yes, 90-1 appears to be an outlier that I came across, but I am okay with anything at 65-1 or better. Si Woo is a former Players champ and along with Webb Simpson, he is probably the “co-owner” of the Wyndham Championship with finishes of 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 1st in his career. He checks in with a runner-up finish at the RBC Heritage as well. To illustrate his prowess on these types of courses, Kim ranks 12th in this field over the last 36 rounds for SG Tee to Green on Pete Dye designed courses. He is also 5th for Bogey Avoidance and 12th in Fairways Gained. He’s extremely accurate off the tee and ranks 15th on Tour in Scrambling. I did not use Wailae Country Club as a correlated course this week but there are some ties – narrow fairways, Bermuda grass, wind – and Si Woo won the Sony Open there just three months ago.

Full tournament head-to-head matchups

Tyrrell Hatton (-135) over Jordan Spieth

Jason Day (-120) over Matt Fitzpatrick

Kannon’s season-long head-to-head picks record: 11-7-1

Who Chirp users think will win

Jon Rahm – 22.86%

Rory McIlroy – 21.65%

Scottie Scheffler – 20.30%

Click here to download the Chirp app and win amazing prizes.

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Players Championship 2024: Odds, prediction, value picks for TPC Sawgrass

The PGA Tour’s unofficial 5th major is upon us. We break down the odds, best bets and make a pick for The Players Championship.

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The marquee event of the PGA Tour season has arrived. The top 144 players on the PGA Tour will tee it up on The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, the home of The Players Championship since 1982.

The Pete Dye design features the world-famous 17th hole, a par-3 almost surrounded by water. The course never fails to entertain and surely, it will amuse golf fans again this week.

So, let’s get to the 2024 Players Championship odds.

The Players Championship Odds

Every year, The Players Championship prides itself on having, “The strongest field in golf.” This week is no different, despite the lack of LIV golfers present.

Here are the current odds for players to win, per DraftKings:

• Scottie Scheffler +500
• Rory McIlroy +1200
• Xander Schauffele +2200
• Viktor Hovland +2200
• Justin Thomas +2200
• Will Zalatoris +2500
• Patrick Cantlay +2500
• Hideki Matsuyama +2500
• Max Homa +2800
• Wyndham Clark +3000
• Ludvig Åberg +3000
• Shane Lowry +3500
• Sam Burns +3500
• Jordan Spieth +3500

The Players Championship Predictions

Water comes into play on all 18 holes at TPC Sawgrass, which helps make this one of the most unpredictable tournaments of the season.

Despite that, top players have emerged victorious since 2019, when The Players returned to its March spot on the calendar. Scottie Scheffler , Cameron Smith, Justin Thomas, and Rory McIlroy are the four most recent winners at TPC Sawgrass. At the time of their victories, these players’ average Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) was 5.25.

Scheffler re-established himself as the top player in the world after his five-shot win a season ago.

Max Homa primed for another top-finish

After inexplicably missing the cut at the WM Phoenix Open, Max Homa has put together two solid performances at the Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, tying for 16th and eighth, respectively.

Homa putted very well at Bay Hill , ranking third in strokes gained putting. But overall, his short game has shown up in big spots this season. He ranks 10th in scrambling and 15th in bogey avoidance.

You need to avoid the big numbers at TPC Sawgrass, and Homa has done that so far in 2024.

Plus, he played well there last year, tying for eighth—it would have been a top-5 if not for his water-ball on 17. Homa doubled his penultimate hole, finishing at 8-under for the championship.

We like him to finish in the top 10 once again at +260. If you are really feeling the Homa hype, the price for a top 5 finish is pretty nice at +550.

Min Woo Lee rebounds after tough weekend at Bay Hill

Min Woo Lee was our value pick at last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, and he got off to a solid start with an opening 3-under 69.

But the beast that is Bay Hill stumped the young Australian over the weekend, as Lee carded rounds of 73, 76, and 73 to tie for 44th.

Still, Lee is one of the most talented young players in golf, and that was on display at last year’s Players Championship. He played in the final pairing alongside Scheffler, trailing him by two shots at 12-under through 54 holes.

His final 18 did not come as easily, as he shot a 4-over 76 to ultimately tie for 18th. Yet, Lee has proven that he can hit any shot required of him, a necessity to succeed at TPC Sawgrass.

If you are feeling really dangerous, you can get Lee to win at +11000. But we like him to finish in the top 10 at +500.

Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa struggle again

Two of the game’s top stars have struggled so far in 2024.

Viktor Hovland has changed golf coaches again and is now working on his swing with Grant Waite.

In addition, his improved short game has completely abandoned him. So far this season, Hovland ranks 173rd in strokes gained around the green and 144th in scrambling percentage.

A season ago, when Hovland won the FedEx Cup , he ranked 86th in strokes gained around the green and got up and down successfully 62% of the time—ranking 48th.

Perhaps that explains why the Norwegian has not come close to finishing in the top 10 so far this season. We do not anticipate him finding his form on a course where trouble lurks everywhere.

The same can be said for Collin Morikawa , who missed the cut for the second time this season at Bay Hill.

Morikawa made two double bogies and two other bogies over his first six holes on Friday, leading to an 8-over 80. He missed the cut by three shots.

His short-game metrics are poor, too. He currently ranks 100th in strokes gained around the green and 135th in strokes gained putting.

If you are trying to re-discover your game, TPC Sawgrass is a hard place to do so.

Players Championship Long Shot

Since the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in early February, Tom Hoge has quietly been one of the best players on the PGA Tour.

Hoge—not Scheffler—ranks first on the PGA Tour in strokes gained approaching the green and first on tour in proximity to the hole.

His superb iron play, which is required at TPC Sawgrass, has produced good results, too.

He tied for 6th at Pebble Beach, 17th at the WM Phoenix Open, and then finished solo 8th at Riviera to wrap up a successful West Coast swing.

His first event in Florida did not go as well, as he tied for 28th at the Cognizant Classic. However, he bounced back with a solid finish at Bay Hill, tying for 12th.

Once again, he led the Arnold Palmer Invitational field in strokes gained approaching the green. But his driver and putter let him down, which explains why he finished at 3-under.

But if he can keep it in play off the tee, and drain some putts at TPC Sawgrass, Hoge could very well emerge as an unlikely winner. He is +5500 to win, but we like him to finish in the top 5 at +1200 the best.

The Players Championship Pick

Fresh off his dominant win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational , we like Scottie Scheffler to win The Players Championship for the second consecutive year.

Simply put, Scheffler is playing in a league of his own. He leads the tour in scoring average, strokes gained overall, and strokes gained off the tee. He has hit 78% of his greens in regulation, also ranking at the top of the PGA Tour.

His recent play is reminiscent of Tiger Woods , and Scheffler will achieve something that not even Woods has done this week: repeat at TPC Sawgrass.

In fact, no player has ever repeated as The Players Champion. But we like Scheffler to become the first player to do so, relying on his superior play tee-to-green and his new mallet putter to win yet again.

He is +500 to win, which, frankly, might be too low of a price.

For all other sports betting content, check out SB Nation’s DraftKings site .

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

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Players Championship picks 2023: This star is ready for his biggest win

If you’ve been paying attention, 2023 has already delivered one thrilling finish after the next. We’ve barely caught our breath, and now (another) one of the biggest events of the year is here. If you’re one of those casual golf fans, don’t worry: You’re in the right place.

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Our betting panel has hit three of the past four outright winners correctly —and more impressively, we’re up a collective 42 units on top-10 and matchup bets on the season. As any golf bettor knows, that’s where you can make a living. We’re doing just fine.

