2017 John Deere Classic PGA Odds & Betting Picks

The 27th edition of the John Deere Classic opens on Thursday, set to take place on the TPC Deere Run, which challenges golfers with its length, running more than 7,200 yards. Since we’re between that fascinating finish at the Greenbrier Classic a week ago and The Open Championship next week, let’s take a look at some favorites and some dark horses for this week. Don’t lock in any of your golf betting on the John Deere Classic until you’ve looked at our research.   2017 John Deere Classic Betting Odds and Picks The John Deere Classic takes place at TPC Deere Run for the 18th time — it has been here every year since the course opened in 2000. There are some considerable changes in the elevation that dare the golfers to take some risks. For example, that 14th hole is 361 yards downhill — and you can drive the green, but you don’t have to miss the mark much to end up in some big trouble. For those who cash in, though, low scores are the reward. Eight of the last nine winners have posted scores at -20 or below.

Odds for the top 20 projected finishers in the field

• Daniel Berger 16/1
• Danny Lee 22/1
• Brian Harman 23/1
• Charley Hoffman, Kyle Stanley 24/1
• Kevin Kisner, Steve Stricker 25/1
• Zach Johnson, Zack Sucher 30/1
• Ryan Moore 35/1
• Jamie Lovemark, Kevin Na, Charlie Beljan, Charles Howell III, Kevin Streelman 40/1
• Daniel Summerhays, Bubba Watson, Bud Cauley 50/1
• Nick Taylor, Ben Martin, Robert Streb 60/1

Here are some golfers for you to consider as you pick your winner. Let’s start with Ben Martin, who came in fifth at the Quicken Loans National and hasn’t missed a single cut since the RBC Heritage. Martin isn’t stacking up a lot of solid finishes, but he has upped his game — he had gone through a long stretch of failing to make cuts, and now he is consistently making them. In 2016, he settled for second place at the John Deere Classic — and this long shot could bring in a lot of money for you.

Another relative long shot with some potential value is Steve Stricker. Two golfers have taken home three John Deere Classic trophies, and he is one of them — he pulled a three-peat from 2009 to 2011 and set the tournament record at -26 (which still stands) in 2010. He came in fifth in 2012 and finished in the top 11 in 2013 and 2014. So for whatever reason, he and the course seem to get along well — which could bode well for you if you put some money down on him. Zach Johnson has been scuffling along; he missed the cut at the Travelers Championship. In his last 16 events, though, he has only missed five cuts, and he sits at #13 in the PGA in driving accuracy percentage. He took home the trophy at the John Deere Classic in 2012 and came in second in 2009, 2013 and 2014. This could be the weekend when he figures things out and walks away with some hardware. Charles Howell III sits outside the top 20 on the odds form, but he did come in fifth in 2011 and cracked the top 25 back in 2014. He has finished in the top 10 twice in his last five tournaments, and he ranks #14 in the PGA in scoring average and #12 in greens in regulation percentage. Given the lack of big names in this field, this is a weekend when he could make a real run. Another golfer to consider from outside the top 20 is Chad Campbell. He finished ninth at Greenbrier a week ago and has cracked the top 13 in three of his last five tournaments. He is ranked #26 in the PGA in driving accuracy percentage and #28 in greens in regulation percentage. At TPC Deere Run, he has finished no worse than 28th in his last three outings, including 13th in 2014.