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The PGA Tour returns to Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club and Lodge for the Arnold Palmer Invitational! This will continue our PGA Tour odds series as we hand out an Arnold Palmer Invitational prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the event.
This is another signature event, meaning the best of the best on tour will be competing for the trophy. As a reminder, in a signature event, there is a 36-hole cut, but just to the top 50 players, and anybody within 10 strokes of the lead. The Winner of this event will take home $4,000,000 of the $20,000,000 purse.
This is an event in which players have to be at their best on every part of their game. Kurt Kitayama won the event last year, but he shot just nine-under par. He finished the weekend rounds at even par, so nobody was able to catch him at nine-under after Friday. That is very telling for the difficulty of this course, and how much golfers may struggle. Kitayama's nine-under was the lowest score since 2020/21.
Here are the Arnold Palmer Invitational odds, courtesy of FanDuel
Arnold Palmer Invitational Odds
How to Watch Arnold Palmer Invitational
TV: NBC, Golf Channel
Stream: ESPN+
Time: Thursday-Friday 7:30 AM ET/4:30 AM PT (Stream) 2 PM ET/11 AM PT (Golf Channel)
Time: Saturday-Sunday 8 AM ET/5 AM PT (Stream) 12:30 PM ET/9:30 AM PT (Golf Channel), 2:30 PM ET/11:30 AM PT (NBC)
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Favorite Picks for Arnold Palmer Invitational
Scottie Scheffler: Scheffler is the best golfer in the world, and he is showing it this season. He has yet to win an event, so he is due to hoist the trophy on Sunday. In five events this season, Scheffler has four top-10 finished, three top-6 finishes, and he has not finished lower than 17th. He leads the tour in birdie average this season, and he will need them this weekend. There is a reason Scheffler is the clear favorite, and it is very easy to bet on him.
Viktor Hovland: Hovland has only played three events this season, and he has not teed it up since the Genesis Invitational. He has some ground to make up in the FedEx Cup, but there is still plenty of time. Hovland has not played his best this season, but he is still a very good golfer. However, he has played excellent on the greens, and if he can knock down a few putts, he be at the top of the leaderboard.
Ludvig Aberg: Aberg is quickly becoming a household name. The 24-year-old has made all five of his cuts this season, but he has also not teed it up in a few weeks. However, his last three events were all top-20 finishes, including a runner-up finish at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Aberg will hit his irons well, and he has the capability of one-putting while on the greens. He is excellent on the weekends, so if he is at the top of the leaderboard come Saturday, he can win this whole thing.
Sleeper Picks for Arnold Palmer Invitational
Sam Burns: Burns has made all five of his cuts this season, and he has finished in the top-10 four times. He is so close to breaking through and finally winning this season, he just has to stick with it. Burns is 10th in total strokes gained this season, and he is one of the best when it comes to approach shots. Burns really strikes his irons, and that is important for this event. He needs to stay out of trouble and shoot some flagsticks to win this event. He has a chance as long as he continue to golf as he has been.
Jason Day: Jason Day is someone that you would not expect to win this event. He missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open, but he followed that up with two great performances and finished in the top-10 at both Pebble Beach, and the Genesis Invitational. He has turned the corner after missing that cut, so it would not be surprising to see him shock some people in Orlando.
Matthieu Pavon: What some people may not realize is Pavon is actually the FedEx Cup leader at the moment. He got his first career win this season, and it does not seem like a fluke. Pavon finished seventh at the Sony Open and third at Pebble Beach. This past weekend, Pavon finished tied for 28th at the Cognizant Classic. He is the tour leader in total strokes gained, and he has one of the best putters in the PGA. Pavon will not have to shoot five-under each round to win this event. If he can shoot a consistent three or four-under par in the four rounds, he will win the event. At +10000, Pavon is a great longshot bet.
Final Prediction and Pick for Arnold Palmer Invitational
This is going to be a very fun event to watch and follow. However, I am going to keep this simple. It is a tough course, and the best golfers prevail. In this event, that is Scheffler. Scottie Scheffler is due to win, and I will take him to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Final Prediction and Pick for Arnold Palmer Invitational: Scottie Scheffler (+650)