Now we’re eyeing up a winner at one of the most volatile weeks of the year. We wish you luck. To help your best bets, we’ve assembled the best collection of experts in the industry—which consists of a caddie reporting anonymously from TPC Sawgrass; Pat Mayo of DraftKings and FantasyNational.com; Brandon Gdula of numberFire/FanDuel; Rick Gehman of RickRunGood.com; Andy Lack of RRG and his Inside Golf Podcast; and your two authors. Scroll down to read our best bets for the 2023 Players Championship.

RELATED: Players Championship picks 2023: Our data expert says: Ignore Jon Rahm’s bad weekend

Scroll down for our full analysis and best bets for this week at the 2023 Players Championship.

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Players Championship picks 2023: Our Experts’ Outright Predictions

Anonymous Caddie Picker of the week : Justin Thomas (20-1, DraftKings) — Some windy conditions throughout the event play right into the hands of the 2021 winner. You need to be incredibly well-rounded in all facets of the game—and he’s that player.

Pat Mayo, DraftKings/Fantasy National,  Mayo Media Network analyst : Max Homa (22-1, DraftKings) — One poor week on the greens has led to Homa being vaulted by a few on the betting board. No player gained more strokes between driving and approach at Bay Hill than Max Homa, but he just happened to lose more strokes on the greens than in any start in 18 months. If Homa just has his average putting week he actually wins the API, and we’re talking about him in the 12- to 14-1 range right now.

Brandon Gdula, FanDuel/numberFire managing editor : Collin Morikawa (24-1, FanDuel) — Morikawa has one of the best overall course fits for TPC Sawgrass, so I’m willing to look past his MC last week. He’s super accurate off the tee (usually), and we know how good the irons are. He’s in pretty elite form despite two missed cuts in his past three starts, as he has three top-sixes in his other three 2023 events.

Rick Gehman, data scientist and RickRunGood.com founder : Viktor Hovland (27-1, FanDuel) — Hovland’s game is getting dialed, showing ball-striking improvements nearly every single week. He gained 5.24 strokes in Phoenix, 6.01 at Riviera then 9.60 last week in Orlando. Hovland dismantled TPC Sawgrass in that category last year, gaining 14.17 strokes, per the RickRunGood.com golf database, by far the most in the field. His game is trending in the right direction and is headed to a course that will amplify his strengths.

Stephen Hennessey, Golf Digest dep. managing editor : Patrick Cantlay (16-1, DraftKings) — Cantlay was always an “avoid in Florida” kind of guy, but that hot Sunday and a T-4 at the API really impressed me. More than anything, as our guy Rick has pointed out on his show, Cantlay is a master at shaping the ball both ways off the tee and on approach. That is a huge asset here, where Pete Dye routinely asks you to shape the ball around trouble. He’s too good of a golfer to not contend in the biggest events of the year, so I think he finally does this week.

Christopher Powers, Golf Digest staff writer : Patrick Cantlay (16-1, DraftKings) — Not to be “I caught Cantlay at 20-1 on Sunday night” guy, but I caught Cantlay at 20-1 Sunday night—so I got some sick closing-line value, which makes you seem smart in the gambling community even when you lose. All jokes aside, it’s hard not to back Cantlay off that insane final-round 68 on an impossibly tough golf course. The only thing that should scare you this week is he hasn’t had success in this tournament since the move to March, but we can chalk that up to the volatility of this course. He’s an elite ball-striker and elite ball-striking usually gets the job done at this place.

Andy Lack, RickRunGood.com and Inside Golf podcast : Viktor Hovland (27-1, FanDuel) — Viktor Hovland was frustratingly close last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, sitting in the middle of the fairway just one stroke off the lead with a 9-iron in his hands on the par-5 16th hole. The bogey-bogey finish led to a deceiving 10th-place finish. Operating with a glass-half-full approach, Hovland had his best ball-striking week since last year’s Players, gaining a whopping 6.3 strokes off the tee and 3.7 strokes on approach. The uber-talented Norwegian now returns to the site of the best ball-striking performance of his career, as Hovland gained over 14 strokes ball-striking last year at the iconic Pete Dye venue. Everyone is already aware of the talent, and this is the perfect spot for him to pick up that elusive first breakthrough victory.

Past results: Ladies and gentlemen, we are officially heating up. We cashed our third straight winner at the Honda Classic with Christopher Powers backing Chris Kirk at 30-1 to win the Honda Classic. That continues a streak that started with Brandon Gdula correctly predicting Scottie Scheffler’s win at the WM Phoenix Open (13-1) and Rick Gehman hitting Jon Rahm at the Genesis Invitational (+750). Add in Gdula and Stephen Hennessey’s Tony Finau (16-1) winner at the Houston Open in the Fall and that gives the panel four outright hits on the 2022-’23 season. Let’s keep it rolling at The Players!

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Listen to Golf Digest's weekly betting podcast, "The Loop," (above) where we interview the industry's leading experts (and sometimes tour pros) to help you make your bets and pick your fantasy lineups. And be sure to subscribe to "The Loop" wherever you get your podcasts!

Players Championship picks 2023: Sleepers/Dark Horses Who Could Win

Caddie: Keith Mitchell (55-1, FanDuel) — He’s gone toe to toe with top-five players in the world and proven he can hang. That’s two top-fives in his past five starts, plus he’s won in the state of Florida. It wouldn’t surprise anybody if Cashmere Keith contends.

Mayo: Tom Kim (40-1, DraftKings) — It’s crucial to hit fairways this week, and Kim sits 15th in the field in fairways gained in the 2023 season. He’s great with his wedges and can scramble, so it’s likely to hinge all on his putter. His putting stroke seems like a legit coin flip each week. He’s lost as many as 6.7 strokes/putting over two rounds at one point. He also gained 12.5 over four en route to a victory in the same stretch. There really seems to be no in-between.

Gdula: Keith Mitchell (55-1, FanDuel) — Mitchell is one of the absolute best drivers on Tour, and he pairs distance with accuracy, which is very helpful at TPC Sawgrass. Mitchell’s got pop potential when other aspects of his game click along with the driver, as evidenced by a T-13 here last year, a T-5 at the Genesis, plus a T-4 at Pebble Beach recently when the short game was on point.

Gehman: Adam Scott (100-1, BetMGM) — Scott missed the cut here last year, ending a stretch of nine straight weekends at TPC Sawgrass with six top 20s during that run. His game is quietly rounding into form, earning a T-31 finish last week in very difficult conditions. He’ll be able to tap into his experience around a golf course that requires it.

Hennessey, Golf Digest: Tommy Fleetwood (85-1, FanDuel) — Tommy Lad led here after Round 1 last year and had a fifth-place finish in 2019 and a seventh-place in 2018. TPC Sawgrass clearly brings out the artist in Tommy. He can shape his shots off the tee and into these greens, and he’s got one of the best short games in the world. Fleetwood should be live here.

Powers, Golf Digest: Hideki Matsuyama (85-1, FanDuel) — Yes, Matsuyama seems broken if you just look at his recent results, but he’s actually still gained on approach in four of his last five starts, and he’s not that far removed from a top 10 at Torrey Pines. Also, it’s impossible to not think about his scorching hot start here in 2020 before the world shut down. 85-1 for a Masters champion who tied the course record here in 2020? It’s too tempting to pass up.

