THE PLAYERS Odds, Picks & Best Bets for Round 4 on Sunday
By Chris Amberley in Golf
Published:
- JJ Spaun is a +210 favorite to win THE PLAYERS entering Sunday’s final round
- Spaun carded a 2-under 70 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over Bud Cauley
- See THE PLAYERS live odds, and best picks for Round 4, below
TPC Sawgrass is a volatile course in calm conditions. Throw in 25+ mph winds and rain on Sunday and we are in for some carnage at THE PLAYERS. That means no lead is safe, especially that of JJ Spaun’s heading into the final round. Spaun leads by one stroke over Bud Cauley, while 2019-champ Rory McIlroy is just four strokes back.
THE PLAYERS Live Odds
Spaun is a +210 favorite to win THE PLAYERS as of Saturday night. Cauley checks in next at +500, with McIlroy being the third choice at +650.
No Lead Is Safe on Sunday at THE PLAYERS
The conditions were downright nasty on Saturday, and Sunday is expected to be even worse. How bad was it? Will Zalatoris was tied for the lead on the 14th tee, then played the final five holes in 9-over par. Collin Morikawa carded eight bogeys, while five players didn’t break 80.
Spaun’s third round 70 was the best score out of the final 10 pairings. He made a miraculous par save on 18, but still finished with two bogeys in his final four holes.
The weather is slated to be so bad in the final round, that the PGA Tour moved up tee times and will go out in threesomes to avoid later storms. The top of the board is littered with names looking for their first big win, and I have no confidence that any one of them is going to be able to hang on. Nerves and nasty weather is not a recipe for success.
Which means longshots are definitely in play heading into Sunday. Of course, McIlroy is the name near the top to fear, and would be my preferred choice if I was betting a player with shorter odds. +650 isn’t a terrible price given his pedigree and course history, and his third round issues were mostly due to around the green play. McIlroy struck the ball consistently all day, and if he gets hot with the putter look out.
THE PLAYERS Round 4 Picks & Best Bets
- Akshay Bhatia +1800: My favorite Round 4 pick is Akshay Bhatia. The largest final round deficit ever erased at THE PLAYERS is five strokes, and Bhatia is one shot inside that at -8. Bhatia has a complete game, and has arguably underachieved so far in his young career. This is guy with only two wins on Tour, despite boasting top-five player in the world potential. A win at TPC Sawgrass would completely change the narrative. He’s been striping the ball all week, ranking top-20 on approach, around the green, putting and tee-to-green .
- Sepp Straka +2200: My next favorite Round 4 pick is Sepp Straka. The Austrian has been a ball striking savant this year, gaining over four strokes on approach in five of his last six tournaments. For the week, he’s sixth in strokes gained tee-to-green, and 21st in ball striking. He’s also an incredible wind player. Straka gains 0.4 strokes per round on average versus the field in the windiest conditions.
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Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
