PGA Players Championship Odds

With the Players Championship beginning next Thursday, SportsBetting.ag has posted prop bets for golf's fifth major. Also below are tournament odds, which lists Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy as co-favorites.

The majority of the props are centered around the famous "Island Green" 17th hole. Oddsmakers set the over/under for balls in the water at 38.5.

Tiger Woods, if he is able to compete at TPC Sawgrass, is a heavy favorite (-400) to make the cut. He has 14/1 championship odds.

Current prop bets

Will Tiger Woods make the cut?
Yes -400
No +300

Will Tiger Woods finish in the top 5?
Yes +300
No -400

Will Tiger Woods finish in the top 10?
Yes +135
No -165

First player to hit a tee shot into the water on No. 17
Jordan Spieth +150
Patrick Reed +200
Brooks Koepka +250
Phil Mickelson +300
Rickie Fowler +400
Justin Thomas +500
Jon Rahm +700
Bryson DeChambeau +700
Dustin Johnson +800
Tiger Woods +1000
Francesco Molinari +1000
Rory McIlroy +1200
Xander Schauffele +1500
Tommy Fleetwood +1500
Justin Rose +2000

Will Tiger Woods hit a tee shot into the water on No. 17?
Yes +550
No -900

Will Dustin Johnson hit a tee shot into the water on No. 17?
Yes +500
No -800

Will Rory McIlroy hit a tee shot into the water on No. 17?
Yes +500
No -800

Will Jordan Spieth hit a tee shot into the water on No. 17?
Yes +400
No -600

Will Phil Mickelson hit a tee shot into the water on No. 17?
Yes +400
No -600

How many tee shots will settle in the water on No. 17?
Over 38.5 (-115)
Under 38.5 (-115)

How many tee shots will settle in the water on No. 17 during Round 4?
Over 7.5 (+100)
Under 7.5 (-130)

Highest score on No. 17
Over 7.5 (+100)
Under 7.5 (-130)

Will there be a hole-in-one?
Yes +100
No -130

Will there be a hole-in-one on No. 17?
Yes +350
No -500

Will anyone shoot 62 or lower?
Yes +700
No -1250

Will there be a playoff?
Yes +300
No -400

The Players Championship margin of victory
4 shots or more +250
Exactly 3 shots +450
Exactly 2 shots +350
Exactly 1 shots +250
Playoff +300

Current tournament odds

2019 The Players Championship Odds

Dustin Johnson +1200
Rory McIlroy +1200
Justin Rose +1400
Justin Thomas +1400
Tiger Woods +1400
Rickie Fowler +1600
Brooks Koepka +1800
Bryson DeChambeau +1800
Jason Day +2200
Jon Rahm +2200
Jordan Spieth +2500
Sergio Garcia +2500
Tommy Fleetwood +2500
Xander Schauffele +2500
Patrick Cantlay +2800
Adam Scott +3300
Francesco Molinari +3300
Tony Finau +3300
Webb Simpson +3300
Hideki Matsuyama +4000
Marc Leishman +4000
Matt Kuchar +4000
Patrick Reed +4000
Paul Casey +4000
Phil Mickelson +4000
Billy Horschel +5000
Cameron Champ +5000
Gary Woodland +5000
Henrik Stenson +5000
Ian Poulter +5000
Louis Oosthuizen +5000
Si Woo Kim +5000
Cameron Smith +6600
Adam Hadwin +8000
Alex Noren +8000
Branden Grace +8000
Bubba Watson +8000
Charl Schwartzel +8000
Charles Howell III +8000
Keegan Bradley +8000
Rafael Cabrera Bello +8000
Tyrrell Hatton +8000
Emiliano Grillo +10000
Haotong Li +10000
Kevin Kisner +10000
Lucas Glover +10000
Martin Kaymer +10000
Sungjae Im +10000
Thorbjorn Olesen +10000
Aaron Wise +12500
Beau Hossler +12500
Brandt Snedeker +12500
Byeong Hun An +12500
Danny Willett +12500
J.B. Holmes +12500
Keith Mitchell +12500
Kevin Chappell +12500
Kyle Stanley +12500
Matthew Fitzpatrick +12500
Russell Henley +12500
Zach Johnson +12500
Abraham Ancer +15000
C.T. Pan +15000
Daniel Berger +15000
Jimmy Walker +15000
Kevin Na +15000
Kiradech Aphibarnrat +15000
Luke List +15000
Matt Wallace +15000
Pat Perez +15000
Russell Knox +15000
Ryan Moore +15000
Austin Cook +20000
Brian Harman +20000
Bud Cauley +20000
Charley Hoffman +20000
Chesson Hadley +20000
Chez Reavie +20000
Danny Lee +20000
Eddie Pepperell +20000
Harold Varner III +20000
Jamie Lovemark +20000
Jason Dufner +20000
Jason Kokrak +20000
Jhonattan Vegas +20000
Kevin Tway +20000
Lucas Bjerregaard +20000
Stewart Cink +20000