Lack: Keegan Bradley (50-1, BetMGM) — Keegan Bradley is the exact type of player further down the odds board who I know is capable of winning an event of this caliber. A major champ, in addition to a FedEx Cup playoff and WGCevent winner, Bradley is coming off a strong performance at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, gaining 6.6 strokes ball-striking. Now he returns to a track where he has experienced a fair amount of success at, including a fifth-place finish last year. I would be far from surprised to see Bradley raise the trophy come Sunday afternoon at a venue that has been kind to him over the last decade.

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Players Championship picks 2023: Players We’re Fading

Caddie: Sam Burns (66-1, BetMGM) — Ranking 193rd in SG/approach with these small greens and some wind is the recipe for disaster here. Something looks off with Burns … I would take a wait-and-see approach.

Mayo: Patrick Cantlay (16-1, DraftKings) — I just can’t stomach these odds. It’s not about him missing his past three cuts at Sawgrass, it’s that Cantlay’s priced closer to the top 3 (Rory, Scheffler and Rahm) than the group behind (Thomas, Homa, Morikawa, Schauffele, Finau). That’s simply not right.

Gdula: Viktor Hovland (27-1, FanDuel) — Hovland wouldn’t be priced here if not for the T-10 last week. I know he led The Players in SG/tee to green last year, however, he consistently loses strokes around the green (including last year at this event), and his wins are historically at events when the winning score is closer to 20-under than 10-under. It’s more to do with believing that there are better plays at better numbers than not believing in Hovland, but I just don’t like the number enough.

Gehman: Hideki Matsuyama (85-1, FanDuel) — This isn’t a favorite, but allow me to present reasons for fading Hideki in matchups and DFS. The driver is a huge problem right now for the 2021 Masters champ, who lost 2.6 strokes off-the-tee last week at Bay Hill. That’s his worst driving week since the 2021 Valero Texas Open, per the RickRunGood.com golf database. He’s lost strokes off-the-tee in 12 of his past 16 measured events, and the rest of his game hasn’t been good enough to make up for those woes.

Hennessey, Golf Digest: Justin Thomas (20-1, DraftKings) — It’s scary to fade JT at TPC Sawgrass, but he leaves me no choice. He has been pedestrian with his approach play, ranking 74th in this field over his past 36 rounds, per RickRunGood.com. That’s not peak JT. We’ve seen flashes, like in Phoenix, which prompted me to bet him at Riv … then he disappointed. You can make a case for so many of these top guys, but for me JT ain’t it.

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Powers, Golf Digest: Collin Morikawa (22-1, DraftKings) — Morikawa has been boom-or-bust this year, with three top-sixes and two missed cuts in five events. Coming off a MC at Bay Hill, it’s risky to fade a potential boom week, but Morikawa has somewhat shockingly gone backwards with his irons over the last few weeks. Also, he struggles on Bermuda greens, and he’s already a shaky putter.

Lack: Jon Rahm (+900, BetRivers) — This is a pure heat-check fade for me. After firing a flawless 65 on Thursday last week, Jon Rahm looked absolutely gassed over the weekend. With wins in five of his past 10 starts, fading the World No. 1 is always a scary proposition, but something appears to be shaky right now with his biggest weapon, his driver. TPC Sawgrass is the wrong golf course to enter with off-the-tee concerns, and it has notoriously been more of a challenge for faders of the golf ball. This is simply too steep of a price to pay right now for a player with question marks surrounding the strongest aspect of his game.

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Players Championship picks 2023: Matchups

Caddie: Taylor Montgomery (-110) over Brian Harman (DraftKings) — The rookie has cooled off since the hot start to his season, but there’s reason to like him over Harman. The former Georgia Bulldog ranks worse than 130th in SG/approach and SG/short game, which is not a good formula. Montgomery being a top-five putter here can mitigate some of the struggles elsewhere.

Mayo: Jon Rahm (+105) over Rory McIlroy (DraftKings) — The guy who wins every other event is available at plus-money against one other player. It doesn’t matter if that other player is Rory. Seems like a good deal for a coin flip at worst.

Gdula: Justin Rose (-136) over Harris English (FanDuel) — English has putted his way to two top-12s in his past three starts but has been very mediocre tee-to-green lately. Rose is coming off two MCs yet holds a big edge in ball-striking over English.

Gehman: Jason Day (-125) over Tom Kim (DraftKings) — Over the past 36 rounds, there are only four golfers in this field who have gained two-plus strokes per round. They are Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and … Jason Day. He’s been electric with the putter and pristine with his ball-striking. Now he goes back to TPC Sawgrass, where he won in 2016 and has three more top-10 finishes.

Hennessey, Golf Digest: Davis Riley (-110) over Aaron Wise (PointsBet) — These are two players trending in the opposite directions. Look at the longer-term data, and Aaron Wise will outperform Davis Riley in most metrics—but Riley’s coming off an eighth-place finish in a stacked field at Bay Hill, whereas Wise missed the cut badly, losing more than five strokes on approach in his two rounds. The data guys might not like this one, but I’m riding the hot hand on a Southern boy who should like this Bermuda-filled course more than a kid from Cali.

Powers, Golf Digest: Xander Schauffele (+105) over Max Homa (DraftKings) — Well aware of how good Homa has been this season, and even more aware of Schauffele’s disastrous weekend at Bay Hill. However, I think Schauffele bounces back and contends here and getting him at plus money over anybody is extremely attractive.

Lack: Rory McIlroy (-120) over Jon Rahm (DraftKings) — I’m going right back to well with the same matchup for the second week in a row. Quite simply, I trust Rory McIlroy’s ability to drive the ball in play here more than Rahm’s right now, and while Rahm has shown flashes at TPC Sawgrass, his course history pales in comparison to the 2019 champion. I’ll take my chances with McIlroy for one more week, as this will be a fun showdown between the world’s two best players.

Matchup Results from the Arnold Palmer Invitational: Hennessey and Lack: 1 for 1 (McIlroy (+110) over Rahm; Gehman: 1 for 1 (Theegala +100 over Lowry); Powers: 1 for 1 (Bradley (-120) over Conners); Caddie, Mayo, Gdula: 0 for 1.

Matchup Results from this season (Wins-Losses-Pushes): Hennessey: 12-6-0 (up 5.2 units); Gehman: 11-5-2 (up 4.92 units); Powers: 10-8-0 (up 1.46 units); Lack: 5-4-0 (up 0.80 units); Mayo: 8-9-0 (down 1.51 units); Caddie: 8-10-0 (down 2.16 units); Gdula: 5-12-1 (down 7.42 units)

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Players Championship picks 2023: Top 10s

Caddie: Tyrrell Hatton (+360, DraftKings) — The Englishman has two top-sixes in his past three starts and hasn’t missed a cut on the PGA Tour since early June. And if the conditions get tough, Hatton’s piercing ball flight can hang.

Mayo: Ben Griffin (+1600, DraftKings) — Griffin has become a short-course superstar. In his past five starts on courses under 7,200 yards, like TPC Sawgrass, he’s found the weekend four times with results of T-4, T-3, T-12 and T-21 along with a missed cut at Pebble Beach. Yes, it’s worrisome he’s never played in The Players previously, but that’s baked into this price.

Gdula: Tom Kim (+470, FanDuel) — Whenever I like Morikawa, I like Tom Kim because of the overlap in their games in terms of accuracy off the tee and iron play. Kim isn’t as good of an overall driver, but I’m also not asking for a win—just a top-10.

Gehman: Rickie Fowler (+550) — Fowler’s comeback tour continues to impress! Fowler faded to a T-31 last week but can still boast three top 25s in his past five starts, which also happen to be the biggest events this calendar year. He’s gained strokes on approach in seven of his past eight events, and the putter is heating up again. The 2015 Players champion is playing his best golf in the past three years and will look to continue it again this week.

