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Tiger Woods: 2024 Masters prop bet picks and predictions

Analyzing Tiger Woods’ odds and prop bets for the 2024 Masters with PGA Tour picks and predictions.

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Tiger Woods doesn’t tee it up very often anymore, but with a lifetime invite to the Masters, he’ll once again be in the field at Augusta National this week. Woods, a 5-time Masters champion, has the longest odds of his career to win this year but an outright wager isn’t the only way to bet on the Big Cat.

There are a bunch of prop bets available on the market this week, from Woods to make the cut to a top-40 finish. Considering he can play Augusta National with his eyes closed, it’s never a bad idea to bet Woods in some form or fashion when he heads to Georgia.

Below, we break down Tiger Woods’ 2024 Masters odds and prop bets and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions.

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Tiger Woods’ Masters odds and predictions

Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 11:18 a.m. ET.

To win (+12500)

Woods hasn’t won since the 2019 ZOZO Championship, which came 6 months after his Masters win. He hardly plays due to his various injuries, primarily his leg ailment, and when he does, it’s difficult for him to finish all 4 rounds. Other than sentimental reasons and a desire to cheer for a fun story, betting Woods to win anything right now isn’t a worthwhile wager, especially at Augusta.

Top-5 finish (+2200)

The overall level of talent in golf has never been stronger than it is right now, making it incredibly challenging to even finish top 5 in any tournament. Woods has his work cut out for him, even if his swing is on. Walking around Augusta isn’t easy with all of the hills and sloping terrain.

Top-10 finish (+900)

Woods has 14 top-10s in 25 trips to Augusta, but only one since 2015, which was his win in 2019. PASS on this bet.

Top-20 finish (+350)

Woods was once automatic for a top-20 spot at the Masters, finishing there in 7 consecutive appearances from 2005-2011 and 17 times in his career. It’s still not worth betting him for a top-20 finish at this number, though. PASS.

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More Tiger Woods odds and predictions

Will Tiger Woods make the cut? Yes +100 | No -135

Here’s where the real value is. Woods has made the cut in the Masters 24 times in 25 attempts, with the lone exception being 1996 before his win a year later. He’s made the cut in 23 consecutive years and will be trying to set the record with 24 straight made cuts at Augusta. With a line of +100, it’s easy to get behind Woods to play the weekend again.

Top former winner group (+3500)

Woods has the 9th-best odds in this market, which is predictably led by Scottie Scheffler at +110. There are too many players still in their prime who are former winners to make this a good bet for Woods – players such as Jon Rahm, Hideki Matsuyama, Jordan Spieth and even Dustin Johnson.

Top American finisher (+8000)

This is similar to betting Woods to win outright, except without players such as Rory McIlroy, Rahm, Matsuyama and others. PASS.

Tiger Woods’ Masters first-round odds

Leader +6600 (bet $100 to win $6,600)
Top 5 +1200 (bet $100 to win $1,200)
Top 10 +600 (bet $100 to win $600)
To make 4 or more birdies/eagles -105 (bet $105 to win $100)
To shoot 72 or lower +115 (bet $100 to win $115)

It’s a bit safer to bet Woods’ 1st-round market than the full-tournament lines because there’s always a chance he either A) withdraws or B) runs out of steam on the weekend and falls down the leaderboard like he did in 2022.

I really like his odds to make at least 4 birdies/eagles in the 1st round with how favorable the 4 par-5s are at Augusta. He had 4 birdies in Round 1 in 2020 and 3 each in 2021 and 2022. Even when he shot an opening 74 last year, he had 3 birdies.

I’d feel better about him shooting 72 or lower in Round 1 if the odds were a bit longer, but that’s also a bet to consider.

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2023 RBC Heritage prop bet picks and PGA Tour predictions

Analyzing the odds for the 2023 RBC Heritage with PGA Tour picks and predictions for the top prop bets.

There will be no break for the best players in the world coming out of Augusta. Most of them will be in the field again this week for the 2023 RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links, the next designated event on the PGA Tour schedule.

Below, we search for the best value prop bets among the 2023 RBC Heritage odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions.

Masters champion Jon Rahm will tee it up again this week and he comes in as the No. 1 player in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. All of the top 6 players in the rankings are in the field this week, as well: Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, Tony Finau, Patrick Cantlay and Max Homa. Rory McIlroy is No. 7, but he withdrew on Monday.

Harbour Town is a much different course than Augusta National, playing as a par 71 and just 7,121 yards. There are water hazards and bunkers all over the course, protecting greens and making for some difficult tee shots into narrow fairways. Great ball strikers will have a big advantage this week with tight fairways and small greens.

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RBC Heritage – Top-5 picks

Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 2:41 p.m. ET.

Patrick Cantlay (+260)

Cantlay lost to Jordan Spieth in a playoff last year, which was his 4th top-10 finish here and his 3rd top-5. He seems to love Harbour Town, making the cut 4 out of 5 times. His odds are pretty short for a top-5, but with 3 such finishes already on his resume here, it’s worth betting.

Collin Morikawa (+400)

A shorter course that emphasizes accuracy off the tee and into greens makes this a perfect fit for Morikawa, who’s trending in the right direction after a top 10 at the Masters. He tied for 7th here in 2021, his best finish in 3 tries. He should be considered a favorite to win this week.

Sungjae Im (+500)

Im is an elite ball striker who excels at courses where the scores dip deep into red territory. He tied for 13th and 21st in his last 2 starts at the RBC Heritage, proving to be a good fit at Harbour Town. He finished 16th at the Masters last week, his 3rd straight top 25 this season.

Other T5 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Cameron Young (+450)
Jordan Spieth (+400)

RBC Heritage – Top-10 picks

Cameron Young (+200)

Young tied for 3rd in his tournament debut last year, using his power to hit long irons and fairway woods off the tee instead of his driver. He’s fresh off a 7th-place finish at the Masters and was the runner-up at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, performing extremely well since putting Paul Tesori on the bag.

Tom Kim (+333)

Kim won the Wyndham Championship last year at Sedgefield, which is 10 yards longer than Harbour Town. It’s a similar course with small greens, making this a great opportunity for Kim. His odds for a top 10 are too good to pass up and he could very well go on to win here.