PGA Tour Betting Preview
The PLAYERS Championship
TPC Sawgrass – Par 72 – 7,250 yards

A strong 10th place finish for Luke List – one that could have been even better were it not for a late Friday meltdown – was about all the good news we got from last week's selections , but it's on to this week's tour stop and it's the first “big” event of the season.

The PLAYERS Championship is always a great tournament for a wide variety of reasons (talented, deep field, great closing nine holes etc), and this year's event shouldn't be any different. Being pushed back into March does potentially bring a bit more wind/weather into play for the guys to deal with, so that's something to keep an eye on as well this week.

Everyone knows that water is the story of TPC Sawgrass and there will be plenty of golf balls going for a bath throughout the week. Yet, at the same time, all of that water can help some guys 'frame' the shot better visually, not allowing themselves to think it's alright to miss a little right or left etc. If you can do that and perhaps get a little lucky in terms of avoiding the drink, you'll find your name near the top of this leaderboard come Sunday, as there are some very gettable holes too if you make the correct shot.

Accuracy in the approach game (and a little putting) is what you'll want to look for at Sawgrass, as length is nice to have but not a prerequisite to have. Guys that can bomb it have won this prestigious title before, but so have shorter hitters like Fred Funk and Tim Clark, emphasizing just how critical it is to avoid big numbers here.

Finally, while length may not be a prerequisite to have success here, it appears that strong recent form may be. The past seven champions of this tournament all had a Top 25 finish in their most recent start prior to this event. Good form breeds plenty of confidence, and to play well at TPC Sawgrass and avoid all that water, you've got to be confident in your shot selection every time over the ball.

So with all that in mind, let's get to this week's list of golfers:

Odds per - Sportsbetting.ag

Golfers to Watch

Xander Schauffele (+2500) – There's plenty to like with Schauffele's game when his name pops up as a potential fit at an event, and considering he finished 2nd here a year ago in his inaugural PLAYERS start, you'd think Schauffele likes the way this course fits his eye too.

Xander is a guy who's already made a point of being in contention in as many of the 'big' events as he can, with the Tour Championship, the Tournament of Champions, and the WGC-HSBC Champions as three of his four career wins. The Players is about as big as they come for events that aren't a Major, and it would be quite fitting to add this tournament title to his resume.

Obviously having a 2nd place finish here a year ago doesn't hurt things, as Schauffele is one of the best in the game on the approach once again (11th in Strokes Gained: Approach). His weakest statistical category – around-the-green – isn't the biggest concern here if guys are locked in and hitting GIR's, and Schauffele's as likely as anyone to fall into that groove.

It's such a big name field that there was always going to be guys listed ahead of Schauffele in price, but +2500 is still a great price as he's got enough skill and confidence to see it all the way through in fields like this. Having five straight Top 25 finishes in his last five starts (including one win) puts him in that historical group of winners with a recent Top 25 as well.

Patrick Cantlay (+4000) – Cantlay is one of the names I specifically had in mind when discussing how so much water could actually help guys frame shots, simply because he's someone who wants to avoid chipping and bunkers as much as possible.

Cantlay has improved quite a bit in his scrambling, but it's still by far the weakest part of his game. The good news there is that if you are scrambling a lot at TPC Sawgrass, chances are you aren't essentially “in” the tournament in terms of winning it. Timely scrambling is necessary, but consistent scrambling is lucky to make the weekend.

If that's how Cantlay's week turns out then so be it, but if he uses his strong approach game (24th in Strokes Gained: Approach) to knock out green in regulation after green in regulation, this could be his breakout event. Plenty others players have used a win at The PLAYERS as a springboard for the rest of their careers, and no one would deny that back injuries robbed plenty of potential from Cantlay's career already.

At +4000, the price is right to back Cantlay finding a way to be at or near his best this week and potentially earn that breakthrough victory. With 6th and 15th place finishes in his last two starts, the recent form angle is there for Cantlay as well.