Hennessey, Golf Digest: Chris Kirk (+650, PointsBet) — Kirk’s great at positional golf—like we saw in his win at the Honda, which we’ve seen at the Sony Open at Waialae, and him contending in the past at places like TPC Sawgrass and Harbour Town. We always dial up Kirk here, and now he’s back to peak Kirk.

Powers, Golf Digest: Davis Riley (+1200, DraftKings) — Riley was completely lost between September and mid-February but has now seemingly been found on the Florida Swing. He backed up a top 30 at Honda with a T-8 at Bay Hill that featured a six-under 66 on Sunday, matching Webb Simpson for the low round of the day. This is his first Players, but that can actually work in your favor at a course like TPC Sawgrass. The less he knows, the better.

Lack: Will Zalatoris (+320, DraftKings) — I certainly believe that he’s capable of winning here, but I’ll shift my attention to the top-10 market for Zalatoris. He’s coming off a ho-hum 53rd at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but he gained 4.7 strokes off the tee, which is incredibly encouraging as he now heads to a venue where off-the-tee performance is crucial. I think there is tremendous value in all markets on Zalatoris, and I expect him to be firmly in the mix.

Top-10 results from the Arnold Palmer Invitational: Hennessey: 1 for 1 (Keegan Bradley (+650); C addie, Lack: 1 for 1 (Cameron Young (+360); Gehman: 1 for 1 (Jason Day (+335); Mayo, Gdula, Powers: 0 for 1.

Top-10 results from this season: Gdula: 7 for 18 (up 16.6 units); Gehman: 6 for 18 (up 12.9 units); Mayo: 6 for 17 (up 11.1 units); Hennessey: 5 for 18 (up 9.35 units); Lack: 4 for 9 (up 6.5 units); Powers: 2 for 18 (down 9.9 units); Caddie: 3 for 18 (down 5.35 units)

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The Players Championship 2023: One and Done

Gehman: Jon Rahm — This is the biggest purse of the year, so we’re going with the biggest dog. I don’t need to describe how good Rahm is, so let me attack this from a strategic angle. Rahm has already been used by about 30 percent of users in most pools, compared to only 18 percent for Scottie Scheffler. There are only four golfers who have been used more frequently than Rahm to this point in the season. This is your chance to get the best player, at somewhat low ownership, in the biggest event of the season.

Previous weeks: Fortinet Championship: Emiliano Grillo. Sanderson Farms Championship: Sam Burns. Shriners: Taylor Montgomery. Zozo: Sungjae Im. CJ Cup: Matt Fitzpatrick. Bermuda: Denny McCarthy. Mayakoba: Viktor Hovland. Houston Open: Aaron Wise. RSM Classic: Brian Harman. Sentry TOC: Cameron Young. Sony Open: Hideki Matsuyama. American Express: Brian Harman. Farmers: Jason Day. AT&T Pebble Beach: Maverick McNealy. WMPO: Scottie Scheffler. Genesis: Justin Thomas. Honda: Sungjae Im. API: Rory McIlroy.

Hennessey: Rory McIlroy — I could save him for The Open, but this is a bigger payday—and I saw enough last week to where I’m confident that he’ll be lurking again come Sunday.

Previous weeks: Fortinet Championship: Cam Davis. Sanderson Farms Championship: Denny McCarthy. Shriners: Emiliano Grillo. Zozo: Hideki Matsuyama. CJ Cup: Sungjae Im. Bermuda: Mark Hubbard. Mayakoba: Viktor Hovland. Houston Open: Jason Day. RSM Classic: Brendon Todd. Sentry TOC: Patrick Cantlay. Sony Open: Matt Kuchar. American Express: Brian Harman. Farmers: Will Zalatoris. AT&T Pebble Beach: Seamus Power. WMPO: Collin Morikawa. Genesis: Justin Thomas. Honda: Chris Kirk. API: Keith Mitchell.

Powers: Patrick Cantlay — Coming off consecutive top-five finishes, Cantlay appears to be building toward a ninth PGA Tour win.

Previous weeks: Fortinet Championship: Sahith Theegala. Sanderson Farms Championship: J.T. Poston. Shriners: Sungjae Im. Zozo: Hideki Matsuyama. CJ Cup: Tyrrell Hatton. Bermuda: Russell Knox. Mayakoba: Thomas Detry. Houston Open: Sepp Straka. RSM Classic: Davis Riley. Sentry TOC: Xander Schauffele. Sony Open: Gary Woodland. American Express: Cameron Young. Farmers: Taylor Montgomery. AT&T Pebble Beach: Maverick McNealy. WMPO: Sungjae Im. Genesis: Collin Morikawa. Honda: Chris Kirk. API: Will Zalatoris.

RELATED: Here are the odds for every player in the field this week at the 2023 Players Championship

About our experts

Pat Mayo is an award-winning video host and producer of long and short-form content, and the host of The Pat Mayo Experience daily talk show. Mayo helped create the golf stats and research website Fantasy National along with the Race for the Mayo Cup One and Done contest. Mayo won the 2022 Fantasy Sports Writing Association Daily Fantasy Writer of the Year and is a finalist for three FSWA Awards in 2023 (Best Podcast, Daily Fantasy Writer of the Year, Golf Writer of the Year). His 27 FSWA nominations lead all writers this decade and are second-most all-time. Follow him on Twitter: @ThePME .

Brandon Gdula , managing editor and analyst for NumberFire, a FanDuel daily-fantasy analysis company, recently won the 2018 FSWA Golf Writer of the Year. Gdula also co-hosts the DFS Heat Check podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @gdula13 .

Rick Gehman is the founder of RickRunGood.com and the RickRunGood YouTube Channel, is one of the industry’s leading experts on golf DFS and gambling. Gehman is co-host of the First Cut Podcast and appears regularly on the Pat Mayo Experience golf podcasts. Follow him on Twitter: @RickRunGood .

Andy Lack is a PGA Tour writer and podcaster from New York City who now resides in Los Angeles. He hosts Inside Golf, a twice weekly podcast focused on the PGA Tour, betting, daily fantasy, golf course architecture, and interviews, as part of the BlueWire podcast network. As well as contributing to Golf Digest, Andy is also a data analyst and writer for RickRunGood.com, where he covers PGA Tour betting and daily fantasy. He came to Golf Digest’s betting panel after previously writing for Golf.com, the Score and GolfWRX. In his free time, Andy can likely be found on a golf course. Follow him on Twitter: @adplacksports

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2023 Players Championship picks, predictions, odds, field: Golf insider fading Justin Thomas at TPC Sawgrass

Sportsline expert patrick mcdonald analyzed the players championship 2023 field and revealed his top golf picks, best bets, props, sleepers and fades.

Another tough test awaits the best golfers on the PGA Tour as they head to TPC Sawgrass for the 2023 Players Championship, which tees off Thursday. The iconic Pete Dye design in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. has hosted the Players Championship since 1982. Hazards everywhere create drama and make for a volatile leaderboard, but 43 of the world's top 50 golfers are ready for the challenge. They include Jon Rahm, who will try to hold off Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy for another week as the trio continue their fight for the No. 1 ranking. Justin Thomas is the most recent Players champion in the field, and all 14 tour winners this season are set to compete. In addition to McIlroy, other past winners in the 2023 Players Championship field include Rickie Fowler, Jason Day and Adam Scott.         

