The Players Championship: Free Tips, Prediction and Odds

The PGA Tour's flagship event starts on Thursday - the Players Championship from the iconic TPC Sawgrass in Florida - and Racing Post golf guru Steve Palmer is on hand to deliver his tournament verdict.

Scottie Scheffler, who has won the last two editions of the Players Championship, heads the outright market. The world number one can be backed at 5/1 for another Sawgrass success. He finished 11th in the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week.

Rory McIlroy is available at 14/1 as he bids to put a disappointing Arnold Palmer Invitational behind him. The Northern Irishman put some new clubs in his bag at Bay Hill, but they did not work as he had hoped, so he has gone back to his old clubs for Sawgrass.

Bay Hill runner-up, Collin Morikawa, is 12/1 to go one better this week by winning the Players Championship.

Steve Palmer's Players Championship free betting tips and predictions

Scottie Scheffler to win and each-way - 5/1

A Christmas Day hand injury meant surgery for Scheffler and a delayed start to his 2025 campaign, but his swing appears to be back in mint condition going into the Players Championship. His driving was exceptionally good at Bay Hill last week in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Scheffler struggled for results with putter in hand at Bay Hill, but his tee-to-green golf was magnificent, and this week's main challenge is getting your ball safely to the dancefloors. He won the Players Championship by five shots in 2023, despite finishing the event 48th in the putting statistics, underlining how well he manages his ball around this layout.

Even though Scheffler was labouring badly with a neck injury through rounds two and three of last year's Players Championship, he still retained his title, closing with a sensational 64. There is every reason to believe the Texas-based star can complete a Players hat-trick on Sunday.

Ludvig Aberg to win and each-way - 16/1

From November onwards, Ludvig Aberg has been settled into a new house in Ponte Vedra Beach, regularly playing practice rounds at Sawgrass. The Swede has got to experience this week's venue in all different winds over the last few months, gaining some invaluable local knowledge.

Eighth place in last year's Players was an excellent debut effort and Aberg says he rates Sawgrass as one of the top five courses in the world. His affection for this layout could be even more intense come Sunday, with Players Championship glory well within his compass.

Aberg closed with a pair of 67s at Sawgrass last year and he can be expected to get among the birdies again this week given the quality he has already shown this term. He won the Genesis Invitational, a Signature Event, a month ago.

Sepp Straka to win and each-way - 35/1

FedEx Cup leader Sepp Straka has started the year impressively, winning The American Express amid a series of superb performances, and the in-form Austrian could be set for another huge week in the Players Championship.

Straka outscored everybody in the Arnold Palmer Invitational field over the final three rounds and looks ready to make an impact at a Sawgrass course where he has previously excelled from tee to green. He finished ninth in the 2022 Players despite being on the wrong side of an enormous draw bias.

Straka's maiden PGA Tour title came in Florida in the Honda Classic and he could have more fun in the Sunshine State this week.

Read more golf betting tips and predictions on site.

Players Championship odds

Scottie Scheffler	5/1
Collin Morikawa	12/1
Rory McIlroy	14/1
Ludvig Aberg	16/1
Xander Schauffele	25/1
Justin Thomas	25/1
Hideki Matsuyama	25/1
Tommy Fleetwood	25/1

View the full market and more odds for the Players Championship on site.

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.