John Deere Classic: Picks, Predictions and Odds

The PGA Tour heads to TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois this week for the John Deere Classic.

This is one of the most gettable, scorable tracks of the year where two 59s have been carded over the years and birdie feasts are guaranteed.

Last year it was Davis Thompson who got up by four shots after posting a tournament record 28-under-par, a day-two 67 his 'worst' score of the week.

Ben Griffin is the only member of the world's top 20 teeing it up at Deere Run and accordingly heads the betting at +1400, but this is a field full of players who will believe, in a tournament shorn of so many superstars, this could be their week.

It's not the shortest track on the schedule - TPC Deere Run is a par-72 measuring 7,289 yards - but the fairways are generous and the putter is king.

Twelve of the last 15 runnings of the John Deere Classic have seen a winning score of 20-under or better and with the weather set fair (for the first two days at least) and little wind of note, expect another barrage of low scores.

John Deere Classic betting picks and predictions

Christiaan Bezuidenhout to win (+6000)

Aldrich Potgieter became the second South African to triumph on the 2025 PGA Tour when he emerged the strongest in a three-man playoff to take the honors at last week's Rocket Classic.

This week the tour stays in the midwest, heading for Silvis, Illinois where Christiaan Bezuidenhout could be the next South African to make the top step.

The John Deere Classic is a wide open event which most of the game's star names have swerved, and is staged at a track at TPC Deere Run where if the putter isn't hot, you may as well head out of town.

The fairways are easy to find, flags can be hunted down and it is who converts with the flat stick and gets well into the 20-unders who can consider wrestling the trophy out of the hands of Thompson. Though he may have something to say about that.

Bezuidenhout looks like he has the game and the numbers to be a major player and outrun generous odds.

The world No.67 looks to have a good feel for this layout where he was runner-up to JT Poston on debut in 2022. He was third in putting that week and putting metrics look to be the guide to pay attention to this week.

And in that Bezuidenhout stacks up well. He was eighth for strokes gained putting at the US Open and was first in that category on his last outing at the Travelers Championship two weeks ago, where weekend rounds of 69 and 66 meant he rolled out of Connecticut with a definite spring in his step.

He ranks 12th in SG putting this year and that represents a significant positive as he hunts down a first win since the 2020 South African Open.

Sami Valimaki to win (+6600)

Another player with excellent putting stats this year is Sami Valimaki, who also should fancy his chances of a breakthrough PGA Tour success.

Valimaki is ranked eighth in strokes gained putting and he certainly relished his first look at the Silvis layout a year ago, carding 61 on day one on his way to a T12 finish.

This year has been a tale of ups and downs - (with more downs than ups, admittedly) - though the Finn has had two top 10s and a couple more top 20s since the end of March, culminating in a T19 at last week's Rocket Classic where he shot four rounds in the 60s.

Denny McCarthy to win (+2500)

Denny McCarthy has been one of the Tour's top-ranked putters ever since he graduated and 2025 is no different.

The 32-year-old ranks ninth in SG putting and he clearly has a liking for TPC Deere Run judging by form figures of T6-T6-T7 on his last three starts.

McCarthy also played well last time out, registering a tie for 12th at the Travelers.

John Deere Classic outright odds

Ben Griffin	+1600
Jason Day	+2500
Denny McCarthy	+2500
Michael Thorbjornsen	+2800
Kevin Yu	+3000
Chris Kirk	+3300
Si Woo Kim	+3300
J.T. Poston	+3300
Davis Thompson	+3300
Pierceson Coody	+3300

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.