Caesars Sportsbook lists Rahm and McIlroy as 17-2 co-favorites in its latest 2023 Players Championship odds. Scheffler is the 10-1 third choice, followed by Patrick Cantlay (19-1), Thomas (19-1) and Max Homa (19-1). Xander Schauffele (25-1) and Viktor Hovland (27-1) are among the other favorites in the Players Championship 2023 field. Before making any 2023 Players Championship picks, be sure you check out the PGA Tour predictions and best bets from SportsLine golf insider Patrick McDonald .

After spending time at FanSided and NBC Sports EDGE, McDonald joined CBS Sports as a golf writer in the spring of 2022. Now covering the sport from a broader perspective, McDonald still likes to dip his toes into the betting pools on a weekly basis on the PGA Tour. McDonald takes a measured approach to his outright selections and is having a profitable 2022-23 season. He is up almost 19 units this season, meaning a profit of over $1,900 for $100 bettors.

McDonald nailed the Farmers Insurance Open, backing Homa (25-1) as his top choice. The expert also just missed a massive 130-1 score at the Sony Open when Hayden Buckley finished as runner-up. He hit another 25-1 shot at the Houston Open, taking Tony Finau to win. The expert finished the 2021-22 season up 42 units on his outrights, including a monster 250-1 payout on Hudson Swafford at The American Express. Anyone who follows McDonald's advice has been cashing in.

Now, McDonald has studied the 2023 Players Championship field and has locked in his best bets, top sleepers and favorites to avoid. You can head to SportsLine now to see all of McDonald's PGA picks and analysis .  

Top 2023 Players Championship expert picks

One of the most shocking picks from McDonald: The expert is fading Thomas, who is among the favorites and one of the few previous winners in the field. But as the expert notes, the two-time major champion is "a shell of his 2021 self." And that victory was one of two top-10 finishes in eight appearances at TPC Sawgrass. The other was in 2016, and he tied for 33rd last year. Thomas is 76th on tour in scoring average this season. He also is 74th in strokes gained approach and 113th putting, so he lacks the well-rounded game that will be needed to contend this week.    

Meanwhile, Rahm's game has been strong in every area, and McDonald is eager to see how he responds to adversity. The Spaniard tied for 39th at Bay Hill, his first finish outside the top 10 in his past 11 worldwide events. He won five times during that span, including the Genesis less than a month ago. Rahm opened with 65 last week, and he continues to lead the tour in scoring average (68.855). The 28-year-old had two top-12 finishes at TPC Sawgrass before tying for 55th in last year's weather-marred event. See who he is backing at SportsLine .

How to make 2023 Players Championship golf picks

McDonald has locked in his best bets for the 2023 Players Championship and has tabbed several longshots, including two who come in higher than 30-1. One of these golfers continues to find his form and "showed flashes of brilliance" last week at Bay Hill. You can only see the picks at SportsLine .

So which 2023 Players Championship players should you target or avoid? And which golfer in the Players Championship 2023 field could bring a huge payday of around 40-1? Check out the odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Patrick McDonald's top prop picks for Players Championship 2023, all from the expert who is up nearly $1,900 on his PGA Tour picks this season .

2023 Players Championship odds, field, top contenders

See McDonald's picks, best bets and predictions here .

Jon Rahm +850 Rory McIlroy +850 Scottie Scheffler +1000 Patrick Cantlay +1900 Max Homa +1900 Justin Thomas +1900 Xander Schauffele +2500 Viktor Hovland +2700 Tony Finau +2800 Collin Morikawa +2800 Will Zalatoris +3200 Jordan Spieth +3200 Matt Fitzpatrick +3400 Tyrrell Hatton +3400 Cameron Young +3600 Jason Day +3600 Sungjae Im +3700 Joohyung Kim +4100 Shane Lowry +4800 Keegan Bradley +5000 Rickie Fowler +5000 Keith Mitchell +5500 Corey Conners +6500 Si Woo Kim +7000 Sam Burns +7000 Sahith Theegala +7000 Chris Kirk +7500 Tommy Fleetwood +8500 Hideki Matsuyama +8500 Kurt Kitayama +9000 Justin Rose +10000 Adam Scott +10000 Tom Hoge +10000 Francesco Molinari +10000 Harris English +10000 Webb Simpson +14000 Aaron Wise +14000 Brian Harman +15000 Wyndham Clark +15000 Seamus Power +15000 Russell Henley +15000 Gary Woodland +17000 Alex Noren +17000 Billy Horschel +18000 Ryan Fox +18000 Davis Riley +18000 Taylor Montgomery +18000 Sepp Straka +19000 Adam Hadwin +19000 Min Woo Lee +19000 Maverick McNealy +21000 Patton Kizzire +21000 Justin Suh +21000 Taylor Pendrith +22000 K.H. Lee +23000 Lucas Herbert +23000 Danny Willett +23000

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2023 The Players Championship expert picks, betting rankings and fantasy golf tips

The 2023 The Players Championship is here, and we're back with our PGA Tour expert picks and betting tips for the PGA Tour event at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Every week, we share our PGA Tour player rankings, and they are agnostic of competition. Whether you're betting on golf, playing in a fantasy golf leagues or competing in a DFS (DraftKings, FanDuel) event, our picks highlight the top players to watch this week.

2023 The Players Championship: Tournament Model | Field | Rankings  | Betting Odds and First Looks | Course History & Current Form | DFS Picks | First-Round Leader Picks | One and Done | Past Results | Cheat Sheet | PGA Tour Event History | Recent Form | Finish Database | Discord

Here are our 2023 The Players Championship rankings and expert picks, as we do each week of the PGA Tour season.

2023 The Players Championship preview

The Players Championship is this week, and the PGA Tour moves to its home for the biggest event on the PGA Tour schedule. The week is always unpredictable, with so many top players boasting a truly awful record at a volatile venue.

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2023 The Players Championship rankings: Top 10 expert picks

1. Rory McIlroy : Rory almost got the job done at the API, and it sounds like he feels encouraged after not playing so great at two venues that aren't his favorite.

2. Scottie Scheffler : Scheffler did well in his API title defense, and he's clearly on the upswing at this point.

3. Jon Rahm : Rahm is sprinkling in some crummy rounds lately, particularly late in a tournament, but his Sawgrass record is very good.

4. Max Homa : Homa did well at Bay Hill, finishing T-14, and his all-around ballstriking should serve him well this week.

5. Tyrrell Hatton : Hatton is probably too high on this list, but no one really has a great record here, and he's been playing well.

6. Justin Thomas : Thomas is hanging around in tournaments, and he has done the job here in the past.

7. Patrick Cantlay : This would be a very Cantlay tournament to win, to be honest. He's been in the top five in his last two starts, but his Sawgrass record is not encouraging.

8. Matt Fitzpatrick : Fitz should do very well on this course. He can hit it far enough but doesn't have to bomb it to succeed.

9. Tony Finau : Finau has a truly crummy record here. It's not good. But there have been players who eventually figure out this place despite a bad prior record.

10. Collin Morikawa : Morikawa is amid a very strange run, where he's close to winning or totally off-kilter. So maybe he's due.

About the author

Ryan Ballengee

Ryan Ballengee is founder and editor of Golf News Net. He has been writing and broadcasting about golf for nearly 20 years. Ballengee lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his family. He is currently a +2.6 USGA handicap, and he has covered dozens of major championships and professional golf tournaments. He likes writing about golf and making it more accessible by answering the complex questions fans have about the pro game or who want to understand how to play golf better.

