Odds Players Championship Golf

Odds and picks for the PGA Tour 2021 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida from March 11th-14th. Dustin Johnson is favorite. In a first for golf, The Players Championship will make available live streaming coverage of every shot from every player. (AP Photo/John Raoux, FIle) The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL tees off Thursday, March 11th Dustin Johnson is the +1000 favorite over Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy. Players Championship 2021 odds: Here are the most intriguing odds in one of golf's best fields Stephen Hennessey 9 hrs ago Organ transplants shouldn't be denied to people with disabilities.

When the PGA Tour arrives at TPC Sawgrass for The PLAYERS Championship every year it's nice to view it as a sign of big things to come in the golf world.

The Majors are coming once a month now after that, and then it's right into the FedEx Cup playoffs bleeding into football season.

Odds Winning Golf Players Championship

Last year's arrival at The PLAYERS was a far bigger moment than how a handicapper plans out his months well ahead of time, as 18 holes were played before the entire thing was shut down.

For a tournament that nobody's ever successfully defended as champion, Rory McIlroy is in the unique position of trying to defend a title he won two years ago. No repeat champion has much more to do with the quality of the field this tournament brings every year and this year's edition at TPC Sawgrass is no different.

Golf Betting Resources
2021 The Players Championship

Las Vegas Odds Players Championship Golf 2020

• Date: Thursday Mar. 11 - Sunday Mar. 14, 2021
• Venue: TPC Sawgrass
• Location: Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
• Par-Yardage: 72, 7,189 yards
• Defending Champion: Rory McIlroy
• TV: NBC, Golf Channel

Keep the ball on land and dry is always the first goal for guys at TPC Sawgrass, as water looms everywhere and one bad hole has a made cut, Top 20, or even a potential victory aspirations go splashing down with it. Guys who know how to plod their way around this course, knock down a few putts, and avoid the explosion holes have found a way to get it done here.

Webb Simpson's ball striking here was superb a few years ago when he ended up winning, and when someone who's long been known as a pure ball striker like Sergio Garcia has finishes of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, at The PLAYERS, it's precision iron games that will win out here in the end.

Despite all the potential disaster out there for these guys, TPC Sawgrass gives up plenty of opportunities as well if you are hitting your spots. Faster green speeds are a sign of things to come for players in coming weeks so scrambling in all forms matters as well, and if you can quantify it, guys that can hold up under the pressure of the final few holes. A huge range of scores can be shot on any of the final handful of holes these guys will see and that's exactly where you'll want that ball striking to hold up before anything.

Finally, I mentioned nobody's ever successfully defended this title, and even multiple time winners of this tournament is rather rare – only six players have multiple PLAYERS titles. Even if only used as some arbitrary idea of narrowing down the card given it's depth it's an option to consider. There are still a boatload of great names to consider in that case.

The Players Championship
Betting Odds

Dustin Johnson (+1200) would be one of those names available as he's not a past champion here, and what's not to like about his game.

He leads the board this week at that number, with Bryson DeChambeau (+1500), Jon Rahm +1500), and Rory McIlroy (+1600) the others under 20/1.

The Players Championship Contenders

• Dustin Johnson +1200
• Bryson Dechambeau +1500
• Jon Rahm +1500
• Rory McIlroy +1600
• (Odds Subject to Change)

Collin Morikawa (+2000) is one of the names at that barrier, leading the way for “first timers” here who haven't historically come away with a victory here either.

There are just too many headaches out here to really be aware of how many punches guys may have to roll with, as other debutants are guys like Hovland (+2800), Scheffler (+5000), Niemann (+6600), Zalatoris (+7000), and Homa (+11000) to name a few.

It's a name that shares that price tag with Morikawa this week where the selections start though.

Golfers to Watch - The Players Championship
Top Picks and Predictions

Contender to Back
The Players Championship

Justin Thomas +2000

No worries about being a past winner here with Thomas yet, but in five starts in the 2021 calendar year it's been all about the putting for JT.