Collin Morikawa (+175)

For all the reasons listed above, I would also consider taking Morikawa for a top-10 finish. It’s a bit safer than a top 5 and at +175, you’re still getting him at a great number in an event that fits his game perfectly.

Other T10 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Keegan Bradley (+650)
Tommy Fleetwood (+500)
Tyrrell Hatton (+333)

RBC Heritage – Top-20 picks

Tommy Fleetwood (+225)

Fleetwood tied for 10th here last year and 25th in 2019, so he’s found success at Harbour Town before. He also ranks 12th in SG: tee-to-green, which might be the most indicative stat in this event.

Russell Henley (+188)

Henley tied for 4th at the Masters last week, continuing what’s already been a good season for him. He also notched a top-20 at the Players Championship by finishing tied for 19th, using his impressive iron play to pepper greens and give himself birdie looks. He has 2 top 10s in 9 appearances here.

Gary Woodland (+333)

Woodland has only played here twice and although he’s made the cut both times, he hasn’t finished better than T-62. He looked steady at Augusta and is hitting his irons well (20th in SG: approach).Bu

Other T20 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Akshay Bhatia (+600)
Sepp Straka (+350)

RBC Heritage – Matchups

Suggested play is golfer in bold.

Tom Kim (-110) vs. Sam Burns (-110)

I like Kim’s chances this week on a shorter course that rewards accurate approaches. He’s never played this event like Burns has (3 times), but this has the makings of a tournament he can win.

Cameron Young (-110) vs. Viktor Hovland (-110)

Young and Hovland have both only played this tournament once and they’re each coming off a strong performance at the Masters, tying for 7th. I’ll take Young with his recent form and top-3 finish here last year.

RBC Heritage – Top Canadian

Corey Conners (+225)

Conners let us down at the Masters by missing the cut after his win at the Valero Texas Open. I’ll go back to him here, though. He has 3 straight top-25 finishes in this event and is among the best iron players in the world. He’s ripe for a bounce-back performance at Harbour Town. Adam Hadwin (+333) is the next-closest player in this wager.

RBC Heritage – First-round leader

Sungjae Im (+4000)

Im has gone low here before, shooting 65 in the 2nd round in 2021 to help himself make the cut and finish T-13.His iron play will keep him in contention this week and he ranks 9th in Round 1 scoring average.

Cameron Young (+3500)

Young hasn’t been as impressive in Round 1 this season as he was last year when he finished 9th in that category but I love his chances to be the 1st-round leader this week. He was atop the leaderboard after shooting 63 in the opening round last year, his first professional round at Harbour Town.

More expert prop bet predictions

Group D winner: Tyrrell Hatton (+250)

Hatton is going up against Conners (+333), Sahith Theegala (+350), Justin Rose (+450) and Rickie Fowler (+450) in this group. Theegala and Rose both played well at the Masters, but Fowler wasn’t in the field and Conners missed the cut. Hatton was in great form before the WGC Match Play, which I expect him to get back to this week.

Winning margin: 2 shots (+350)

The first 3 designated events were all won by 2 shots, which is either a coincidence or a trend to follow. It hasn’t happened since the Genesis Invitational, but with another loaded field, I think it’ll remain relatively close on Sunday.

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Tiger Woods: 2023 Masters prop bet picks and predictions

Analyzing Tiger Woods’ odds and prop bets for the 2023 Masters with PGA Tour picks and predictions.

Tiger Woods will be teeing it up at the 87th Masters for the 25th time in his career, seeking to win his 6th green jacket. This is only his 2nd competitive round of the 2023 season after playing in the Genesis Invitational, a tournament he hosts at Riviera Country Club in os Angeles.

Below, we break down Tiger Woods’ 2023 Masters odds and prop bets and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions.

Woods tied for 45th at the Genesis Invitational, which was his 1st tournament since the Open Championship last July. In the Masters last year, Woods made the cut and finished alone in 47th, shooting rounds of 71, 74, 78 and 78.

He’s made the cut in 23 of his 24 Masters appearances, with 14 top-10 finishes in his career at Augusta National. His last Masters win was in 2019 when he finished 13-under par to win by 1 shot over Brooks Koepka, Xander Schauffele and Dustin Johnson.

Follow the 2023 Masters leaderboard, news, groupings, course details and more from Golfweek and USA TODAY. Catch the tournament April 6-9.

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Tiger Woods’ Masters odds and predictions

Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 11:53 a.m. ET.

To win (+6600)

Woods knows Augusta like the back of his hand and can pretty much navigate the course blindfolded. However, as impressive as his performance at the Genesis was, his leg injury is still a major hindrance.

I would PASS on taking Woods to win outright because everything needs to go right for that to happen. Augusta isn’t an easy course to walk and the colder, rainy conditions will make it even more difficult.

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Top-5 finish (+1100)

Outside of his win in 2019, Woods hasn’t finished in the top 5 at the Masters since 2013. He’s played well here in the past, of course, but his recent success just hasn’t been there at Augusta – with the exception of 2019, of course.

There are better wagers to make for Woods this week than a top-5 finish. At this point, you might as well take him to win instead. PASS.

Top-10 finish (+500)

We’re getting closer to a range where it’s more reasonable to take Woods. He has 2 top-10s in his last 6 Masters starts, but only 1 of those has come since 2015.

I would still PASS on his top-10 line at +500.

Top-20 finish (+175)

Woods finished 47th last year and that was with 2 rounds of 78 on the weekend. He was in contention before then after shooting 71 Thursday and 74 on Friday. He should be even healthier now and looked good at the Genesis, which gave him a little bit of a tune-up before the Masters. I would BET Woods to finish in the top 20 at +175.

Top-40 finish (-190)

There’s not much benefit to betting him to finish in the top 40 at this number. Woods is -190 to make the cut, which is the top 50 and ties. PASS on this line, but not because I don’t think he’ll finish outside the top 40.