Ryan talks about golf on various social platforms:

X or Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryanballengee Facebook: https://facebook.com/ryanballengeegolf Instagram: https://instagram.com/ryanballengee YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ryanballengeegolf

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2024 presidents cup odds, picks and pga tour predictions, share this article.

A year after losing to Team Europe in the 2023 Ryder Cup, the Americans will try to take down the International squad in the 2024 Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Canada. The 1st matches begin on Thursday morning, with the event wrapping up on Sunday.

Below, we look at Presidents Cup odds  from BetMGM Sportsbook’s PGA Tour odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions .

Team USA has won 9 straight Presidents Cups and has only lost once in the tournament’s history, which came in 1998 in Australia. The closest winning margin by the Americans was in 2015 when they barely edged the International team, 15.5-14.5.

Each team has 12 players on it, with Jim Furyk as the captain of the American team and Canada’s own Mike Weir leading the International squad. Team USA features World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler , as well as two-time major champions Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa . Wyndham Clark , Keegan Bradley and Brian Harman are the other major champions for Team USA.

On the International side, Hideki Matsuyama , Sungjae Im and Adam Scott are at the top of the list, as are Tom Kim and Jason Day . Canadians Corey Conners , Mackenzie Hughes and Taylor Pendrith will also try to lead their team to a win on home soil.

Royal Montreal is a relatively flat course and water doesn’t come into play until the back 9 where there are hazards on 6 holes. It’s not an overly long track at 7,279 yards and plays as a par 70, with tree-lined fairways putting an emphasis on accuracy off the tee over distance.

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Presidents Cup – Expert pick

Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook ; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of PGA Tour odds . Lines last updated Tuesday at 11:45 a.m. ET.

Team USA: -3.5 (-125)

The Americans are heavy favorites at -250, but that line is almost too juiced to be worth a bet. USA has won 9 straight Presidents Cups and has only lost once in the event’s history, so Furyk’s squad is probably going to win again.

One way to get some better value is by taking the Americans to win by at least 3.5 points. With 30 total points available, we need at least a 17-13 win by Team USA, which is well within the realm of possibilities. A sprinkle on USA to win by 4-6 points at +375 could be worth it, too.

Presidents Cup – Top USA points scorer

Xander schuaffele (+500).

Scheffler reminded everyone at East Lake that he’s the best player in the world, but Schauffele is more than capable of finishing as the top points scorer for Team USA. He’s 6-3 in his Presidents Cup career, better than Scheffler’s mark of 0-3-2. Since 2022, Scheffler is just 0-5-3 in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, so he hasn’t exactly shined.

Sam Burns (+900)

If Scheffler does play the way everyone expects him to and dominates in Montreal, Burns could be a beneficiary for Team USA. His friendship with Scheffler is well-documented and it’s expected the 2 of them will be paired together during doubles matches at least a few times. Burns won the 2023 WGC-Dell Match Play, beating Scheffler en route to that victory, so he knows how to grind out these matches.

Presidents Cup – Top International points scorer

Tom kim (+750).

At a course that doesn’t necessarily favor length, Kim could take advantage with his accuracy off the tee and overall ball-striking. His putting is always a concern, especially in matches that are often decided on the greens, but Kim went toe-to-toe with Scheffler at the Travelers Championship and nearly beat him.

Corey Conners (+750)

Conners is another pure ball-striker who could lead the International team in points at the end of the week. Weir will want to get the Canadian on the course often in front of the home crowd, which should give him ample opportunities to win some points for the International group.

Presidents Cup – Top USA rookie

Russell henley (+450).

Henley is a wild card for the American team because he could be sneaky valuable with his iron play and putting, ranking in the top 40 on tour in both approach and putting this season. There are only 3 other rookies on Team USA (Clark +175, Sahith Theegala +240 and Harman +275), and it’s Henley with the longest odds of the bunch. As long as Furyk gives him some opportunities, he could snag a few points.

Presidents Cup – Top International rookie

Mackenzie hughes (+100).

It’s either Min Woo Lee (-125) or Hughes in this market so the options are limited. Hughes is simply not playing very good golf right now, notching only 1 top 20 in his last 15 starts on the PGA Tour. He’s had a bunch of finishes between 21st and 30th, but he hasn’t been able to close the door on Sundays. Hughes is on home turf and could ride the momentum of the crowd to a couple of wins.

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For more sports betting picks and tips , check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW .

• Meet the 12 members of the International team at the 2024 Presidents Cup
• Meet the 12 golfers representing the U.S. at the 2024 Presidents Cup

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THE PLAYERS Championship 2024 picks and best bets for PGA Tour golf this week

By cody williams | mar 12, 2024, 5:29 pm edt.

THE PLAYERS Championship is the flagship event on the PGA Tour and everything about the tournament backs that up. Whether you want to talk about the atmosphere around TPC Sawgrass, the iconic shots like on the 17th hole and the island green, or the stellar list of winners at this tournament, it all tracks as a can't-miss week in golf. But THE PLAYERS Championship picks can sometimes be a bit tricky.

Frankly, course history at TPC Sawgrass can be somewhat sporadic. Winners have finished outside the Top 50 immediately after, and vice versa. But what always stands out at THE PLAYERS Championship is the ball striking, smart and positional shot-making (especially off of the tee) and being deft around the greens. Of course, defending champion Scottie Scheffler, fresh off a win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational , is a heavy favorite, but the value is elsewhere.

We flirted with a quite good week at the API, but ultimately missed out with just one Top 20 best bet hitting. Things are getting in better shape, though, and we're going to try and clean up with our THE PLAYERS Championship expert picks and best bets for the week.

Note:  All odds are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook unless otherwise noted. Odds will be updated when made available. For more betting picks and advice, check out BetSided .

Golf betting record in 2024 through API: 8-52-0, -9.63 Units (1-19 on outrights and longshots | -1.0 units at API) | One and Done Total for 2024: $1,517,962 (Jordan Spieth at API, $123,500)

PGA Tour expert picks for THE PLAYERS Championship: Winner, Top 10 and One and Done

Top 10 pick for the players championship: hideki matsuyama (+300).

Hideki Matsuyama is playing like one of the best in the world of late, including his late surge to win The Genesis. He's gaining 1.59 strokes tee-to-green over his last eight rounds -- a win and a Top 12 last week at the API -- but he's also gaining 1.28 strokes with his short game over those two finishes too. Matsuyama has also played well at THE PLAYERS, registering two Top 10 finishes in his last three completed tournaments while also being the first round leader in 2020 when the tournament was canceled thereafter. His form and history make me love these Top 10 odds.

Outright Winner pick for THE PLAYERS Championship (0.5 Units): Will Zalatoris (+3300)

Will Zalatoris is back and he's going to win this week, or at least that's my pick. Zalatoris has struggled a bit by his standards at THE PLAYERS with a best finish of T21 in three starts. In the last two signature events, though, he was T2 at The Genesis and T4 at API. He's gaining more than 1.70 strokes tee-to-green in his last 16 rounds, and has gained with the long putter in the bag now as well. He's playing like one of the best in the world and, with his driving accuracy also locked in right now, I love for him to show up again in a big-name field and this time get the victory.

One and Done pick for THE PLAYERS Championship: Scottie Scheffler

There's no world wherein I feel good betting Scottie Scheffler at +550 to win this week. Those odds are just too short -- but they are deserved. With the biggest purse on the PGA Tour this week, we have to pull out a heavy-hitter for One and Done and Scheffler checks all the boxes from a ball striking aspect, but may have unlocked something more with the putter.

