THE PLAYERS Championship 2024 Latest Golf Odds, Picks, and PGA Betting Analysis

THE PLAYERS Championship gets underway Thursday at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Verde, Florida. The annual tournament, first held in 1974, features a season-high $25 million purse and, as a result, has attracted the world’s top players. Of note, last year’s champion, Cameron Smith won’t be there as he’s now with LIV Golf, as are two other top-five finishers: Anirban Lahiri and Paul Casey.

Kurt Kitayama won the Arnold Palmer Invitational last weekend, but isn’t among the players with the 10 shortest PGA odds to win THE PLAYERS. Here’s a look at some of the favorites and the best-value longshot pick.

Check out MyBookie’s PGA betting odds for THE PLAYERS Championship golf tournament.

THE PLAYERS Championship Betting Predictions and Favorites Odds | PGA Tour Lines

PGA Tour Tournament Info | Updated PGA Odds
When: March 9–12, 2023
Where: The Players Stadium Course at Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Par: 72
Length: 7,189 yards (6,574 m)

The Favorite: Rory McIlroy +870

McIlroy has been one of the best and most consistent golfers on the PGA Tour for the better part of the last year. Ever since he stepped up as the de facto face of the PGA Tour in opposition to LIV, he has elevated his game to a level it hasn’t been for years. McIlroy was in contention at the Arnold Palmer and finished T2, earning himself $1.8 million. He’ll be even more motivated to get his second win of the season this weekend – he won the CJ CUP in October.

McIlroy finished T33 at last year’s tournament, but tied for the low round of the day on Sunday with a 66. He won at TPC Sawgrass in 2019 and ranks 22nd among all players in average adjusted strokes-gained at the course since 2017.

The Smart Pick: Viktor Hovland +2600

With so many good players in the field, it’s hard to imagine a player without much pedigree winning. However, there are several players with experience winning tight competitions that could have success at TPC Sawgrass. Viktor Hovland is one of those players.

Hovland finished T10 at the Arnold Palmer and recorded the sixth hole-in-one of his career. He has finished T20 or better in six of his last seven events, winning the Hero World Challenge in December. He also ranks fifth among all players in average adjusted strokes-gained at the course since 2017 at +2.17. Hovland missed the cut in his debut at THE PLAYERS in 2021, but finished T9 last year.

Best Longshot Bet: Corey Conners +5600

Canadian Corey Connors is a player who is seemingly in contention every week, or at least performing well, but can never come up clutch when it counts. Still, there’s plenty to like about his chances this weekend.

If we’re looking at course performance, Conners is sixth among all players in average adjusted strokes-gained at TPC Sawgrass at +2.16. He finished T26 in 2022 and seventh in 2021. He was atop the leaderboard at the Arnold Palmer in the third round before falling back to a T21 finish. He’s certainly worth a low stakes bet for this weekend.

I’ve read enough, now I have to place my bet, what do I do?

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MyBookie Betting Lines for the Golf Tournament

Golf: Outright Betting Odds

Bet THE PLAYERS Championship Today

The PGA Tour continues its swing through the state of Florida with THE PLAYERS Championship at the iconic TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Verda Beach, Florida. Dubbed the ‘fifth’ major, the tournament showcases many of the same characteristics of a major championship. Here are a few favorites for this event so you can get ready to make your bets against the PGA Tour Betting Odds.

Tournament Overview

The TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course plays as a par-72 and stretches approximately 7,245 yards in length. Designed by Pete Dye, the course isn’t overly challenging unless wind comes into play which is forecasted this week. There are 88 bunkers and 17 water hazards throughout the property.

Justin Thomas returns to defend his title after picking up his 14th PGA Tour victory here last season. Thomas bested veteran Lee Westwood by one stroke, firing a four-day total of 14-under. 

The tournament features the highest purse of any tournament, offering $20 million in prize funds. The winner takes home a hefty $3.6 million along with 600 FedEx Cup points.

Betting Favorites and Odds

Thomas and world no. 1 Jon Rahm are the pre-tournament betting favorites at +1000. This season, the defending champion is 6/6 on made cuts, with four top-10s, including a solo third. Thomas finished solo sixth the last time we saw him at the Genesis Invitational. 

Rahm has been a pre-tournament favorite in every event he’s teed it up in lately, and rightly so. The 27-year old has dominated the stat sheet, leading the field in both Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and SG: Tee-to-Green.

Following closely behind the top two are another pair of elite players in Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa at +1600 each. Rory’s played in only three tournaments on Tour this season but has a couple of top-10s with a victory at THE CJ CUP. Morikawa, the no. 2 ranked player on the planet, has finished no worse than T7 in four starts this year.

Last week’s winner, Scottie Scheffler, and the consistent play of Patrick Cantlay can be grabbed at +2000. Scheffler won his first PGA Tour event at the WM Phoenix Open and picked up his second win two starts later. Last year’s FedEx Champion Cantlay took time off in the fall to rest, and it’s paid off with 5/5 cuts made and four top-10s heading into the week.