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More Tiger Woods odds and predictions

Will Tiger Woods make the cut? Yes -190 | No +150

As previously mentioned, Woods has made the cut in 23 of his 24 Masters appearances. His lone missed cut came way back in 1996 in just his 2nd Masters start. The line is juiced, and understandably so, but I expect Woods to make the cut.

Top American finisher (+3300)

This is a loaded field when it comes to the Americans. Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas. The list goes on. Similar to the reason I don’t think I’d take Woods to win outright, there’s just too much competition for him to finish as the top American, too.

PASS on this bet.

Tiger Woods’ Masters first-round odds

Leader +5000 (bet $100 to win $5,000)
Top 5 +800 (bet $100 to win $800)
To shoot 72 or lower -120 (bet $120 to win $100)
To make an eagle +700 (bet $100 to win $700)
To go bogey-free +1800 (bet $100 to win $1,800)

Woods doesn’t often get off to blistering starts at the Masters, but he does usually break par. In his last 10 Masters starts, he’s shot 72 or better 8 times. He’s broken 72 in each of his last 3 Masters appearances in 2019, 2020 and 2022, shooting 70, 68 and 71 in those rounds, respectively.

I would BET Woods to shoot 72 or lower at -120, but I’m going to PASS on him to lead or end Round 1 in the top 5.

MORE 2023 MASTERS COVERAGE

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2023 Masters prop bet picks and PGA Tour predictions

Analyzing the odds for the 2023 Masters with PGA Tour picks and predictions for the top prop bets.

The golf world is centered around Augusta National once again this week for the 1st major of the year, the 2023 Masters. The field features the top players in the world from both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, the 1st time this year that they’ll be playing in the same event.

Below, we search for the best value prop bets among the 2023 Masters odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions.

Jon Rahm headlines the latest Golfweek/Sagarin rankings as the No. 1 player, followed by Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Tony Finau. Scheffler is the defending champion, seeking to become the first back-to-back winner since Tiger Woods defended his title in 2001. McIlroy, Rahm, Schauffele and Finau are all trying for their 1st green jacket.

Augusta National will play a bit more difficult this year, and not just because the weather forecast is calling for colder temperatures and rain. The iconic 13th hole has been lengthened 35 yards by moving the tee box back, which will prevent a lot of players from going for the green in 2 – or at least put a long iron in their hands instead of a wedge. Overall, Augusta will play as a par 72 and 7,545 yards this week.

Follow the 2023 Masters leaderboard, news, groupings, course details and more from Golfweek and USA TODAY. Catch the tournament April 6-9.

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Masters – Top-5 picks

Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 2:36 p.m. ET.

Jon Rahm (+188)

Rahm has the worst top-5 odds of the “big three” of McIlroy, Scheffler and himself. I’m not sure that should be the case, though. In 4 of the last 5 Masters, Rahm has finished in the top 10 with final positions of 5th, 7th, 9th and 4th. He already has 3 wins in 9 starts this season, coming in the top 10 at 6 events.

Xander Schauffele (+350)

Schauffele is a little bit of a sleeper this week, but he’s a player with 2 top-5 finishes in his last 4 Masters starts: 3rd in 2021 and 2nd in 2019. He’s a bargain at +350 for a top-5, given his course history and all-around game for a course like Augusta.

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Scottie Scheffler (+130)

Scheffler finished 18th and 19th in his 2 Masters starts before winning it last year, so he’s always played well here. He’s arguably the hottest player in the world, too, with 2 wins in his last 5 starts, including a 4th-place finish at the Dell Match Play.

Other T5 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Cameron Smith (+333)
Jordan Spieth (+300)

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Masters – Top-10 picks

Collin Morikawa (+200)

Morikawa has improved his Masters finish each year he’s played here, going from 44th to 18th to 5th last year. His iron play will always make him a threat to win a green jacket, but he needs to get the putter going in order to break through and win on Sunday. He’s hard to pass up at +200.

Jason Day (+200)

Here’s the complete list of players with more top-10 finishes than Day this season: Scottie Scheffler. That’s it. He has 6 in 13 starts this season, often finding himself near the top of the leaderboard despite going winless so far this year – and since 2018.

Tony Finau (+200)

Finau has 3 top-10s in his 5 career starts at the Masters. That’s as good a ratio as anyone in the field, and he’s also made the cut all 5 times. In 10 starts this season, Finau has 9 top-25s and 3 top-10s. He’s a great fit for Augusta and his track record backs that up.

Other T10 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Will Zalatoris (+275)
Sungjae Im (+260)
Cameron Young (+225)

Masters – Top-20 picks

Corey Conners (+110)

This is one of my favorite bets, and you’ll be hearing more about Conners later on in this post. In his last 4 Masters starts, Conners, has 3 top-10s and a T-46. He’s fresh off a win at the Valero Texas Open and is one of the best iron players in the world. Take him to finish in the top 20 again at Augusta.

Min Woo Lee (+150)

Lee finished 14th in his Masters debut a year ago and is playing even better now than he was this time last year. He battled with the big guns at the Players Championship when he finished 6th, showing he can compete as a top player in the world.

Viktor Hovland (+100)

Hovland doesn’t have a top-20 yet at the Masters, which is surprising. But in 3 starts, he’s finished 21st, 27th and 32nd, so he’s come close. At even money, he’s a good value to finally crack the top 20.

Other T20 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Cameron Champ (+500)
Tom Kim (+188)
Hideki Matsuyama (+110)

Masters – Matchups

Suggested play is golfer in bold.

Xander Schauffele (+100) vs. Patrick Cantlay (-125)

It’s not that I don’t like Cantlay this week, it’s just that Schauffele at even money against him is too good to pass up. Cantlay has missed the cut twice here, while Schauffele has only done so once; he’s also finished in the top 3 twice, which Cantlay has never done.

Corey Conners (-110) vs. Sam Burns (-110)

Back to Conners we go. He has 3 straight top-10 finishes here, while Burns missed the cut in his debut a year ago. Both players won their most recent starts on the PGA Tour, but I’ll take the course history with Conners.

Jordan Spieth (-120) vs. Justin Thomas (-105)

Spieth has won on Easter the last 2 years. Easter Sunday falls on the final round of the Masters this year. Take Spieth.