THE PLAYERS Championship picks: More best bets for PGA Tour

Andrew novak to finish top 20 at the players championship (+500).

We've got to start putting some respect on Andrew Novak. At Phoenix, Mexico and the Cognizant, he went T8, T8 and T9. The guy is just playing great golf and the numbers back it up. He's gaining 1.23 strokes ball striking over his last 16 rounds and has also been positive around the green and with the putter too. He seems to be a great fit with accurate driving and strong approach play, even after missing the cut here a year ago. It's a bit of a longer-shot play, but his form says he's worth this look.

Keith Mitchell to finish Top 20 at THE PLAYERS Championship (+300)

Don't sleep on Cashmere Keith Mitchell this week. He's finished Top 20 in each of his last three starts and has a Top 20 in one of his last two starts at THE PLAYERS. Furthermore, his other finish was a decent-enough T35. Mitchell's ball striking has been stellar of late, gaining 1.87 strokes there over his last 12 rounds. His short game remains inconsistent, but it's been passable if not sub-average. Still, at a place that rewards shot-making and ball striking like TPC Sawgrass, Mitchell cracking the Top 20 seems very much in the realm of possibilities.

Tom Hoge to finish Top 20 at THE PLAYERS Championship (+260)

Our one bet that hit last week and we're running it back this time around. The putter remains the bugaboo for Tom Hoge, but the rest of his game has been right where you want it coming to TPC Sawgrass, a place where he's played extremely well. Hoge finished Top 3 at THE PLAYERS last year and hasn't finished worse than T33 in his last four starts here. He's gaining a ridiculous 1.46 strokes on approach over his last 16 rounds, in addition to driving the ball accurately. He's being undervalued, but I'm taking a swing on him this week.

Longshot Pick to win THE PLAYERS Championship (0.1 Units): Doug Ghim (+15000)

Doug Ghim missed the cut at THE PLAYERS last year, but was T6 the year prior. More importantly, though, his form has been excellent as of late, gaining 1.30 strokes with his ball striking to go along with 0.48 strokes gained with the putter. He also hasn't finished worse than T16 over his last four starts. I love his fit and the way he's playing, so 150/1 is looking tasty as a flier to take.

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Golfweek staff predictions for thursday's four-ball session at 2024 presidents cup, share this article.

To borrow a phrase of famed boxing ring announcer Michael Buffer, let’s get ready to rumble!

Canada’s Mike Weir, the International Team captain, is the Wayne Gretzky of golf and he’s determined to win the Presidents Cup on home soil, something he and his teammates failed to do the last time the biennial competition was held at Royal Montreal Golf Club near Montreal. Meanwhile, Jim Furyk isn’t concerned with the fact the U.S. have a 12-1-1 lifetime record in the competition; he just wants to make sure the U.S. side wins for a 10th straight time.

The drama begins Thursday morning at 11:35 a.m. ET with five fourball matches and there were some surprising captains’ choices.

Presidents Cup:  Picks, odds |  Leaderboard  |  Gala photos | Photos

We break break down each match, make our predictions and take our best guess at who might be leading after the opening session of the 2024 Presidents Cup.

Match 1: Xander Schauffele/Tony Finau vs. Jason Day/Byeong Hun An

Xander Schauffele and Tony Finau of the U.S. Team shake hands on the 18th green during a practice round prior to the 2024 Presidents Cup at The Royal Montreal Golf Club on September 25, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Adam Schupak: What in the name of poutine is Jim Furyk doing splitting up Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay? I’d love to know what the data analytics say. International Team Captain Mike Weir wasted no time in selecting Jason Day and Ben An to kick-start his team and while he offered nothing as to why he held such confidence in them when I asked him for an explanation, I have a hunch he’s got a Ben Crenshaw-like feeling about sending this team out first. I’m calling a 2&1 win for Day-An.

Riley Hamel: Xander has been arguably the hottest player on the planet for the last three months and Tony has recorded eight top-20 finishes in his last 10 starts. I’ll take Team USA.

Cameron Jourdan : X and Big Tone seems like a really good pairing on paper. Ben An placed T-13 last week at Wentworth, but a rested USA team takes an opening point.

Todd Kelly: Leaning towards the home team this year and there’d be no better way to start than winning the first match out. Day hasn’t played in the Cup in seven years and his last two appearances (0-4-1 in 2015, 1-3-1 in 2017) leave something to be desired but hey, sometimes you got with your gut and Day and An are going to get the INTLs on the board first.

Match 2: Collin Morikawa/Sahith Theegala vs. Adam Scott/Min Woo Lee

Adam Scott of Australia and the International Team looks on during a practice round prior to the 2024 Presidents Cup at The Royal Montreal Golf Club. (Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

Adam Schupak: I’m jazzed for this match because these are some cool pairings. Two rookies in Theegala and Lee, who will bring plenty of exuberance and excitement, and two steady hands who will let their clubs do their talking. I think this one will be close. When I interviewed Adam Scott last week and asked him who would be the secret weapon for his team, he said, Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott. Time to back up that talk. Internationals win 1 up.

Riley Hamel: I love the team of Morikawa and Theegala, but for some reason I feel like the savvy vet (Adam Scott) and the new blood (Min Woo Lee) for the International Team is going to be one helluva team. Plus, they’re both Aussie. Point for the hosts.

Cameron Jourdan : Min Woo and Sahith were made for team competitions. Hoping for fireworks early in this one, but Adam Scott’s experience leads to an International point.

Todd Kelly: Feeling the Aussie duo here as well. Scott’s the most experienced, by far, golfer on this team so it makes perfect sense to pair him with the big-hitting rookie.

Match 3: Scottie Scheffler/Russell Henley vs. Sungjae Im/Tom Kim

Tom Kim of South Korea and the International Team looks on during a practice round prior to the 2024 Presidents Cup at The Royal Montreal Golf Club on September 25, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

Adam Schupak: I’m intrigued by pairing Scheffler with Henley, who is making his team-competition debut. Scheffler’s kryptonite has been the team competitions other than a sparkling debut performance at Whistling Straits. Will Tom Kim repeat his 2022 Presidents Cup performance? They will need him too but I’m not sure he can beat his good buddy Scottie, who took him down at the Travelers and got the better of him when paired in the final round of the Olympics. U.S. wins this one 3 and 2.

Riley Hamel: It’s nearly impossible to bet against Scottie. But I’m doing it here. The vibes are going to be at an all-time high between Sungjae and Tom Kim and they’re going to win this match. Another for the Internationals.

Cameron Jourdan : Scottie has talked about having to get into the groove after prolonged breaks. This one is halved because of that. Sungjae and Tom Kim is an excellent pairing.

Todd Kelly: Scheffler has yet to win a point in his four previous Presidents Cup matches but that’ll end early this year as he’ll team with Henley, an event rookie but someone who had a strong PGA Tour season despite not winning.

Match 4: Wyndham Clark/Keegan Bradley vs. Taylor Pendrith/Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Keegan Bradley of the U.S. Team warms up on the range during a practice round prior to the 2024 Presidents Cup at The Royal Montreal Golf Club on September 24, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Adam Schupak: Interesting decision by Mike Weir to wait until the fourth match to send out a Canadian. Even more interesting: not pairing Pendrith with Mackenzie Hughes. I think the bomber-plodder teaming could work but I like how Wyndham Clark went to Napa to get some reps (only two because he missed the cut) and Keegan Bradley is going to be a man possessed to be back in the cauldron of international team competition. USA wins 4 and 3.

