The Players Championship Golf Betting Tips

The PGA’s unofficial fifth major, the Players Championship, has a stacked field of talent for 2025, so here is our The Players Championship Golf Betting Tips. 48 of the world’s top 50 PGA players will compete at TPC Sawgrass. Among them, the likes of world number one Scottie Scheffler and number two Rory McIlroy are eyeing further career success at the Players. Who will come out on top ahead of the major season? The 2025 Players Championship begins on March 13 and finishes on March 16. It will be shown live on Sky Sports.

Form

Reigning champion Scheffler is aiming to make Players history this weekend. The American world number one has won the last the Players Championships, and a third successive triumph will equal Jack Nicklaus’ long-standing record as the only player to win this event in three successive seasons. Last season’s win at Sawgrass was just one of seven titles for Scheffler. Some of his other elite accolades included the Masters, Olympic gold in Paris and a Tour Championship win in September. McIlory is also a former Players winner, and he lifted the title in 2019. The North Irishman has also won a title this season, as he was victorious at Pebble Beach in February. Looking to take on Scheffler and McIlroy is Xander Schauffele, who returned from injury to compete at Bay Hill last week. Schauffele came close last season and lost to Scheffler by one shot, and the American has finished second twice at the Players Championship. The ever-improving Ludvig Åberg and consistent Collin Morikawa could also be outsiders worth keeping an eye on at Sawgrass. 

Outright Winner Bet

The pre-tournament odds show how close this contest is likely to be by Sunday afternoon at the Players. However, the bookies appear to have it down as a potential three-player challenge between Scheffler, McIlroy and Morikawa. Firstly, Morikawa has been near the top of several leaderboards early in 2025. He finished as runner-up to Hideki Matsuyama at the Sentry in January and was one shot behind eventual Bay Hill winner Russell Henley last week. While Morikawa can compete at the top of PGA leaderboards, he hasn’t won an event since the Zozo Championship in 2023. As a result, BetVictor have 14/1 odds for the American to win his first-ever Players. With a tournament win already under his belt this season, McIlroy will feel confident heading to the Masters. McIlroy won at Pebble Beach with a -21 score and was two ahead of Shane Lowry. Although he couldn’t replicate success in the following competitions, at the Genesis Open and Bay Hill, McIlroy still has the form and quality to challenge at the Players. However, the Northern Irishman will have to improve on his 19th placed finish at Sawgrass from last year. Currently, McIlroy is the stand-alone second favourite to win the Players this year, and Matchbook have 81/5 odds. It’s hard to see Scheffler dropping his standard when a historic third successive Players title is on the line. The world number one can close out big tournaments, evident by wins at the Masters, Olympics, and the Tour Championships in 2024. While Scheffler hasn’t posted any PGA tournament wins this season, he cannot be overlooked for his big-stage performances. Scheffler is our pick to win his third straight Players Championship this weekend, and SpreadEx have 11/2 odds here. 

Top 5 Finish Betting

Consistency is key when looking at potential top-five finishers in golf, and Matsuyama has this in abundance. The Japanese player holds the single round record of 63 at the Players, which he shot in 2020 during round one before the tournament was abandoned. Matsuyama comes into the 2025 competition after a solid 2024 campaign, where he sealed seven top 10 finishes and finished in the top three in two of his last four competitions in that season. Other than a January win at the Sentry this season, Matsuyama has been relatively patchy but has still managed to notch three top-20 finishes. Overall, Matsuyama is a player who can challenge at the top in the best PGA tournaments. We can see him picking up form here ahead of the majors and 13/2, offered by Betfred, is an excellent price for a Matsuyama top-five finish. 

Top GB and Ireland Player Bets

The odds for McIlroy to perform at these big tournaments are always going to be competitive. However, it’s sometimes worth looking at the wealth of talent among top-performing GB and Irish players for additional value. Shane Lowry is a player worth watching at the Players Championship after a fine start to 2025. The Irishman has finished 11th or better in three of his four PGA competitions this season, and was runner-up to McIlroy at Pebble Beach. The 6/1 odds for Lowry to be the best GB or Irish player look like a good pick at Star Sports. World number 10 Tommy Fleetwood is another consistent player worth backing in the top GB or Irish market. After a rough 22nd-place finish at Pebble Beach, the Olympic silver medallist has recovered in his previous two competitions. Fleetwood shot -8 to finish fifth at the Genesis Invitational and was one of the top-performing Brits at Bay Hill last week, claiming an 11th-place finish. QuinnBet are offering 9/2 odds for Fleetwood to be the best GB or Irish player at Sawgrass — not bad returns for a player of his consistency. 

Our The Players Championship Golf Betting Tips –

Outright winner bet — Scottie Scheffler — 11/2 with SpreadEx

Top 5 finish — Hideki Matsuyama — 13/2 with Betfred

Top GB and Ireland player — Shane Lowry — 6/1

Top GB and Ireland player — Tommy Fleetwood — 9/2 with QuinnBet

The 2025 Players Championship is likely to provide plenty of twists and turns across four days of top-level golf. Can Scheffler defend his title and secure a hat-trick of victories at Sawgrass? Or will the likes of McIlroy and Morikawa shoot their way to victory? We wish you good luck with any bets placed on the Players Championship this weekend. Please remember, as always, our The Players Championship Golf Betting Tips are a guide and not guaranteed winners.

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Last Updated on March 11, 2025