Zurich Classic Sleeper Picks and Predictions: Eckroat/Thompson Combo Shines in New Orleans

Neil Parker - Analyst at Covers.com
Neil Parker • Betting Analyst 16+ years betting experience
Updated: Apr 21, 2026 , 02:24 PM ET • 4 min read

Our Zurich Classic sleeper picks target the pairing of Austin Eckroat and Davis Thompson at TPC Louisiana.

Austin Eckroat Zurich Classic PGA Tour
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Austin Eckroat during the first round of the 2025 John Deere Classic.

The lone team event on the PGA Tour calendar is ahead, with a watered-down field heading to TPC Louisiana for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans this week.

Because of the unique format, my top sleepers and longshot Zurich Classic picks don’t drift down the odds board as far as they would in a typical event.

Zurich Classic sleeper picks

Team BetMGM
Austin Eckroat/Davis Thompson +2500
Alex Smalley/Hayden Springer +3300
Blades Brown/Luke Clanton +6600

Picks were made on 4-21 at 2:00 p.m. ET.

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Zurich Classic sleeper predictions

Sleeper pick to win: Austin Eckroat/Davis Thompson
+2500 at BetMGM

While it’s been a bit of a slow start to the 2026 season for Austin Eckroat and Davis Thompson, the duo just respectively finished T10 and T14 on the heels of both ranking Top 10 in true strokes gained tee-to-green in the Valero.

Of course, Eckroat is a two-time PGA Tour winner, and Thompson won in 2024. 

Sleeper pick to win: Alex Smalley/Hayden Springer
+3300 at BetMGM

Alex Smalley is playing excellent golf with four Top 25s across his past eight events while playing the weekend in each and ranking eighth in true strokes gained tee-to-green in this field.

It’s a bit of a different story with Hayden Springer playing on the Korn Ferry Tour, but Springer can go low and put circles on the card. As a result, this is a sneaky duo.

Sleeper pick to win: Blades Brown/Luke Clanton
+6600 at BetMGM

Blades Brown and Luke Clanton are two of the most talented young players on the planet, and this format could be the perfect setup for them to feed off one another and put a pile of circles on the card.

They both finished Top 5 in Puerto Rico in a similar watered-down field, and they both can overpower this track.

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Neil Parker - Covers
Betting Analyst

Neil Parker is, first and foremost, a sports fan. A huge supporter of the Cowboys, Cubs, and Maple Leafs, he has managed to parlay his passion into writing gigs at some of the top websites in the industry.

Neil takes a numbers-based approach to his handicapping and complements his in-depth statistical analysis with a keen eye on the markets to provide the best available odds. He loves to lean on his rolodex of idioms to offset his inner nerd. When it comes to wagering, he throws down on anything that catches his eye at bet365, Betway and BetVictor. He also keeps a close eye on CoolBet because the polar bear brand often has outlier NHL and NFL moneyline prices.

Neil graduated with honors from St. Thomas University in 2007 before completing his BEd at Acadia University in 2010. After teaching a myriad of courses and subjects, he found a groove delivering fun lessons to exceptional learners in non-traditional classroom environments. If his decade-plus teaching run taught him anything about sports betting, it’s to stay the course and use the summer – or offseason – to refresh and prepare to be better in the year to come.

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