We're now halfway through the major championship season, and the heart of the PGA Tour schedule continues with THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch, yet another signature event.
Some home cooking could go a long way for Scottie Scheffler after winning by eight shots here in 2025. He's still winless since January, but the odds board is confident that could change this week.
Check out our full CJ CUP Byron Nelson predictions and golf picks below, with additional information on TPC Craig Ranch, the field, and more.
⛳ THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson: Key takeaways
- Best early bet: Jordan Spieth (+1500) — The Texas native is coming off a T18 at the PGA and finished fourth here in 2025 as well as solo-second in 2022.
- TPC Craig Ranch: The 7,569-yard Par 71 fetches a ton of birdies. Sheffler won at 31-under last year, and the winning score has been -23 or lower in the last seven editions.
- Weather: On and off rain through the week will create soft scoring conditions, and there's also potential for thunderstorm delays.
- Expected cut: The cut line has been between -4 and -6 over the last five years. It's birdies or bust this week.
📊 THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson odds: favorites & full field
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson will be played at TPC Craig Ranch from Thursday, May 21, through Sunday, May 24, with 144 golfers in the field before a 36-hole cut to the Top 65 players and ties.
| Golfer |  |
|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | +175 |
| Si Woo Kim | +1400 |
| Jordan Spieth | +1500 |
| Brooks Koepka | +2500 |
| Aaron Rai | +3300 |
| Davis Thompson | +4000 |
| Keith Mitchell | +4000 |
| Michael Thorbjornsen | +4000 |
| Pierceson Coody | +4000 |
| Rasmus Hojgaard | +4500 |
| Ryo Hisatsune | +4500 |
Odds courtesy of BetMGM — on of our best golf betting sites — on May 18.
Live CJ CUP Byron Nelson odds at Kalshi
Check out the full CJ CUP Byron Nelson field.
Best bets card
- Outright: Jordan Spieth to win (+1500): Ranked second in strokes gained tee-to-green at Aronimink and third at the 2025 Byron Nelson.
Course breakdown: TPC Craig Ranch
TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, was originally designed by major champion Tom Weiskopf and plays as a Par 71 at over 7,500 yards.
It's widely regarded as one of the biggest birdie-fests on the PGA Tour schedule. It has inviting fairways and huge greens that allow players to be aggressive and attack pins from any angle. With the famous Texas winds expected to be muted this week, the soft scoring conditions will likely lend another massive winning score.
- Easy access to these expansive, forgiving fairways means tee game is less critical
- Elite iron-play is required to pile up good birdie looks
- A hot putter also needed to cash in on those scoring chances and keep pace
Players to watch
- Scottie Scheffler: Putting cost the World No. 1 a shot at another major championship last week, but he ranked sixth in strokes gained putting during last year's runaway victory.
- Jordan Spieth: Ball-striking form is coming back, and the familiar Texas tracks have been great to him in the past.
Key stats & player profiles to target
- Strokes gained approach
- Birdie-or-better percentage
- Strokes gained putting
- Adjusted scoring average
Odds movement & market notes
Scottie Scheffler's +175 outright price is the shortest outright odds to win a PGA Tour event since at least 2019, but it's not entirely outrageous considering he won this event by eight shots a year ago and was 11 shots clear of third place. This is also a particularly thin field for a signature event.
Si Woo Kim (+1400) is second on the board, but I see him getting passed up by Texas native Jordan Spieth (+1500) by the time Thursday morning comes around. Don't be surprised if he's as short as 12/1 by that time.
Aaron Rai is on the board at 33/1 after winning the PGA Championship on Sunday, and he'll see extra betting action that could drive his price shorter than 30/1.
How to watch THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson & tee times
How to watch:
- Thursday-Friday: 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
- Saturday-Sunday: 1-3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. ET (CBS)
Tee times:
- Round 1 and 2 tee times will be available later this week
THE CJ CUP Bryon Nelson betting FAQ
Who is the 2026 CJ CUP Bryon Nelson favorite?
World No. 1 and reigning CJ CUP Byron Nelson winner Scottie Scheffler (+175) is the betting favorite at BetMGM.
When is the 2026 CJ CUP Byron Nelson?
The 2026 CJ CUP Byron Nelson will be played from Thursday, May 21, to Sunday, May 24.
Where will the 2026 CJ CUP Byron Nelson be played?
The 2026 CJ CUP Byron Nelson will be played at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas.
What are CJ CUP Byron Nelson FRL markets?
First Round Leader (FRL) markets center around which golfers will be in the lead following the first 18 holes of the tournament.
How do CJ CUP Byron Nelson matchup bets work?
When betting CJ CUP Byron Nelson matchups, you're selecting which golfer will score better between the two golfers listed in that specific market. There are 18-hole, single-round matchups, in addition to tournament-long, 72-hole matchups.
What is the CJ CUP Byron Nelson cut line?
The CJ CUP Byron Nelson features a cut to the Top 65 players and ties following the completion of Round 2.
Are CJ CUP Byron Nelson odds the same across all sportsbooks?
You'll see slight to significant variations in odds across sportsbooks for the CJ CUP Byron Nelson; it's always good practice to check multiple sports betting sites for the best odds.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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