2022 PLAYERS Championship Odds & Outright Picks for Hideki Matsuyama, Brooks Koepka, More

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Scottie Scheffler was the player who survived the week at Bay Hill, sporting the red cardigan awarded to the champion of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. It wasn't pretty for Scheffler, but he has shown time and again to have the skillset to handle difficult conditions.

The TOUR will stay in Florida this week as it heads to its signature event at THE PLAYERS Championship from TPC Sawgrass. It's now the largest purse in the game and will continue to attract the best field of the year.

All of the top players in the world are set to tee it up, with 47 of the Top 50 set to play after Bryson DeChambeau was forced to withdraw due to lingering injuries.

There will also be no Phil Mickelson or Tiger Woods, and Rickie Fowler is now on the outside looking in, but it will still be one of the best weeks of the year, with one of the best atmospheres in the sport.

The books have had numbers out for a while now, which gives us a rare week to make some picks with odds available. Here's who I'm buying heading into the season's "Fifth Major."

Best Bets

Hideki Matsuyama +2500

Quietly one of the best final rounds of the entire day on Sunday at Bay Hill came from Hideki Matsuyama, who fired a 2-under 70. Because he was out fairly early without much of a chance to win, it will likely go overlooked.

Matsuyama has been the best player on TOUR so far this season with two wins since the fall, with the most recent victory coming at the Sony Open. The reigning Masters champion will look to roll his good form into a big week at TPC Sawgrass where he has been boom or bust in his career.

Hideki's last five appearances at THE PLAYERS show that well as he has two missed cuts, but also two top-10 finishes in that span. I don't mind that volatility in an outright market where only a win will pay us off at a solid number like +2800 coming into the week.

Brooks Koepka +4500

This is a name that was pointed out to me over the weekend and after some research, I can tell you I will be in on Brooks Koepka heading to THE PLAYERS. He has been coming into form with his game, as shown by his 5.3 strokes gained across the week at the Honda Classic, including 3.3 shots gained on approach.

Koepka looks like to finally be healthy this year and has been a player that has been in the mix throughout his career at TPC Sawgrass. He hasn't quite been in the hunt for a win, but with his combination of form and great putting history on this course, I will take a leap on the talent of a player like Koepka in a tier below where his skillset belongs.

Alex Noren +10000

I'll go well off the typical board for my final buy into PLAYERS week, as I go back to my Honda Classic pick of Alex Noren.

The Swede finished T5 for me a couple weeks ago, though make no mistake about it, he was never in the hunt to win. He actually played quite well despite a lack of birdies; it was just par after par that kept him in the top 10 from start to finish.

Noren will have to score better to have any hope of a top finish at TPC Sawgrass, but he has the skillset to compete. Noren has a T17 and solo 10th to his resume at this event, and he is now in the form of the player he was back in those appearances.

I really believe in Noren's overall talent and these odds are those of a player well below that level, which has me interested in taking a longshot stand with him this week. He's realistically a better bet for solid odds on a top-10 type of finish, but I'll sprinkle him in for the win just in case too.

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