Kevin Kisner (+8000) – Kisner is a guy who's shown glimpses of being a winner over his last four starts, finishing between 23rd and 28th in all of them. It's one bad hole here, or a stretch of a couple rough holes there that has killed momentum within rounds for Kisner of late, but putting it all together shouldn't be that far away.

And while TPC Sawgrass hasn't treated Kisner that kindly of late – with two missed cuts and a 56th the last three years – there was his runner-up finish in a lost playoff to Rickie Fowler back in 2015 here. The nature of this course can leave you putting up a wide range of numbers here throughout your career, and considering two of the last four winners here missed the cut at The PLAYERS the previous year, I wouldn't hold that against Kisner at this price this week.

The PLAYERS Championship - per Sportsbetting.ag
Dustin Johnson 12/1
Rory McIlroy 12/1
Justin Thomas 16/1
Brooks Koepka 20/1
Francesco Molinari 20/1
Justin Rose 20/1
Rickie Fowler 20/1
Tiger Woods 20/1
Tommy Fleetwood 25/1
Xander Schauffele 25/1
Bryson DeChambeau 28/1
Jon Rahm 28/1
Adam Scott 33/1
Jason Day 33/1
Sergio Garcia 33/1
Hideki Matsuyama 40/1
Ian Poulter 40/1
Patrick Cantlay 40/1
Patrick Reed 40/1
Paul Casey 40/1
Rafael Cabrera Bello 40/1
Webb Simpson 40/1
Gary Woodland 50/1
Henrik Stenson 50/1
Jordan Spieth 50/1
Lucas Glover 50/1
Marc Leishman 50/1
Matt Kuchar 50/1
Tony Finau 50/1
Billy Horschel 66/1
Louis Oosthuizen 66/1
Luke List 66/1
Matt Wallace 66/1
Matthew Fitzpatrick 66/1
Phil Mickelson 66/1
Si Woo Kim 66/1
Bubba Watson 80/1
Byeong Hun An 80/1
Cameron Smith 80/1
Charles Howell III 80/1
Jason Kokrak 80/1
Keegan Bradley 80/1
Kevin Kisner 80/1
Tyrrell Hatton 80/1
Zach Johnson 80/1
Adam Hadwin 100/1
Alex Noren 100/1
Charl Schwartzel 100/1
Daniel Berger 100/1
Emiliano Grillo 100/1
Keith Mitchell 100/1
Sungjae Im 100/1
Branden Grace 125/1
Brandt Snedeker 125/1
Chesson Hadley 125/1
Haotong Li 125/1
Kiradech Aphibarnrat 125/1
Aaron Wise 150/1
Beau Hossler 150/1
Cameron Champ 150/1
J B Holmes 150/1
Jhonattan Vegas 150/1
Kevin Na 150/1
Martin Kaymer 150/1
Russell Henley 150/1
Russell Knox 150/1
Ryan Moore 150/1
Chez Reavie 175/1
Abraham Ancer 200/1
Bud Cauley 200/1
C T Pan 200/1
Charley Hoffman 200/1
Danny Lee 200/1
Harold Varner III 200/1
Jimmy Walker 200/1
Lucas Bjerregaard 200/1
Thorbjorn Olesen 200/1
Austin Cook 250/1
Danny Willett 250/1
Eddie Pepperell 250/1
Kevin Tway 250/1
Kyle Stanley 250/1
Brian Harman 300/1
Jason Dufner 300/1
Stewart Cink 300/1

By Joe Williams

The PGA TOUR arrives at THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. this week for what some refer to as the unofficial fifth major of the season.

The weather looks to be rather cooperative, at least until Sunday's final round. The forecast calls for temperatures in the mid- to upper-70's for the first two dayws with a 10 percent chance of precipitation. A cool front passes through, with temperatures in the mid-60's and cloudy conditions on Saturday. For Sunday, there is a 40 percent chance of rain with temperatures in the low 60's, resembling the weather we might see at The Open Championship in the British Isles, rather than Northeast Florida. It should be interesting, as the course is full of doglegs and hazards, negating the big hitters while forcing them to use a little more finesse. The course also features very, very fast greens, so accurate approach shots, solid scrambling ability and locked in putting will be good areas of focus.

PRIME MATCHUPS

Each week we'll take a look at the best round matchups to try and build up a nice bankroll.