All kidding aside, that’s not the only reason to bet him to beat Thomas. Spieth might be the more volatile player but he has the magic to make a run at another green jacket this week.

Masters – Top American

Xander Schauffele (+1400)

There are 8 players with equal or better odds than Schauffele to be the top American. Yet, there are 8 players overall with equal or better odds than Schauffele to win the whole thing. Make it make sense. Schauffele is a great value at +1400 to be the top American, taking Cam Smith, Rahm and McIlroy out of the picture at the top of the board.

Masters – Top Canadian

Corey Conners (-135)

There are only 4 Canadians in the field this week: Conners, Mackenzie Hughes, Adam Svensson and Mike Weir. Conners is the heavy favorite, as he should be, but his odds should probably be even shorter than they are at -135.

Masters – First-round leader

Sungjae Im (+4000)

Im ranks 6th on tour in 1st-round scoring average, which puts him in great company near the likes of Scheffler, Rahm and Max Homa. Im has played the Masters 3 times and has come in the top 10 twice, including a runner-up finish in 2020.

Jon Rahm (+1600)

Rahm might have some added motivation after his last 2 starts on tour, a WD at the Players and failing to make the Round of 16 at the WGC Match Play. He’s also dropped from his post as the No. 1 player in the world. He’ll come out firing and post a low number on Thursday.

Masters – To make the cut

Jason Day, Max Homa and Tony Finau all to make the cut (-150)

At -150, this bet might seem steep. But all 3 are playing the best they ever have as professionals and come in with legitimate chances to win the Masters. Not only do I expect all 3 to make the cut, but they all could crack the top 40 or 20.

More expert prop bet predictions

Group D winner: Corey Conners (+375)

Conners has Brooks Koepka (+400), Matt Fitzpatrick (+275), Burns (+350) and Tyrrell Hatton (+375) in his betting group. It’s hard to know how Koepka will play after leaving the PGA Tour, and he’s missed the cut the last 2 years here. Burns missed the cut here in his only start last year and Hatton has never finished better than T-18. Fitzpatrick is the biggest threat to Conners.

Tom Kim and Tommy Fleetwood both to finish in top 40 (+120)

Fleetwood is 5 for 6 in made cuts at Augusta, finishing in the top 40 four times. Kim is making his Masters debut but he’s already a 2-time winner on tour and has no weaknesses in his game.

MORE 2023 MASTERS COVERAGE

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2023 Valero Texas Open prop bet picks and PGA Tour predictions

Analyzing the odds for the 2023 Valero Texas Open with PGA Tour picks and predictions for the top prop bets.

Before the Masters tees off next week as the 1st major of the season, players will tee it up this week at the 2023 Valero Texas Open. The tournament begins Thursday at TPC San Antonio with Tyrrell Hatton and Rickie Fowler headlining the field.

Below, we search for the best value prop bets among the 2023 Valero Texas Open odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions.

Hatton is the highest-ranked player in the field this week, according to the latest Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. He comes in at No. 14, with Taylor Montgomery at No. 15. Si Woo Kim is the only other player in the field who’s ranked inside the top 25.

TPC San Antonio (par 72, 7,435 yards) typically yields a winning score between 12-under par and 20-under, so it’s not the toughest course for some of the world’s best players. With bunkers on all but 1 hole, greens are guarded and will require accuracy on players’ approaches.

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Valero Texas Open – 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 12:34 p.m. ET.

Rickie Fowler (+410)

This feels like a great spot for Fowler to win in advance of the Masters. It’s not a loaded field by any means and few players have been more consistent than Fowler this season. In his last 4 stroke-play starts, he has 3 top-20s and another top-30 finish. At the WGC Match Play last week, he beat Jon Rahm in the opening match. So, his game is peaking at just the right time and he’s heading to a course where he has 2 top-17 finishes in his last 3 starts.

Matt Wallace (+850)

Let’s take a shot on Wallace, the winner of last week’s Corales Puntacana Championship. It was his 2nd straight top-10 finish after a great showing at the Valspar Championship. He missed the cut here last year but in 2021, he came in 3rd, nearly winning at TPC San Antonio. His odds are long but he’s playing well right now and has performed here before.

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Valero Texas Open – Top-10 picks

Si Woo Kim (+245)

Kim didn’t make it to the Round of 16 last week but he did go 2-1 in his matches, showing his game is in good form. He has a strong track record in this event, tying for 13th, 23rd, 4th, 45th and 22nd in his last 5 starts here. With his iron play, he’s a legitimate contender to be atop the leaderboard on Sunday.

Tyrrell Hatton (+165)

Hatton’s hand gave him some trouble just before his 1st match last week, shaking it multiple times on the range. He never withdrew and he’s still in the field in San Antonio, so it must be feeling OK. He’s the favorite this week so his odds for a top-10 are short, but at +165, there’s still plenty of value. He has 3 top-10s in his last 5 starts, but this is his tournament debut.

Cameron Davis (+500)

Davis has made the cut once in 2 tries here and though he didn’t make it out of group play last week, he tied for 6th at the Players Championship. He attributed his early-season struggles to a lingering illness, but he’s past it now and playing much better.

Valero Texas Open – Top-20 picks

Corey Conners (+117)

Conners has made the cut all 4 times in this event and won it back in 2019, never finishing worse than T-35. He too missed out on the match-play bracket last week after failing to win his group, but he tied for 21st at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He’s a good value at +117 for a top-20.

J.J. Spaun (+160)

Spaun is the defending champion, so his success at TPC San Antonio is not to be denied. He won his group at last week’s WGC Match Play event, but lost to Xander Schauffele in the first round. Combining his course history and recent form makes him a solid bet to come in the top 20 again.

Beau Hossler (+250)

Hossler already has 5 top-25 finishes this season and though he’s missed 4 straight cuts, he could get back on track this week in his home state of Texas. Last year, he tied for 4th with a final score of 10-under par.

Other T20 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Charley Hoffman (+410)
Patton Kizzire (+350)

Valero Texas Open – Matchups

Suggested play is golfer in bold.