Riley Hamel: Clark’s been playing a little better, and I think Keegan is going to be pumped to be wearing the red, white and blue again. I think this match is going to be a big-time win for Team USA. Blowout watch.

Cameron Jourdan : The 2025 Ryder Cup captain is perfect for these competitions, but the Internationals get a big win here in what could be considered an upset. O’ Canada they’ll cheer for Pendrith.

Todd Kelly: The American duo wins this one. They both played well down the stretch of the PGA Tour season and Bradley especially will be movitated after being left off the Ryder Cup team a year ago.

Match 5: Patrick Cantlay/Sam Burns vs. Hideki Matsuyama/Corey Conners

Patrick Cantlay of the U.S. Team plays a shot during practice prior to the 2024 Presidents Cup at The Royal Montreal Golf Club on September 24, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Adam Schupak: I still don’t get why Furyk broke up the Cantlay-Schauffele pairing but it’s a good chance to see if Cantlay can get more out of Sam Burns than his buddy Scottie Scheffler has the last two years in international team competition. Hideki and Conners are going to ball-strike them to death. Which team will putt better? I just love the way Cantlay raises his game to another level in these competitions and he showed at the Ryder Cup on Saturday afternoon with Wyndham Clark that he can have success with just about anyone you stick him with. U.S. wins 1 up. Team USA holds a 3-2 lead when it’s all said and done.

Riley Hamel: Coin-toss match. But, because of how well Cantlay and Burns can roll the rock, I’ll take the Americans. Team USA holds a 3-2 lead after Day 1.

Cameron Jourdan : The Canadian crowd will be loud for this group, but the new pairing of Cantlay and Burns prevails. We’re tied after the first day.

Todd Kelly: Thursday’s anchor match will go to the Internationals. Matsuyama is paired with one the game’s best ballstrikers who’s playing on home soil. The Canadian fans are likely to be well into it late in the day and the emotional home-field advantage lift will be what gets it done for Team International, who will lead 3-2 after the first session.

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Presidents Cup picks: Team Golfbet vs. Team Pat Mayo Experience, Day 1

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MONTREAL – This week at the Presidents Cup, the U.S. and International sides aren’t the only teams going head-to-head.

The Golfbet team is on-site all week at The Royal Montreal Golf Club, and we’re pairing up with our friends at the Pat Mayo Experience for a week-long friendly competition. Each “team” will pick a winner for each of the 30 matches this week in Canada, with bragging rights on the line to see which outlet can make the more accurate predictions.

Here’s a look at each group’s picks for the opening session, with five Four-ball matches kicking off the action in Montreal. Share your thoughts on who you think will be right on social channels via @Golfbet and @ThePME!

Match 1: Xander Schauffele/Tony Finau (-148) vs. Jason Day/Byeong Hun An (+124)

Team Golfbet: Schauffele/Finau (-148). Schauffele and Finau are both inside the top five on TOUR in Strokes Gained: Approach and SG: Tee-to-Green this season making this duo a potential juggernaut this week. The previous performances from Day, including when he was world No. 1, in the Presidents Cup have been subpar, and while he claims his motivation has changed, words are cheap until he proves it.

Team PME: Schauffele/Finau (-148). Taking the juice on this line to get behind the tee-to-green juggernauts of this slate, the two powerful Americans will have to fend off Jason Day and Ben An, who have been relatively quiet over the last few months. Finau's ball-striking has seen him finish inside the top 20 with extreme regularity, while the world No. 2 has been living inside the top 10 of every leaderboard this year.

Match 2: Collin Morikawa/Sahith Theegala (-125) vs. Adam Scott/Min Woo Lee (+105)

Team Golfbet: Scott/Lee (+105). C’mon Aussie! The steady hand of Scott is set to unleash Min Woo Lee off the tee and as such apply pressure on the favored U.S. duo. Lee is born for this type of competition, and his infectious energy is set to lift the veteran Scott to new heights. Scott helped Cam Davis play above himself in 2022 and now he will do the same for Lee. Theegala is going to be a bundle of nerves and will be better in his second match, not his first.

Adam Scott on progress for International Team at Presidents Cup

Team PME: Morikawa/Theegala (-125). We have been licking our chops over the thought of Sahith Theegala playing match play for the U.S. Team since he and his giant bag of magic beans surfaced at the top of TOUR leaderboards over the last year and a half. Morikawa provides that veteran presence in Theegala's U.S. debut. Scott and Lee tend to get off to slower starts, while Morikawa was one of the better Thursday performers in 2024.

Match 3: Scottie Scheffler/Russell Henley (-142) vs. Sungjae Im/Tom Kim (+120)

Team Golfbet: Im/Kim (+120). The best juice on the board is going against the juggernaut of Scottie Scheffler. His season has been so epic that there is obviously reason to believe he can improve his U.S. Team performances but the fact remains he hasn’t yet won a Presidents Cup match. He’s now lost his friend Sam Burns as his companion, leaving him as a somewhat lone ranger… but perhaps he prefers it that way. Im and Kim bring serious energy to the table, with Im being one of the few Internationals that has a winning record in this competition. Kim has a chance to get some payback with Scheffler over their playoff duel at the Travelers Championship.

Scottie Scheffler on course setup for Royal Montreal

Team PME: Scheffler/Henley (-142). We are getting -142 odds on a team with the best and fifth-best strokes gained metrics of the 24 golfers playing this week. Russell Henley has been incredible the last little while and is now paired up with the world No. 1 and defending Masters champ. Tom Kim going up against Scheffler reminds me of a little brother swinging his fists at his older brother who has him just out of range with his hand on his head, giving him that belief he can land a punch, but ultimately always coming up tantalizingly short.

Match 4: Wyndham Clark/Keegan Bradley (-112) vs. Taylor Pendrith/Christiaan Bezuidenhout (-108)

Team Golfbet: Pendrith/Bezuidenhout (-108). The first Canadian to hit the tee for the home side has to bring some love, right? Betting on emotion isn’t a wise move on most occasions but the pressure of the penultimate match could be pivotal and the inconsistency of Bradley and Clark could see them face some troubles. This will have plenty of emotion that’s for sure.

Wyndham Clark compares capturing vs. sustaining success

Team PME: Pendrith/Bezuidenhout (-108). Before the matchups were revealed there was a slim chance I grabbed a Bezuidenhout/Pendrith pairing without plus-money odds (-108), but here we are, picking on Clark and Bradley who have been far less reliable in the run-up to this event. Both Bezuidenhout and Pendrith have been consistently finding themselves inside the top 25 this year, and with the putting upside they possess, these two Internationals could put their opponents into a pretzel on Day 1.

Match 5: Patrick Cantlay/Sam Burns (-110) vs. Hideki Matsuyama/Corey Conners (-110)

Team Golfbet: Cantlay/Burns (-110). It’s a bit jarring not to see Cantlay’s name alongside Schauffele, but Burns should prove a formidable partner. Conners will feel ample pressure, playing in front of the home crowds and looking to avenge an 0-4 record at Quail Hollow. This one will be close, but Cantlay’s steady demeanor will prove the difference in a matchup where the Internationals may struggle to hole putts at key junctures.

Team PME: Matsuyama/Conners (-110). This is the best International Team on paper, with Matsuyama and Conners gaining the fourth- and eighth-most strokes in this field. Cantlay and Buns are the sixth- and seventh-best golfers in the field, making this a very close matchup. I will not be betting this matchup as this line is very fair, but since we are picking a side for all five, we are going to take the home team in the anchor match, who likely needs to win this match to avoid going down 4-1.