The world’s best golfers team up at the Zurich Classic this week and it’s always one of the more interesting stops on the PGA Tour.
Heading the online sports betting market is Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer, who won the tournament in 2019 and are the current defending champions.
It’s a quality field at TPC Louisiana and we look at the best betting picks.
Zurich Classic Best Bet – Rahm/Palmer
It’s tough to overlook the form of the defending champions, who were too classy for their opposition in 2019.
Not only is Jon Rahm one of the best players in the world, but he’s also a great teammate. The Spaniard is in fine form this season and he is the best player in this field.
Joining Rahm is Ryan Palmer, who doesn’t win on the PGA Tour often as a solo player, but he’s good at the team format. Palmer always plays well in the limited team format tournaments on the Tour, so he’s worth backing this week.
Jon Rahm might have his mind elsewhere this week, after his wife gave birth just before The Masters. Here’s what Rahm had to say about it two weeks ago.
“All I can say is if anybody’s thinking of betting on me on the Masters, maybe think about it twice because there’s a chance I have to just turn around and leave that week,” Rahm told PGATour.com. “I’ve said it before; if I have to leave any event, I’ll leave. Being a father is much more important than any golf event would ever be, so that’s my head right now.”
Jon Rahm’s new baby boy Kepa is ready to cheer his dad on. 💙
(📷:@JonRahmpga) pic.twitter.com/wbJNMT6xqh
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) April 8, 2021
He has had a couple of weeks to settle down, so bettors should be full of confidence.
- Pick: Rahm/Palmer +750
Zurich Classic Best Value – Smith/Leishman
The all-Australian pairing of Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman are set to ignore in New Orleans this week.
Cameron Smith has been in stellar form all season and he’s coming off another strong top-10 showing last week. He is one of the form golfers on the Tour and his playing partner isn’t too shabby himself.
Marc Leishman doesn’t play as many tournaments as his countryman, but he is always a big threat. The 37-year-old finished fifth at The Masters and that was a big turnaround after missing the cut at The Players and Arnold Palmer Invitational.
The Aussies should make a good team and the odds are too good to pass up.
- Pick: Smith/Leishman +1200
Zurich Classic Best Longshot – Dahmen/Griffin
We don’t think the duo of Joel Dahmen and Lanto Griffin should be paying +5000 with online bookmakers.
Bettors get value golf lines for two players who have been in excellent form this season. Joel Dahmen won the Puntacana Championship a few weeks ago and Lanto Griffin has been right around the top of the leaderboard.
Griffin finished T7 in the Farmers Insurance Open and he has since recorded numerous top-30 finishes. He is a player ready to win his second PGA Tour title after winning the Houston Open in 2019 and it could happen this week.
They are playing well enough individually to make their mark at the Zurich Classic. Bettors should expect the Dahmen/Griffin pairing to get off to a fast start on Thursday.
- Pick: Dahmen/Griffin +5000
Zurich Classic Wild Pick – Snedeker/Mitchell
There is nothing wrong with taking a stab in the dark with an option paying huge odds, which is what we have done.
The pairs format makes it more likely of an upset result and Brandt Snedeker and Keith Mitchell are capable of causing a stir in the golf community.
Mitchell is a winner of the Honda Classic and the 29-year-old is still improving. The same can’t be said for Brandt Snedeker, who is now a senior member of the Tour, but he’s a quality player.
He used to be one of the best putters on Tour, and although his averages have dropped, we don’t think his win in the 2018 Wyndham Championship will be his last.
He has a Tour Championship win under his belt, so Snedeker, along with Mitchell, are worth backing this week.
- Pick: Snedeker/Mitchell +8000