Matt Wallace (-120) vs. Adam Schenk (+102)

Schenk has been playing well lately but he’s also missed the cut in this event in each of the last 2 years. I’ll go with the hot hand in Wallace, who has back-to-back top-10s (including a win) in his last 2 starts, as well as a 3rd-place finish in this tournament 2 years ago.

Taylor Montgomery (-120) vs. Matt Kuchar (+102)

Kuchar played well at the WGC Match Play, but he typically does. In stroke play events this season, he’s been hot and cold: 7 of 11 made cuts with 3 top-10s. I’ll go with Montgomery, who’s making his debut here.

Cameron Davis (-109) vs. Ryan Fox (-109)

Davis is healthy now and is going up against Fox, who has 4 straight top-30 finishes this season. He’s never played this event before, however. Davis looked great at the Players Championship with a T-6 and should back that up with another strong showing in Texas.

Valero Texas Open – Top American

Rickie Fowler (+1100)

Fowler is +2000 to win outright this week, so getting him at +1100 without Hatton, Kim or Conners, among others, is a terrific value. Davis Riley (+1500) and Taylor Montgomery (+1500) would be his toughest competitors in the group of Americans, but Fowler should have the edge on both of them.

Valero Texas Open – First-round leader

Corey Conners (+3500)

Conners is someone who can get really hot really quickly. He’s won this event before, shooting 20-under back in 2019, which included two rounds of 66 on the weekend that year.

More expert prop bet predictions

Group C winner: Cameron Davis (+360)

Davis’ group includes Spaun (+265), Riley (+320), Thomas Detry (+390) and Nicolai Hojgaard (+390). I like the way Davis is trending now that he’s past his lingering illness, and he should be in contention this weekend.

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2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play prop bet picks and PGA Tour predictions

Analyzing the odds for the 2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play with PGA Tour picks and predictions for the top prop bets.

The PGA Tour’s only match-play event will be held this week at Austin Country Club as 64 of the top players in the world compete at the 2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. This is the last year of the event as the tour moves away from match-play competition. The group stage begins on Wednesday morning and the tournament will conclude on Sunday.

Below, we search for the best value prop bets among the 2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions.

This is once again a loaded field, with Cameron Smith and Justin Thomas being the only top-10 players not teeing it up this week. Scottie Scheffler is back to defend his title, going up against the likes of Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele and Jordan Spieth.

Austin Country Club levels the playing field for competitors, being a shorter course (7,108 yards, par 71). It features a lot of elevation change and 2 vastly different 9s, which makes for exciting matches around the course. There are reachable par 5s and the 13th is a drivable par 4 with a lake in front, so the risk-reward factor is evident this week.

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WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play – Top-4 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 11:19 a.m. ET.

Jordan Spieth (+550)

What helps Spieth on his path to the semifinals is that he avoids the big three of Scheffler, McIlroy and Rahm. As the No. 12 seed, the top potential seed he’ll face before the semifinals is Cantlay, who’s No. 4. Spieth was a match-play wizard at the Presidents Cup and is coming off a great showing at the Valspar Championship, which he was in position to win before a tee shot in the water on the 16th hole.

Tyrell Hatton (+700)

If Hatton wins his group, his 1st-round matchup will be against McIlroy, assuming he also advances. That’s not great, but if he can get by McIlroy, Hatton has a good chance to knock off the other top seeds in his quadrant, Matt Fitzpatrick or Xander Schauffele, in the quarterfinals if they get there.

Scottie Scheffler (+230)

Scheffler should be able to win his group against Tom Kim, Alex Noren and Davis Riley. After that, the top seeds standing in his way of the semis are e Im, Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland. It’s not the easiest path, but it’s a very doable one for the defending champ who grew up in and lives in Dallas.

Other T4 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Cameron Young (+750)
Sungjae Im (+700)
Tony Finau (+700)

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WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play – Group winners

Group 3 winner: Rory McIlroy (+105)

McIlroy’s group is relatively weak and getting him at +105 is a good value to advance. Even with his equipment tinkering, I like McIlroy this week after a disappointing showing at The Players. The others in his group are Keegan Bradley (+280), Scott Stallings (+550) and Denny McCarthy (+330). Bradley, who’s having a good season, is the biggest threat to McIlroy.

Group 4 winner: Nick Taylor (+400)

Taylor is the long shot in his group against Cantlay (+110), K.H. Lee (+400) and Brian Harman (+320). This is his tournament debut, but he’s coming off a 10th-place finish at the Valspar Championship. Cantlay has never advanced past the group stage in 4 tries.

Group 7 winner: Ryan Fox (+280)

Will Zalatoris (+155) is the favorite in this group, followed by Fox, Harris English (+320) and Andrew Putnam (+330). And as easy as it is to like Zalatoris, there are still some questions about his game right now after back-to-back finishes outside the top 50. Fox has 5 straight top-30 finishes.

Group 8 winner: Viktor Hovland (+162)

Hovland has Si-Woo Kim (+300), Chris Kirk (+320) and Matt Kuchar (+320) in his group. Kuchar is a horse for this event, but Hovland is striking the ball so well right now and Kim and Kirk don’t worry me too much. If Hovland can get the putter going, he’ll have a great chance this week.

Group 10 winner: Tony Finau (+162)

Finau gets Kurt Kitayama (+280), Christian Bezuidenhout (+350) and Adrian Meronk (+380) in his group. All things considered, Finau should probably have even shorter odds than +162. However, in 4 tries, he’s never made it past the group stage. I still like his chances against a group with 2 debutants and another who’s struggled in 2 trips here.

Group 12 winner: Jordan Spieth (+170)

Spieth’s group looks relatively weak on paper, with Shane Lowry (+210), Mackenzie Hughes (+480) and Taylor Montgomery (+300) being the others competing with the Texas native. Lowry has run hot and cold lately and has failed to make it out of group play in his last 6 attempts. Hughes is 1-for-2 in advancing past the group stage and Montgomery is making his debut.

