FPB editors discuss college basketball with former Boston Globe sports editor Joe Sullivan
So you think you know golf well enough to bet on it?
This season’s PGA Tour slate has proven to be anything but predictable.
Sepp Straka became the latest unheralded player to win a tournament, surging past a fading Daniel Berger, among others, to win the Honda Classic last week at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. The Bear Trap tripped up plenty of stars and sent wagerers searching for the next Cinderella story. Straka, who was 176th in the Official World Golf Ranking before the victory, earned his maiden Tour W.
His triumph continued an underdog trend in 2022. No player ranked better than 15th (Scottie Scheffler) has won an event.
Next up this week is the Arnold Palmer Invitational at long, strong, wet Bay Hill in Orlando. The course of “The King” is appropriately sized, a par 72, measuring a whopping 7,466 yards.
Defending champ Bryson DeChambeau is out with an injury. So there’s one potential favorite to toss aside. Five of the top 10 players in the game are in the field.
Will another unsung hero break through? Or will a more chalky pick grab the trophy?
Watch the action on Thursday (2-6 p.m. Golf Channel); Friday (2-6 p.m., Golf Channel); Saturday (12:30-2:30 p.m., Golf Channel, 2:30-6 p.m. NBC); and Sunday (12:30-2:30 p.m., Golf Channel, 2:30-6 p.m. NBC).
(All odds DraftKings)
The favorite: Jon Rahm (+750)
Lengthy Bay Hill suits the Rahm well. The world’s top-ranked player has only finished out of the top 15 once this season (T-21 at Genesis Invitational). First on the Tour in strokes gained off the tee, he is set up for success in Central Florida in his first API appearance.
Pick to click: Keith Mitchell (+4500)
In six starts at Bay Hill, Mitchell owns three top-six finishes. He’ll be a terror off the tee on a track that demands it. Mitchell, ranked No. 73, has posted three top-10 finishes this season. He will not be the fifth first-time winner in six weeks this season. Mitchell won the Honda Classic in 2019.
Top 5: Rory McIlroy (+250)
McIlroy is just getting going this year. The Northern Ireland stalwart captured the CJ Cup to start this campaign. He was T-10 at the Genesis Invitational. McIlroy won at Arnie’s Place in 2018. The No. 5 player in the world has finished in the top 10 here each of the last five seasons.
Top 10: Scottie Scheffler (+175)
World No. 6 Scheffler already has a victory this season at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. He was T-15 at Bay Hill two years ago and figures to be in contention here once again if he can channel the ball-striking necessary in tight spots.
More notable Honda Classic betting odds to win
Viktor Hovland (+1800)
Rory McIlroy (+1000)
Scottie Scheffler (+1600)
Hideki Matsuyama (+2500)
Sungjae Im (+2200)
Will Zalatoris (+2500)
Adam Scott (+3500)
Tyrrell Hatton (+2800)
Marc Leishman (+2800)
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