The PGA Tour begins the Florida swing of the 2023 schedule this week at the 2023 Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens. PGA National will once again host this event, pitting competitors against the “Bear Trap,” one of the toughest 3-hole stretches in golf.
Below, we search for the best value prop bets among the 2023 Honda Classic odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions.
After the Genesis Invitational featured a star-studded field, it will be a weaker group of players teeing it up this week. Sungjae Im is the favorite to win (+900) and he’s the highest-ranked player in the field in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin rankings at No. 11 in the poll. Sepp Straka will attempt to defend his title after winning last year, with Shane Lowry and Matt Kuchar also in the field.
PGA National is playing at 7,125 yards and its usual par 70. The winning score of 10-under 270 last year shows just how tough the course can play.
WATCH: PGA Tour is live on ESPN+! Get ESPN+
Honda Classic – Top-5 picks
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 5:44 p.m. ET.
Sungjae Im (+220)
I would much rather bet Im to finish in the top 5 at +220 than take him to win at +900. It’s not that I don’t like Im this week, I just don’t love his price as an outright winner. He missed the cut here last year, but has a win and a T-8 also on his resume.
Chris Kirk (+650)
Kirk tied for 7th last year and also tied for 12th in 2014, playing this event 11 times. He’s already notched two 3rd-place finishes in his last 3 starts this season, so I’m going to ignore the missed cut in Phoenix 2 weeks ago.
Catch the excitement and bet with Tipico
Double Down, Ohio! Deposit $200, Get $250. Bet now!
In Colorado and New Jersey, claim your 100% Deposit Match up to $250 now. Bet now! 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions.
Honda Classic – Top-10 picks
Jhonattan Vegas (+380)
Vegas only has 1 top-10 in 10 starts at the Honda Classic, but he’s made the cut 9 times and has 2 top-25s in his last 3 tournaments this season. You’re getting him at relatively long odds for a top-10 finish, but he’s worth a wager at +380.
Min Woo Lee (+300)
Lee hasn’t finished worse than 13th in his last 4 starts on the DP World Tour and has 3 top-5s in that stretch. Not a frequent player on the PGA Tour, he could have a chance to break through this week at PGA National where the scoring conditions could be tough.
Shane Lowry (+185)
Lowry is among the favorites this week and deservingly so. He came in 2nd last year and already has 3 top-25s in 4 starts this season. In a weaker field, he has a good chance to add a top-10 to his Honda Classic resume.
Honda Classic – Top-20 picks
Harris English (+185)
English didn’t play the Honda Classic in 2021 or 2022, but in the 2 years prior, he came in 12th and 17th, so he’s put together a quality track record at PGA National. He’s also coming off a 12th-place finish at the Genesis Invitational a week ago.
Lee Hodges (+220)
A long shot this week, Hodges tied for 8th at the Honda Classic a year ago. He comes into this week after posting a T-18 at the Genesis Invitational, fading on the weekend as Jon Rahm and Max Homa rose to the top.
Akshay Bhatia (+500)
Bhatia primarily plays on the Korn Ferry Tour, but has a lot of potential as a PGA Tour player. He already has 2 top-10s on the Korn Ferry Tour this season and tied for 17th at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in March.
Honda Classic – Matchups
Suggested play is golfer in bold.
Harris English (-110) vs. J.T. Poston (-110)
Poston has missed the cut in his last 2 starts this season and he’s never finished better than T-27 at this event. I’ll take English’s history at this event and his encouraging play at the Genesis.
Shane Lowry (+130) vs. Sungjae Im (-150)
This is all about value. It’s hard not to like both players this week, but I don’t think Im’s odds should be that much better than Lowry’s in this matchup. Getting Lowry at +130 to beat a single player – albeit the favorite – is a solid bet.
Min Woo Lee (+100) vs. Matt Kuchar (-120)
Again, it’s about value. When Kuchar has made the cut this season, he’s finished in the top 25 half the time (3 of 6). However, he’s only shot below 70 in 3 of his last 11 rounds this season. Lee is a boom-or-bust pick but +100 is too good to pass up.
Honda Classic – Top South American
Jhonattan Vegas (+125)
There aren’t many established South American players in the field this week besides Vegas. The next favorite is Estanislao Goya at +480, so Vegas is the heavy favorite. He should be, and +125 really isn’t a bad number to get him at to be the top South American.
Honda Classic – 1st-round leader
Sungjae Im (+2000)
Taking Im to be the 1st-round leader is a good way to buy him this week without getting short odds. He ranks 5th on tour in 1st-round scoring so this bet caters to his game.
More expert prop bet predictions
Group B winner: Chris Kirk (+320)
In Group B we have Alex Noren (+320), Aaron Wise (+320), Billy Horschel (+330) and Thomas Detry (+400). I’m happy to fade Noren and Horschel, and getting Kirk at the same odds as them is a nice value. Kirk has 2 third-place finishes already this season.
Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Want some action on the 2023 Honda Classic? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, SportsbookWire’s official sportsbook partner in OH, CO and NJ. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.
Golfweek:
- LIV Golf members will be allowed to play in the 151st Open at Royal Liverpool
- What will it take to return the Honda Classic to its glory days? Here are a few ideas
Follow @camdasilva on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]