Group 14 winner: Tyrell Hatton (+115)

It might seem crazy for Hatton to be +115 to win his group, but I like him as the heavy favorite over Russell Henley (+270), Lucas Herbert (+450) and Ben Griffin (+380). Henley has never made it out of his group, Herbert came up short in his debut last year and this is Griffin’s 1st time playing this event.

Group 15 winner: Cameron Young (+162)

Young is a fun pick this week because of his firepower off the tee. He gets Corey Conners (+230), who was a semifinalist last year, Sepp Straka (+350) and Davis Thompson (+380) in his group, which is a good way for the 2nd-year pro to start his week. At +162, Young is a solid bet to advance out of the group stage.

WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play – Top American

Scottie Scheffler (+480)

Scheffler is +750 to win the whole thing, but he’s worth betting at +480 to be the top American. That eliminates players such as McIlroy, Rahm, Hatton, Jason Day and Hovland, leaving Scheffler to beat the likes of Finau, Spieth, Cantlay, Max Homa and the rest of the Americans. It’s still a great group, but Scheffler is the top player in the world and the defending champ.

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2023 Valspar Championship prop bet picks and PGA Tour predictions

Analyzing the odds for the 2023 Valspar Championship with PGA Tour picks and predictions for the top prop bets.

The last event on the Florida Swing is this week: The 2023 Valspar Championship at Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course in Palm Harbor, Fla. Sam Burns will go for his 3rd straight win at this event, but he’ll face some competition from the likes of Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, among others.

Below, we search for the best value prop bets among the 2023 Valspar Championship odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions.

Thomas is the highest-ranked player in the field this week based on the latest Golfweek/Sagarin rankings, coming in at No. 8 – the only player in the top 10 who will be playing at Innisbrook. Adam Hadwin, Tommy Fleetwood, Maverick McNealy and Matt Fitzpatrick are also in the field, ranking from No. 21-25, respectively. The 2-time defending champion Burns is No. 28 in the rankings.

The Copperhead Course is 7,340 yards and plays as a par 71, testing players’ accuracy off the tee with hazards and bunkers spanning the course. It’s not a course that demands a lot of length off the tee, but there are holes where distance is an advantage.

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Valspar Championship – 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 12:45 p.m. ET.

Justin Rose (+500)

Rose plotted his way around TPC Sawgrass really nicely last week en route to a 6th-place finish. Copperhead requires similar accuracy off the tee and placement in the fairways, which should have Rose in a good spot again this week.

His ball striking has been solid lately and he has a decent track record here with a top-5 finish in 2018.

Jordan Spieth (+300)

Spieth had a roller coaster of a week at Sawgrass after finishing 4th at Bay Hill, eventually ending up in 19th at The Players after barely making the cut. He won here back in 2015 and has 4 total top 20s in 5 starts here, showing he has the game to conquer Copperhead.

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Valspar Championship – Top-10 picks

Tommy Fleetwood (+270)

Fleetwood was in contention at The Players before falling apart in the final round and shooting 4-over par on Sunday. In his debut here last year, he tied for 16th and has slowly been rounding into form this season as he pushes for a spot on the Ryder Cup team.

Keegan Bradley (+260)

In his last 5 starts this season, Bradley has 2 top 10s and a top 20 to go along with 2 missed cuts, including last week at The Players. But he only missed the cut because of a quadruple-bogey on the 9th hole Friday, which blew up his 2nd round.

Sam Burns (+210)

Burns has not only won this tournament each of the last 2 years, but he also has a T-30 and T-12 in his 2 other starts here. So it’s not just the wins that put him ahead of most of the field. A top-10 against a field that lacks the star power of bigger events should be very doable for Burns, and at +210, he’s a good value.

Valspar Championship – Top-20 picks

Justin Suh (+180)

Suh hasn’t finished worse than 40th in his last 4 starts, coming in 6th last week and 5th at the Honda Classic. He’s quietly been one of the steadier players in the last two months, showing he has the game to compete with the best. This will be his 1st start at the Vaslpar Championship, but he showed no disadvantages in his debut at TPC Sawgrass last week.

Matt Fitzpatrick (-105)

Fitzpatrick is almost at even money for a top-20 finish, which feels like a good value, especially considering he tied for 5th here last year. He typically plays better on more difficult courses and Copperhead is up there as a challenging track.

Akshay Bhatia (+380)

Bhatia played here in 2019 and missed the cut, but that was his only start in this event. He’s coming off a 2nd-place finish at the Puerto Rico Open and he has 2 other top-10s on the Korn Ferry Tour this season.

Valspar Championship – Matchups

Suggested play is golfer in bold.

Jordan Spieth (+100) vs. Justin Thomas (-120)

Thomas was just off last week. Spieth had his moments where he didn’t look completely dialed in, but those were far fewer than Thomas, who has been wayward with his driver lately and that’s not a recipe for success this week. Give me Spieth at even money.

Ben Griffin (-110) vs. Gary Woodland (-110)

Griffin followed up a T-21 and T-14 in his last 2 starts with a T-35 at The Players, a very strong stretch for the 26-year-old. He faded late in the week at The Players but his game is strong right now and Woodland has only made the cut once in his last 4 starts here.

Valspar Championship – Top American

Sam Burns (+1200)

Thomas and Spieth don’t worry me a lot at this tournament, which gives Burns an even better value as the 3rd-best American in the field. I’ll take the 2-time defending champion at +1200 to be the top American, which is only slightly worse than his outright odds of +1500.

Valspar Championship – 1st-round leader

Ben Griffin (+5000)

Griffin started last week with a very good 5-under round of 67 at Sawgrass before slipping as the week went on. He ranks 6th on tour in 1st-round scoring average, making him a good value at +5000.

More expert prop bet predictions

Group B winner: Tommy Fleetwood (+280)

Fleetwood has Bradley (+280), Hadwin (+320), Davis Riley (+425) and Denny McCarthy (+425) in his betting group this week, which is actually a solid collection of players and contenders. I like Fleetwood with his iron play and impressive performance here last year, as well as his play in the first 3 rounds before collapsing on Sunday.

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2023 Players Championship prop bet picks and PGA Tour predictions

Analyzing the odds for the 2023 Players Championship with PGA Tour picks and predictions for the top prop bets.

