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2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational Odds & Picks; Rory McIlroy Is Runaway +450 Betting Favorite

Michael Harrison

by Michael Harrison in Golf

Updated Apr 14, 2020 · 8:11 AM PDT

Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy is a heavy +450 favorite to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week at Bay Hill. Photo from Tour Club Pros (Flickr)
  • The Arnold Palmer Invitational tees off Thursday, March 5th from Bay Hill in Orlando, Florida 
  • Strong field featuring five of the top ten players in the world competing
  • We’ve narrowed down the golfers with the best chance of emerging victorious and provided the best value bets below

The second leg of the four tournament swing through Florida sees the world’s best competing at the famed Arnold Palmer Invitational from Bay Hill Club and Lodge with a typically strong field.

One glaring omission from the list of golfers is that of eight-time champion Tiger Woods, who won’t be teeing it up at this tournament for the second consecutive year, citing back stiffness and not wanting to overdo it by playing too much golf.

Rory McIlroy, the 2018 champion, enters as the overwhelming favorite to pick up his second win at this stop in the last three years.

2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational Odds

Golfer Opening Odds Odds on March 4th
Rory McIlroy +450 +500
Tommy Fleetwood +1400 +1400
Bryson DeChambeau +1600 +1600
Hideki Matsuyama +1800 +1800
Xander Schauffele +2000 +2000
Adam Scott +2200 +2200
Patrick Reed +2500 +2500
Sungjae Im +2500 +2500
Brooks Koepka +2500 +2800
Jason Day +2800 +3300

Odds taken March 4th

Tommy Fleetwood Due For Breakthrough Victory

Tommy Fleetwood came oh-so-close to garnering his first career PGA Tour victory at last weekend’s Honda Classic, before a costly shot on the 72nd hole found the water, sinking his chances.

He’s playing some of the best golf of his career with four top-three finishes in his last six events (the other two were T-11th and T-18th), with one of them being a win at the European Tour’s Nedbank Challenge and he hasn’t missed the cut anywhere in the world in two years (longest active streak on the PGA Tour at 33 straight).

Fleetwood has had some strong play on this track in the last three years, where he tied for third in 2019 after co-leading through two rounds, and has posted respectable T-10th and T-26th results the two previous years. Priced at +1800 odds, you’re still getting decent odds on him because of Rory McIlroy so heavily favored to win.

Still without a victory in the United States, he’s destined to get one sooner rather than later, much like Sungjae Im did at the Honda Classic.

Last Five Arnold Palmer Invitational Winners

Year Winner
2019 Francesco Molinari
2018 Rory McIlroy
2017 Marc Leishman
2016 Jason Day
2015 Matt Every

2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational Best Value Picks

  1. Jason Day (+2800): Won this tournament back in 2016, and two starts ago posted a fourth place showing at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. First in strokes gained: around the greens this season.
  2. Henrik Stenson (+4000): Due for a victory on this track, where he’s done everything but win here in the past. In last seven attempts, has a runner-up, T-3rd, fourth, T-5th and a T-8th. Won the Hero World Challenge back in December.
  3. Max Homa (+8000): Deep dive with possible great upside. Has posted a quartet of strong finishes, with T-5th, T-6th, T-9th and T-14th results. If you’re not bullish on his chances to win, the 2019 Wells Fargo Champion would be a solid top-5 or top-10 bet that you could wager on.
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