Players Championship Favorites: No Surprises on this List

Odds: +1250 (Via BetDSI Sportsbook)
Best Finish: T12 (2017)
2017 Finish: T12
2018 Wins/Top Finishes: T2 WGC-HSBC, Win Tournament of Champions, T2 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

DJ has not fared particularly well at The Players Championship over his career. He’s never finished inside the top 10, and, other than in 2017 when he finished T12, he’s placed outside of the top 20 in every appearance. He’s played well this season and enters this week off a break after finishing T16 at the RBC Heritage and T10 at the Masters.

Odds: +1300
Best Finish: T6 (2015)
2017 Finish: T35
2018 Wins/Top Finishes: Win at Arnold Palmer Invitational, T5 Masters

Rory’s bid to complete the career grand slam came up short at the Masters, but he’s returned to form. He finally claimed a win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and has followed that up with solid performances at Augusta and a T16 finish last week at the Wells Fargo Championship. However, if he is struggling with his putter, his chances aren’t great at Sawgrass.

Odds: +1400
Best Finish: T3 (2016)
2017 Finish: T75
2018 Wins/Top Finishes: Win Honda Classic, 2nd WGC-Mexico Championship

JT has also had a great season. He won the Honda Classic and followed that up with a second-place finish at the WGC-Mexico Championship and fourth place finish at the WGC-Match Play. He finished T17 at the Masters and is coming off a T21 finish at the Wells Fargo Championship. His best finish at Sawgrass came a couple of years ago when he finished tied for third behind winner Jason Day and Kevin Chappell.

Odds: +1400
Best Finish: T4 (2014)
2017 Finish: MC
2018 Wins/Top Finishes: T3 Houston Open, 3rd Masters

While Spieth played in the Zurich Classic, it wasn’t memorable and his team missed the cut, but at the Masters…oh man. Spieth showed that he can pull it together on that course for a ridiculous final round and nearly pulled off an improbable win. He wound up finishing third behind Patrick Reed and Rickie Fowler, but the Spieth we saw on Sunday at the Masters is a very dangerous guy who can put on a show down the stretch. Prior to that Masters performance, Spieth finished third at the Houston Open where he appeared to get his putting back to normal after struggling with it the majority of the season. If he carries that momentum into this week, he can perform, but he has missed the cut in his last three appearances at Sawgrass.

Odds: +1500
Best Finish: 1 (2016)
2017 Finish: T60
2018 Wins/Top Finishes: Win Farmers Insurance Open, T2 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Win Wells Fargo Championship

Day is fresh off his second win of the 2018 season. He appears to be feeling great physically and those two things make him a formidable player on a course he’s gone wire-to-wire on. Day won the 2016 Players Championship in the middle of an absolute crazy good stretch of golf. He’s moved up from 14th to seventh in the world rankings after winning the Wells Fargo Championship. His biggest advantage right now is that he’s got his putter working. Day ranks first in strokes gained putting at 1.594 and at Sawgrass that could really benefit him

Odds: +2000
Best Finish: 1 (2015)
2017 Finish: T60
2018 Wins/Top Finishes: Win Hero World Challenge*, T4 Tournament of Champions, 2nd Masters

Never underestimate Rickie. Fowler finished second at the Masters and won the Players in 2015. Although he finished T60 at Sawgrass last year, he has a T2 and a win. Having said that, Fowler currently ranks 121st in strokes gained putting, which won’t benefit him this week.