Sergio Garcia (-120) vs. Hideki Matsuyama (-110): Garcia will be making his 16th career appearance at TPC Sawgrass, and he has appeared in the event in 14 consecutive seasons with tremendous success. He won the event in 2008, lost in a playoff in 2015 and he was a runner-up in 2007 as well. Overall he has five top-10 showings, and his comfort level is through the roof. Matsuyama is a bomber off the tee, but that long ball from the tee box is neutralized by several dog legs and hazards peppered all over the course. He'll need to show more accuracy, and that's just not part of his game. He ranks 165th on Tour in Driving Accuracy Percentage. Roll with Garcia this week.

Matt Kuchar (-105) vs. Tony Finau (-125): Again, it's just not about bombing it off the tee at TPC Sawgrass. Finau is one of the best, if not THE best, hitters with the big sticks. He mashes it long and far, but not always accurate. Kuchar has been much more consistent this season, too, already with a win under his belt at the Mayakoba Golf Classic. He hasn't been bothered by the caddie flap after that event, either. This will be his 12th career appearance at TPC Sawgrass, and he has been 17th or higher on six different occasions. His accuracy off the tee and his strong GIR will help him out this week, and the only concern with Kooch is his dismal putting.

Xander Schauffele (Even) vs. Tiger Woods (-130): Schauffele is an up-and-coming star, and at just 25 years old he is only getting started. He has made the cut in each of his eight events this season, including a pair of victories at the HSBC Champions in Shanghai and Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. He has been 15th or higher in six of his past seven events, too. Tiger has been 20th or better in each of his three events this year in addition to a 17th-place finish at the Hero World Challenge. However, he has been slowed by a neck issue. Remember, the temperatures will be rather coolish by Florida standards, so take the healthier and more consistent golfer here.

Bryson DeChambeau (-115) vs. Jason Day (-115): This is a prime matchup, but DeChambeau is playing so very well. He has a game which works for Bay Hill, and that was definitely the case last season when he finished as a runner-up. The unorthodox DeChambeau ranks 16th in Ball Striking, and he is third on TOUR in Par 5 Scoring Average (4.40), which makes him a very attractive play. While Day won this event in 2016, he has been a very marginal 22nd and 23rd over the past two seasons. DeChambeau was second last season, and he has been tremendously consistent this season.

Last week: 1-2 (-105)
This season: 1-4-2 (-310)

OTHER BETS

To Make The Cut - Matt Kuchar (-300): Kuchar is a good bet to make the cut, as he has played into the weekend in nine of his past 10 showings at THE PLAYERS Championship, missing the cut only in 2015 during the 10-year span. That includes a third-place showing in 2016.

Top 20 Finish - Justin Rose (-145): Rose hasn't finished in the top-20 in the past couple of seasons at TPC Sawgrass, but he has been on fire this season and is a good bet to make some noise this time around. He won at the Farmers Insurance Open, and he has been third or better in three of his five events this season.

Top 20 Finish - Xander Schauffele (+105): I really like what I've seen from Schauffele recently, and he looks to be a star in the making. Perhaps this weekend is his coming out party, where casual fans will get to learn his name.

Top 20 Finish - Webb Simpson (+190): Simpson was a wire-to-wire winner at this event last season, and he has shown no signs of slowing down this season with four top-20 finishes out of six events, including a third-place finish at The RSM Classic right up Interstate 95 from TPC Sawgrass in Georgia.

Props - Top Asian Finisher - Si Woo Kim (+450): Kim has been playing tremendous golf lately, outside of his missed cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week. He bagged back-to-back top-5 finishes at Pebble Beach and the Genesis Open, and he has made the cut in eight of his 11 events this season. Really, it should be a two-horse race between he and Hideki Matsuyama.

Props - Nationality of Winner (USA, -140): In only two of the past five events has the winner of THE PLAYERS Championship come from the good ol' U.S. of A. However, Vegas feels rather strongly that the Americans have a more than good chance this season. Dustin Johnson (12/1) is co-favorites with Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy. Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, Tiger Woods and Xander Schauffele are also among the Top 10 favorites. Look for an American to celebrate on Sunday.

Props - Nationality of Winner (USA, -140): In only two of the past five events has the winner of THE PLAYERS Championship come from the good ol' U.S. of A. However, Vegas feels rather strongly that the Americans have a more than good chance this season. Dustin Johnson (12/1) is co-favorites with Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy. Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, Tiger Woods and Xander Schauffele are also among the Top 10 favorites. Look for an American to celebrate on Sunday.