Other Favorites

• Viktor Hovland +2200
• Hideki Matsuyama +2500
• Xander Schauffele +2500
• Adam Scott +3000
• Daniel Berger +3000
• Cameron Smith +3000

Betting Picks

• Outright Winner: Matt Fitzpatrick +4000

Fitzpatrick has a lot going for him heading into this week’s tournament. The 27-year old has finished T10 or better in his last three events and is coming off a T9 finish last week at the API.

Statistics also play into Fitzpatrick’s favor, ranking seventh in SG: Tee-to-Green, fourth in SG: Putting, and second in SG: Total. The Englishman enjoyed the tournament’s move to March, with his best finish posted last season at T9.

• Top-20 Finisher: Billy Horschel +200

A near win last week at the API, Horschel was de-railed by a double bogey on Sunday and had to settle for a T2. The Florida natives made all seven cuts this season, finishing no worse than T36.

• Top-40 Finisher: Doug Gihm +330

The 25-year old is a risky play, having missed the cut over his last three starts. Gihm has cashed in on eight of 12 events this season and did well in his debut at THE PLAYERS last year with a T29 finish.

Okay, MyBookie golf betting faithful, with the 2020-21 PGA Tour season set to host its third consecutive event in the Sunshine State of Florida, it’s time to find out which five golfers are looking like the top potential winners of the 2021 Players Championship. That being said, let’s get right to it so you can make your bets against their Golf odds.

Often billed as golf’s ‘fifth major’ the 2021 Players Championship gets underway from the famed TPC Sawgrass golf course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida on Thursday, March 11.

The field for this year’s event is loaded with 40 of the world’s Top 50 players in the official golf world rankings. World No. 1 Dustin Johnson is the prohibitive favorite (+1100) with Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm all tied as +1400 picks. Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa are tied at +1800 odds.

Odds To Win 2021 PGA THE PLAYERS Championship

• Dustin Johnson +1100
• Rory McIlroy +1400
• Bryson DeChambeau +1400
• Jon Rahm +1400
• Justin Thomas +1800
• Collin Morikawa +1800
• Xander Schauffele +2000
• Patrick Cantlay +2200
• Webb Simpson +2200
• Viktor Hovland +2500
• Tony Finau +2800
• Jordan Spieth +2800
• Tyrrell Hatton +3500
• Hideki Matsuyama +4000
• Patrick Reed +4000
• Daniel Berger +4000
• Tommy Fleetwood +4500
• Scottie Scheffler +4500
• Matthew Fitzpatrick +4500
• Sungjae Im +4500
• Paul Casey +5500
• Jason Day +4500
• Joaquin Niemann +5500
• Cameron Smith +6000

Now, let’s get to my top five picks to win!

The Top Five Picks To Win

• No. 5 Viktor Hovland

13th in the official golf world rankings, 23-year-old Viktor Hovland should be highly motivated after finishing an uninspiring T49 at last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational. Not only that, but Hovland recorded four Top 5 finishes in his previous five events while winning the Mayakoba Classic in December. Hovland finished T2 at the WGC-Workday Championship two weeks ago, The Norwegian ranks 55th in driving distance (301.9), ninth in birdie average (4.68) and 10th in scoring average (69.8).

• No. 4 Dustin Johnson

The world No. 1 finished a disappointing T54 at the  WGC-Workday Championship two weeks ago and has only played in six tournaments this season. The good news is that Johnson has recorded a quartet of Top-10 finishes including a second place finish in the Houston Open in November and a career-defining win in the 2020 Masters a week after that. The 36-year-old from South Carolina ranks fifth in driving distance, 13th in eagles, 17th in G.I.R and first in scoring average (69.3). Johnson is too talented to not challenge, but I suspect his inactivity will keep him from finding his way into the winner’s circle on Sunday. Again, though, DJ will have a shot.

• No. 3 Patrick Cantlay

Seventh in the OGWR, 28-year-old Patrick Cantlay has recorded a stupendous seven Top 25 finishes, four Top-5 finishes and one win in nine events this season. Cantlay has finished second, T3 and T15 in his last three outings, including the Genesis Invitational three weeks ago. Cantlay ranks fifth in birdie average (4.81) and ninth in scoring average (69.8) and just looks like a guy that will challenge for the outright win!

• No. 2 Xander Schauffele

Fifth in the official golf world rankings, Schauffele is another player that should be highly motivated after finishing a disappointing T39 in the WGC-Workday Championship two weeks ago. Prior to that, the 27-year-old Californian recorded a phenomenal eight straight Top 20 finishes. While Schauffele hasn’t managed to scratch out a win, he does have a pair of second place finishes during the run, most recently, at the Phoenix Open last month. Schauffele ranks 26th in driving distance (305.9), 39th in G.I.R, eighth in Eagles, seventh in birdie average (4.75) and fourth in scoring average (69.6). The world No. 5 might be flying under everyone’s radar right now, but he’s my No. 2 pick to get the win this coming weekend.

• No. 1 Collin Morikawa

Fourth in the Official Golf World Rankings, 24-year-old Collin Morikawa comes into this event fresh off a win at the  WGC-Workday Championship two weeks ago. The California native has recorded three Top-10 finishes in his last four tournaments and ranks 13th in driving accuracy, 4th in greens in regulation and seventh in birdie average. Morikawa was 4 under par before Round 2 was canceled in 2020 and this course is set up perfectly for his skill-set.