His two missed cuts have come thanks to losing about 2.5 strokes to the field in each of those events, whereas slightly positive putting results in the other three starts have resulted in a 3rd, 13th, and 15th at the WGC a few weeks ago. He's laced it in the Strokes Gained: Approach category in a couple of those outings, and if his putter ever gets relatively warm, Thomas will be in contention regardless of venue.

His history at TPC Sawgrass includes only one missed cut in five starts, with a 3rd and 11th mixed in there as well. His SG: Putting in those five starts were +1.48, +1.22, -0.81, +0.32, -0.04 so there is enough optimism in that past to think JT's putting will hold up just fine this week.

He's seen many top names rivalling him in the world rankings pick up wins in recent weeks, and winning the PLAYERS would be that little extra message to let people know he's still around up there.

Golf Odds Players Championship

Mid-Range Value
The Players Championship

Tommy Fleetwood +4500

If all the water and sand wasn't enough of a distraction to deal with at Sawgrass, if the wind is up at any point during the week, this course can get downright nasty. Hard not to think that doesn't have at least a little something to do with the fact that so many internationals have won this tournament, as four of the last six champions have been non-US born players.

Fleetwood's a guy that's never minded a windy day, and it was nice to see him sneak in a T10 last week for his third Top 20 in his last five starts. He's had finishes of 7th and 5th at The PLAYERS the past two years, so navigating his way around this diabolical track is something he's also familiar with.

He's another guy who's always going to rely on the strength of his approach game and let everything else hopefully fall into place from there, but he's gained strokes on the field in approach for six straight starts. Avoid those tough scrambles and get average to above average putting like Justin Thomas is looking for, and Fleetwood's name should be in the mix as well.

Long Shot Pick
The Players Championship

Louis Oosthuizen +6600

Oosthuizen's course history here is littered with missed cuts ( four in nine years), but he's also got a runner-up finish to go along with a 19th and 28th and his top three placements in that span as well. He's a name I believe you've always got to think of when referring to a guy who's likely to stay calm in the chaos the final stretch of holes can bring. He's also a guy who can play station to station golf when length isn't a huge advantage, and that smooth putting stroke of his could prove exponentially better on these fast, tricky greens this week.

Recent form of three Top 30's in his last three starts has one of those Top 30-type PLAYERS performances from his past more of the hope than one of those past missed cuts at TPC Sawgrass. If Louie can be the opposite of the other two here and dial in his approach game early on and let his strengths around the green go from there, a 66-1 ticket with him in contention on Sunday is a nice place to be.

72 Hole Matchup to Take
The Players Championship

Jordan Spieth (+160) over Collin Morikawa (-215)

Tough for any argument based on recent form to stand on two legs for long behind this play backing Spieth, but Spieth has put together a nice stretch of consistent golf this past month or so, and against a first-timer at TPC Sawgrass, I can't pass up this price.

First timers may not win at TPC Sawgrass and obviously that likely won't matter in a head-to-head matchup, but three Top-4's in four weeks rivals Morikawa's win and 43rd in the same span. Spieth's history with TPC Sawgrass has not been a pretty one with four missed cuts in six starts, so you can question how valuable that experience really is worth here, but it's also a spot where Morikawa is coming off a win in his last outing, something that can make a lot of sense in golf betting, even with two weeks off.

Throw that big price on top of Spieth with all that lined up here, and it's an easy play to make as he may not be getting as much credit as he deserves for his recent play as odd as that sounds. Three 4th place finishes or better in four starts is phenomenal, but how they played out for Spieth there probably should have been at least one win in there too. That's a hard image for most to shake when thinking about Spieth and it plays into this price as well.

I'll always believe that debutants at TPC Sawgrass are alright options to fade, as there is just so much to deal with and think about on every shot here, that one bad swing that lands in the water is more likely to derail rounds for guys that haven't experienced that here before.

