Eric Uribe
The Players Championship might not be a major, but it’s the next closest thing. The Florida tournament goes down March 9 through 12 at the usual TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course — and it’s an absolutely loaded playing field. So loaded that making betting picks to win isn’t quite easy. But hey, that’s what this is for. We’ve got an in-depth betting guide to the 2023 Players Championship that includes free picks to make.
But before we get to any predictions, we need to touch on the current Players’ Championship odds. They’re available across the top-used golf betting sites. Hours away from opening tee time, the following players are currently pegged as the top favorites to win outright:
| Golfer |  |  |  |
| Rory McIlroy | +900 | +900 | +900 |
| Scottie Scheffler | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Jon Rahm | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Patrick Cantlay | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Justin Thomas | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
| Collin Morikawa | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 |
| Max Homa | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 |
| Xander Schauffele | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
Who Is Playing At 2023 Players Championship?
It’s officially a 144-player field playing at the Players Championship, and just about every top-ranked player is in it (as you could tell by the betting odds listed). Twenty-eight of the top 30 golfers in the world are teeing it up at TPC Sawgrass. The players are competing for what might be the biggest purse all season long — $25 million. The outright winner is guaranteed a $4.5 million payout.
The TPC Sawgrass has existed since 1980 and in the forty-plus years since opening, it’s tortured the best players in the game. The 7,275-yards, par-72 layout (that was designed by the legendary Pete Dye) is considered one of the trickiest on the PGA Tour. That’s because it really doesn’t favor any type of player. Whether a golfer excels at hitting greens or long, none of it really matters
Cameron Smith won this event a year ago. However, he’s not in contention for a repeat title. The number five-ranked player is one of the numerous LIV “defectors” and was barred from participating by the PGA Tour. Other past winners that are in the field and expected to contend include McIlroy, Thomas, and Rickie Fowler. No one has become a two-time Players Champion winner since Tiger Woods, who by the way, is not in Florida for this one.
Best Bets To Win 2023 Players Championship
Look, we don’t need to be reminding you that you need to make multiple player bets on the 2023 Players Championship winner. With how many world-class golfers are competing this weekend, you can’t risk it all on one player. No, no, instead spread your wagers on the following players:
Scottie Scheffler
Most of the betting attention is going on McIlroy, Rahm, or Scheffler. Among the three, we favor Scheffler ever so slightly. He’s been the model of consistency this season, but has somehow flown under the radar. In four starts in 2023, Scheffler has finished 7th, 11th, first, and 12th. We know this isn’t a major, but for what it’s worth, Scheffler also owns nine top-21 finishes in his last 10 major championship starts. The point we’re trying to get at is this man is clutch and is a worthy bet!
Max Homa
Remember earlier when we said the course favors no one? Welp, it doesn’t. But when you can play with every club in the bag, that becomes the de-facto advantage of this course. Homa checks that box, and more. The seventh-ranked player is also first in strokes gained in this field. Homa also tied for 13th here last year — levels better than Rahm (T-55), Scottie Scheffler (also T-55), and Rory McIlroy (33). We could see Homa elevate himself into a winner come Sunday.
Shane Lowry
For our last betting choice, we wanted to pick a mid-value player. After scouring the list, there’s a lot to like about Lowry. Mainly, he’s performed relatively well at Sawgrass each of the past two years — T13 (2022) and eighth (2021). That’s a level of consistency most others players have lacked so what the heck, throw some money on Lowry as a dark horse candidate.
How To Watch 2023 Players Championship?
You really want to miss watching the 2023 Players Championship? Especially when so many golf greats are going to be out there? Especially if you have money on the tourney (which you should given our free picks)? We doubt it, which is why we’ve listed the TV schedule below in full:
- Thursday, March 9 — 12 pm – 6 pm (Golf Channel)
- Friday, March 10 — 12 pm – 6 pm (Golf Channel)
- Saturday, March 11 — 1 pm – 6 pm (NBC)
- Sunday, March 12 — 1 pm – 6 pm (NBC)
As you can see, the TV coverage is split between NBC and The Golf Channel. But don’t think you’re limited to that only. You can also stream the Players Championship on the ESPN+ and NBC Peacock apps. Both streamers will have live telecasts of all four days of action.
How To Bet On 2023 Players Championship?
Alright, here’s the last thing before we let you go: there’s no better place to bet on the 2023 Players Championship than one of the online bookmakers listed below. Not only do these sites carry outright odds that we already covered, but they also have a bevy of props — such as who finishes top-10, misses the cut, or even if there’s a hole in one. Those are just a few prop bet examples, but you can see the full list by clicking on one of the trusted online sportsbooks.
In case you need help picking the best sportsbook among the five listed, we’d urge you to reference the table. Specifically, check out the latest site reviews and what bonuses they’re currently offering to new sign-ups.