For the 2nd week in a row, the biggest names in golf will be competing at a premier course in Florida. The 2023 Players Championship is taking place at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. The 1st round tees off on Thursday.

Below, we search for the best value prop bets among the 2023 Players Championship odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions.

After finishing 2nd at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Rory McIlroy comes into this week as the betting favorite to win his 2nd Players Championship. Jon Rahm, the No. 1 player in the world, is right behind McIlroy, followed by Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay. Defending champion Cameron Smith is with LIV Golf and not in the field.

TPC Sawgrass features twisting and winding fairways, which are narrow and difficult to hit on several holes. Players are required to shape shots around the contours of the course, with greens in regulation being a strong marker of success here. Sawgrass is a par 72 that will play at 7,275 yards.

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Players Championship – 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 Wednesday at 1:04 a.m. ET.

Sungjae Im (+650)

It’s easy to like Im this week. He’s great off the tee (21st in strokes gained) and a wizard around the greens with his wedges, which will help him save par when he does miss his target. He has 2 top-6 finishes in his last 5 starts this season and comes into this tournament in good form.

Justin Thomas (+450)

Thomas has been better than just about every player at TPC Sawgrass the last 2 years, winning it in 2021 and finishing tied for 33rd last year. He hasn’t finished outside the top 25 in his last 5 starts this season, so he’s been playing very well recently. He should be among the top 3 favorites this week.

Rory McIlroy (+220)

McIlroy cashed our top-5 ticket last week so we’ll run it back with him again at Sawgrass. He was a winner here in 2019 and has 3 other top-10 finishes at this tournament. He’s coming off a 2nd-place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, too.

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Players Championship – Top-10 picks

Max Homa (+210)

Homa tied for 13th last year after missing the cut in his Players debut in 2021, but he’s a much better player now than he was 2 years ago. In his last 5 starts, he has a win, a 2nd-place finish and a 3rd on his resume, playing as well as anyone in the world.

Jason Day (+270)

Day has very quietly been as consistent as anyone in the last couple of months. He’s finished in the top 10 in each of his last 4 starts and top 20 in each of his last 6 tournaments. He missed the cut here last year, but that was an outlier after winning in 2016 and posting 2 other top 10s at Sawgrass since.

Viktor Hovland (+260)

Hovland limped his way to a T-10 at Bay Hill last week, shooting a final-round 75 after once holding the lead on Saturday. He has 7 top-25s in his 8 starts this season and tied for 9th in this event last year. Despite Sunday’s collapse, Hovland is playing well at the moment.

Other T10 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Rickie Fowler (+500)
Shane Lowry (+425)
Keegan Bradley (+400)

Players Championship – Top-20 picks

Jason Day (+135)

For all the reasons listed above, I’d also consider taking Day to come in the top 20. He has 6 straight top-20 finishes this season and looks like the player he was in his prime.

Adam Scott (+330)

Scott at +330 for a top-20? Don’t mind if I do. In his last 10 appearances at the Players Championship, he’s come in the top 20 six times. He’s 17-for-20 in cuts made here and won back in 2004, finishing worse than 48th only once since 2012 – and that was last year when the conditions were brutal for those on the wrong side of the draw.

Will Zalatoris (+150)

Zalatoris disappointed last week at Bay Hill but I’m running it back with him. In his first 2 starts at the Players Championship the last 2 years, he finished 21st and 26th, so he’s been on the cusp of a top-20. It’s been an up-and-down season so far but he’s worth a bet at +150 on a course that rewards great ball striking.

Other T20 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Joel Dahmen (+550)
Justin Thomas (+110)
Max Homa (+110)

Players Championship – Matchups

Suggested play is golfer in bold.

Jason Day (-120) vs. Tom Kim (+100)

This is a bet on course history/experience and recent form. Day has a big edge in both, with this being Kim’s Players Championship debut. You’re paying up a little bit with a -120 line, but Day is worth it.

Rory McIlroy (+100) vs. Jon Rahm (-120)

McIlroy is the favorite to win the tournament at +900, but Rahm is the favorite to win head-to-head? Give me McIlroy at even money to beat Rahm, who has struggled a bit on Bermuda greens and has just 2 finishes inside the top 50 here.

Max Homa (-120) vs. Xander Schauffele (+100)

Schauffele tied for 2nd in 2018, but hasn’t made the cut in his 3 tries since. Homa is trending upwards and playing the best golf of his life, which is why it makes sense for him to be the favorite. I’ll take Homa at -120.

Players Championship – Top American

Justin Thomas (+1200)

Thomas is a safer pick given his track record at TPC Sawgrass. He’s tied with Homa for the 3rd-best odds to be the top American, behind Scheffler and Cantlay. I love his chances to not only be the highest American on the leaderboard, but potentially win the whole thing.

Players Championship – 1st-round leader

Sungjae Im (+4000)

Im ranks 4th on tour in 1st-round scoring average, which is a good place to start when searching for this bet. He’s also 4th in par-5 scoring average so he should be able to take advantage of the par 5s on Thursday to get off to a great start.

Cameron Young (+4000)

Young can run hot and cold, oftentimes because of his putter. He’s as good a ball striker as anyone in the world, but if his putter doesn’t heat up, he struggles to go low. This is a week where I think he could put up a low number on Thursday, even if it means he struggles to stay in contention on Sunday.

More expert prop bet predictions

Group E winner: Rickie Fowler (+300)

Fowler is the favorite in this group over Keith Mitchell (+320), Sahith Theegala (+330), Si-Woo Kim (+350) and Sam Burns (+380). Mitchell would be the player I’m most worried about in this group, but Fowler is a past winner here and is playing well right now.

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2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational prop bet picks and PGA Tour predictions

Analyzing the odds for the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational with PGA Tour picks and predictions for the top prop bets.

The stars will be out this week for the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Fla. It’s the 4th elevated event on the PGA Tour schedule this season, which means most of the biggest players in the sport will be teeing it up as 44 of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking are in the field.

Below, we search for the best value prop bets among the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions.