There is a lot to like with Spieth's game currently, and with Morikawa finding himself in two “fade” spots as a TPC Sawgrass debutant and off a victory, this underdog price was not something I was going to pass up.

Hole 17 Balls In the Water in Tournament
The Players Championship

Over 43.5 (-125)

Weather reports don't have the wind being too much of a hassle in all likelihood this week, but #17 saw 45 balls in the water in 2019, and 54 and 69 in the 2018 and 2017 respectively.

The 2016 event had just 36 balls get wet on #17, but there were 45 again in 2015, making it four of the past five years this tournament has been held; this total has been eclipsed.

With the disjointedness to practice/travel time for guys simply by trying to play golf in a pandemic, there are probably plenty of guys unsure with where their iron game currently sits on the trust scale, and that tee box on #17 can be very daunting in that case.

Furthermore, we can't rule out guys going for broke late on Sunday if the chance for a comeback win in there, and who knows what kind of pressure cooker #17 on Sunday brings for the first big PGA event that's had a significant amount of fans in attendance again. Grips on those wedges might get a little tight.

How to Bet on Golf

Golf betting has gained much more exposure and interest in the past few years, and with plenty of plus-money prices littered throughout the various forms of golf wagers, the chance for bigger scores is part of the reason behind that increased popularity.

Sportsbooks ensure that there are no shortage of wagering options on golf tournaments every week, and it isn't all about picking the winner. Grabbing the outright winner of a golf tournament is the best way to get that 'big score' but it's also the hardest wager to cash. After all, a typical professional golf tournament has a field of 140+ different players to consider.

Understanding Golf Odds and Bets

Most golf odds are listed in the fractional format – 10/1 on Dustin Johnson for example – and in that particular case you would multiply the amount bet by that first number to project your winnings. So a $100 bet on DJ to win that particular event would win you $1000.

If you are more comfortable with the American version of odds listings that you typically see across the other major North American sports – ie +1000 – these numbers are easily convertible. Online and app based books may already have that option built in, but the easiest way to do it yourself is to add two zeros to the first number in the fraction. So a 10/1 price on DJ converts to +1000 in that format.

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Sep 9, 2016; Carmel, IN, USA; Dustin Johnson hits a tee shot during the second round Friday at the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick GC. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

Since its inception in 1974, the Players Championship has been a highlight on the PGA Tour thanks to its talent-laden field and unmatched prize pool. Over 150 of the sport's very best will descend upon TPC Sawgrass in Florida for the record $15 million purse with over $2 million going to the winner. With last year's event being cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, 2019 winner Rory McIlroy will look for back-to-back wins when the 2021 Players Championship tees off on Thursday, March 11.

While there has been six multi-time winners at the tournament, no one has ever repeated but McIlroy is a strong favorite to make history this week. McIlroy is going off at 14-1 to repeat according to the latest 2021 Players Championship odds from William Hill Sportsbook. However, McIlroy will have some stiff competition with the likes of World No. 1 Dustin Johnson (11-1) and Bryson DeChambeau (14-1), the winner of last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational, among a plethora of proven champions in the 2021 Players Championship field. Before locking in your 2021 Players Championship picks or entering any PGA DFS tournaments on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel, be sure to see the latest golf predictions and projected leaderboard from the advanced computer model at SportsLine.

SportsLine's prediction model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, has been on fire since the return of the PGA Tour last June. In fact, it's up over $11,000 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.

Last month at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, McClure nailed Daniel Berger's win at +1400 in his best bets. McClure was also all over Viktor Hovland's (+2500) victory in his best bets at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in December. That was one of many huge calls he's made in the past few months.

After nailing Sergio Garcia (+5500) finishing on top of the leaderboard at the Sanderson Farms Championship, McClure finished up over $6,200 yet again on his best bets in that tournament. The model had him in the top five from the start and McClure's best bets included Garcia winning outright.

He also finished profitable at the U.S. Open, nailing two of his best bets, including a +1100 top-five bet on Matthew Wolff. In all, the advanced computer model has also nailed a whopping six majors entering the weekend. Anyone who has followed its golf picks has seen massive returns.

