It's the perfect time in the PGA Tour season for a little fun. Enter the return of the Zurich Classic.
Your PGA Tour betting picks get a whole lot more interesting this week, with the best golfers in the world pairing off for this unique four-round event at the generous TPC Louisiana. Eighty teams are vying for top prize – and those pivotal FedExCup points – as they alternate best-ball and alternate-shot formats over the four-day tournament in New Orleans.
We preview the field, break down the course and give our golf picks, predictions and best bets for the Zurich Classic.
TPC Louisiana betting stats that matter
We're going to keep things simple here, because of the tournament format and the fact that TPC Louisiana is one of the easier tests these golfers will face this season. Bettors should be looking for tandems that gain plenty of strokes off the tee and are elite at SG: Approach. Putting is less important, especially in best ball, where one of the two team members is almost certainly going to have a makable birdie putt on at least half the holes.
Zurich Classic outright winner bets
Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer cruised to victory at the 2019 tournament, posting a four-round score of 26-under to outpace the field by three shots. And they're going to see plenty of betting interest this week, carrying event-low +750 odds of prevailing. The U.S. duo of Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay are a close second at +800, while the Aussie pairing of Cameron Smith and Mark Leishman round out the top three at +1200.
Who will win the Zurich Classic? Here are our best picks:
Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay (+800)
Something tells us that this event will be a little more laid-back than most – and that can only help Cantlay, who could use a respite after missing three consecutive cuts highlighted by an ugly showing at The Masters. Both players rank in the Top 15 in SG: Off-the-Tee and in the Top 55 in SG: Approach, while Schauffele has been dialed in this season with 10 Top-25 results in 12 events. This is the most talented pairing in the field, and have extensive experience playing together. They're the team to beat.
Roberto Castro/Cameron Tringale (+5,500)
Let's have some fun here with a longshot play that might just be staggeringly mis-priced. You might not be able to pick Castro or Tringale out of a lineup, but they put together one of the most well-rounded performances at this event two years ago en route to a T5 finish. Castro posted a T18 at his previous tournament in Punta Cana in late March, while Tringale has also shown great recent form with six Top-20 finishes in his last 10 events.
Zurich Classic matchup predictions
Smith/Leishman Over Morikawa/Wolff (-125)
Only in team golf can the best golfer in a group be considered the underdog. That's the scenario bettors are faced with here, as Collin Morikawa looks to carry Matthew Wolff to a strong finish in New Orleans. Morikawa is the best iron player in the world right now, but that will only go so far in this format – and Wolff has been erratic for a while now, struggling with poor performances and the frustrations that have accompanied them. We'll take the steadier Australian duo in this matchup.
Zurich Classic prop bets
Rahm/Palmer Top-5 Finish (+150)
There should be plenty of action on this pairing to repeat as tournament champion - but if you'd rather go in a different direction on the outright play, there's a good chance you can still make a little profit here. In addition to carding an incredible 64-65-64-69 at the previous Zurich Classic, both have shown strong recent form. Palmer has three Top-20 showings in his last four events, while Rahm has finished in the Top 10 in eight of his 12 tournaments in 2021. This is the Top-5 lock of the week.
Schauffele/Cantlay First Round Leaders (+1,400)
We've been through why we think this tandem is a good bet to win it all – but we're doubling down on the Schauffele/Cantlay respect because of just how dominant they've been on Thursdays this year. Cantlay owns the seventh-best first-round scoring average on the PGA Tour in 2021 (69.25), with Schauffele not far behind in 13th (69.55). And with four-balls leading off the tournament – a format in which players each play their own ball, and the low score is recorded – the sky's the limit for this pairing in Round 1.
Zurich Classic betting card
- Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay Outright (+800)
- Roberto Castro/Cameron Tringale Outright (+5,500)
- Smith/Leishman Over Morikawa/Wolff (-125)
- Rahm/Palmer Top 5 Finish (+150)
- Schauffele/Cantlay First Round Leaders (+1,400)
Where can I bet on the PGA?
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