Last year’s champion, Scottie Scheffler, is back to defend his title after successfully doing so at the WM Phoenix Open 2 weeks ago. He’s not the favorite, however. Jon Rahm has the best odds to win this week (+650), followed by Rory McIlroy (+900) and then Scheffler (+1000). Max Homa has the 4th-best odds (+1500) as he looks to continue his hot streak, too.

Bay Hill will test every part of a player’s game, being one of the toughest courses on the schedule. There’s water on most holes, so placement off the tee and accuracy into the greens are essential. It’s a par 72 and will play at 7,466 yards this week.

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Arnold Palmer Invitational – 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 3:14 p.m. ET.

Rory McIlroy (+210)

This week is a great time to bet McIlroy. He’s coming off 2 somewhat disappointing finishes – T-32 in Phoenix and T-29 at the Genesis – and is heading to a course where he’s had a lot of success. He’s only finished worse than T-13 once in 8 starts here and has 3 top-10s, including a win in 2018. He’s a perfect fit for Bay Hill.

Scottie Scheffler (+230)

Scheffler won here last year and with the way he’s playing right now, there’s no reason to doubt he’ll do it again. In 2 starts at the API, Scheffler has a win and a T-15, so he seems to enjoy this course. Always a player who thrives in stacked fields, Scheffler is a good bet for a top-5 finish.

Patrick Cantlay (+425)

Cantlay has never played the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which is surprising. And though he’ll only be making his debut this week, he has the game to succeed at Bay Hill. He’s relatively accurate with his driver, ranking 12th in strokes gained: off the tee, and his putter can get hot in a hurry.

Other T5 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Tony Finau (+450)
Xander Schauffele (+450)

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Arnold Palmer Invitational – Top-10 picks

Will Zalatoris (+200)

Zalatoris tied for 10th here 2 years ago and finished 36th in 2022, making the cut in each of his 2 starts at Bay Hill. Another pure ball-striker, Zalatoris’ iron game will give him an edge in this impressive field. He just needs the putter to cooperate, which it has this season; he ranks 27th in strokes gained on the greens.

Collin Morikawa (+190)

Morikawa has only played this tournament twice, with the last time coming in 2020 when he tied for 9th. He seems to have figured things out with his irons after tying for 6th at Riviera, which should give him some momentum coming into this week.

Viktor Hovland (+260)

In 8 starts this season, including his unofficial win at the Hero World Challenge, Hovland has only finished worse than 21st once, and even that was a respectable T-42 in Phoenix. He tied for 2nd at Arnold’s place last year and is a good bet to finish near the top again this season.

Other T10 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Sungjae Im (+300)
Justin Thomas (+250)

Arnold Palmer Invitational – Top-20 picks

Tommy Fleetwood (+240)

Fleetwood has top-20 finishes in 3 of his 6 starts at this event, making the cut all but once. He’s a longshot this week in a strong field, but he has the game and iron play to contend.

Keegan Bradley (+240)

Bradley is a regular at the API, playing this event 11 times and making the cut 10 times. He tied for 10th and 11th the last 2 years, finding success at Bay Hill, which could continue this time around.

Hideki Matsuyama (+210)

Matsuyama has made the cut in each of his 8 starts at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, including back-to-back years in the top 20 (T-20 and T-18). He also has a T-6 and T-21 on his resume here, showing Bay Hill suits his eye well.

Other T20 contenders (in order from longest odds to shortest):

Beau Hossler (+450)
Aaron Wise (+300)

Arnold Palmer Invitational – Matchups

Suggested play is golfer in bold.

Collin Morikawa (+100) vs. Max Homa (-120)

It’s hard not to like both Morikawa and Homa this week, but I’ll take the value with Morikawa at even money. He looked great at the Genesis Invitational – I know, Homa did too in his victory – and though Homa has no weaknesses, Morikawa has the edge with his irons.

Sungjae Im (-110) vs. Jason Day (-110)

Im has a strong track record here, which has me inclined to bet him in a couple of different ways. In 4 years, he’s finished T-20, T-21, 3rd and T-3. That’s about as good as it gets without a win. Day has won this event before but since 2019, he’s played here 3 times and withdrawn twice.

Sahith Theegala (-110) vs. Shane Lowry (-110)

Here’s a mind-blowing stat: Lowry has never made the cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 4 tries. That’s an aberration for the Irishman, but I’m not going to take him over Theegala with that sort of history.

Arnold Palmer Invitational – Top American

Will Zalatoris (+1000)

Playing the Top American takes out McIlroy and Rahm at the top of the board. That’s a good way to play Zalatoris against the rest of the Americans in the field, with Scheffler being the favorite at +550.

Arnold Palmer Invitational – Top Irish

Rory McIlroy (-160)

Seamus Power (+450), Lowry (+300) and Padraig Harrington (+1200) are the other Irish players in the field, which is why McIlroy is such a heavy favorite. But given Lowry’s track record here and McIlroy’s success, I’m willing to take him even at -160.

Arnold Palmer Invitational – 1st-round leader

Tony Finau (+3000)

Finau ranks 6th on tour in 1st-round scoring average and although his record here isn’t great, he’s someone who can pour in the birdies at a high rate. He’s been in great form lately, too, with nothing worse than a T-20 in his last 7 starts.

Sungjae Im (+4000)

Here’s another way to play Im at Bay Hill. He has the 21st-best 1st-round scoring average this season and as previously mentioned, he’s already finished in the top 3 twice here.

More expert prop bet predictions

Group E winner: Hideki Matsuyama (+350)

Chris Kirk (+330), Shane Lowry (+330), Keith Mitchell (+330) and Corey Conners (+400) are the other players in this group, which makes it another way to fade Lowry. Matsuyama has back-to-back top-20s in this event and should play well again this week.

Winning margin: 2 shots (+400)

These elevated fields often yield some close finishes, but not too close. The first 3 were all won by 2 shots, so let’s throw a dart and bet that that trend will continue this week.

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2023 Honda Classic prop bet picks and PGA Tour predictions

Analyzing the odds for the 2023 Honda Classic with PGA Tour picks and predictions for the top prop bets.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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