Now that the 2021 Players Championship field is locked, SportsLine simulated the event 10,000 times, and the results were surprising. Head to SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard.

The model's top 2021 Players Championship predictions

Players Championship Odds 2018 Golf

One huge shocker the model is calling for at the Players Championship 2021: Bryson DeChambeau, one of the top Vegas favorites, stumbles and doesn't even crack the top 10. DeChambeau has certainly had some banner moments during the 2020-21 PGA Tour season, winning the U.S. Open to begin the season and then taking first in the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week.

But between those wins have been a few frustrating performances. He missed the cut at the Genesis Invitational in February and finished outside the top 20 at the WGC-Workday Championship and the 2020 Masters. He's been explosive off the tee, but has struggled on the greens at times, entering this tournament ranked 65th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: putting. The model indicates there are far better values this week at the Players Championship 2021.

Another surprise: Webb Simpson, a 22-1 long shot, makes a strong run at the title. He has a much better chance to win it all than his odds imply, so he's a target for anyone looking for a huge payday.

Simpson hopes to claim his second Players Championship victory after hoisting the trophy in 2018. The 10th-ranked player in the world, Simpson has shown great form as of late as 19 of his last 20 rounds have been par or better. He has four top-10 finishes in his last nine events and his 71.63 driving accuracy percentage (fourth-best on PGA Tour) should come in handy on a course with narrow fairways surrounded by hazards.

Simpson was poised to be in contention at last year's event as his first-round score had him tied for seventh before the rest of the tournament was cancelled. With one win and three other top-16 finishes at TPC Sawgrass, he has what it takes to excel on this challenging course. Those impressive stats, plus his long odds, make Simpson a strong value pick in 2021 Players Championship bets this week.

How to make 2021 Players Championship picks

Also, the model is targeting four other golfers with odds of 22-1 or higher to make a strong run at the title, including a monster long shot. Anyone who backs these underdogs could hit it big. You can only see them here.

So who wins the Players Championship 2021? And which long shots stun the golfing world? Check out the odds below and then visit SportsLine to see the projected 2021 Players Championship leaderboard, all from the model that's nailed six golf majors and is up over $11,000 since the restart, and find out.

2021 Players Championship odds (via William Hill)

Dustin Johnson 11-1

Rory McIlroy 14-1

Bryson DeChambeau 14-1

Jon Rahm 16-1

Xander Schauffele 20-1

Justin Thomas 20-1

Webb Simpson 22-1

Collin Morikawa 22-1

Patrick Cantlay 22-1

Video: Betting: Is the smart money on Rory McIlroy to impress at The Players? (Yahoo! Sports)

Tony Finau 25-1

Jordan Spieth 25-1

Viktor Hovland 25-1

Tyrrell Hatton 33-1

Tommy Fleetwood 35-1

Scottie Scheffler 35-1

Hideki Matsuyama 35-1

Patrick Reed 35-1

Daniel Berger 35-1

Matthew Fitzpatrick 40-1

Sungjae Im 45-1

Golf Players Championship 2020 Odds

Paul Casey 45-1

Jason Day 45-1

Joaquin Niemann 50-1

Cameron Smith 50-1

Louis Oosthuizen 55-1

Adam Scott 55-1

Will Zalatoris 60-1

Christiaan Bezuidenhout 66-1

Jason Kokrak 66-1

Lee Westwood 70-1

Sergio Garcia 70-1

Harris English 70-1

Max Homa 70-1

Billy Horschel 70-1

Abraham Ancer 70-1

Justin Rose 80-1

Corey Conners 80-1

Kevin Na 90-1

Francesco Molinari 90-1

Marc Leishman 100-1

Russell Henley 100-1

Lanto Griffin 100-1

Sam Burns 100-1

Si-Woo Kim 100-1

Carlos Ortiz 100-1

Kevin Kisner 100-1