Zurich Classic Picks, Props and Predictions: Betting on Billy Horschel, Tom Hoge, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin

SI Golf staff | Apr 23, 2025

Tom Hoge (left), Billy Horschel (center left), Max Greyserman (center right) and Nico Echavarria (right) are among the players we're targeting for this week's Zurich Classic. / Tom Hoge: Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty ImagesMax Greyserman: Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty ImagesNico Echavarria: Hector Vivas/Getty ImagesBilly Horschel: Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesBackground: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

UPDATE: Billy Horschel is a WD from the Zurich Classic. Tom Hoge is now partnered with Kevin Chappell. All bets on Horschel/Hoge are now voided. Matt Vincenzi is opting not to bet on another team. What follows is our original betting preview on the event.

SI Golf betting insider Matt Vincenzi is running hot! He picked Justin Thomas to win (20-1) the RBC Heritage and Tommy Fleetwood to finish in the Top 10 (+210) last week and nailed Justin Rose first-round lead at the Masters (100-1). 

The SI Golf betting panel has hit the outright in three of the last four weeks. 

Now we turn our attention to the Zurich Classic, where teams compete in two rounds of best ball and two rounds of alternate shot.

Our panel includes SI golf betting insiders Iain MacMillan and Vincenzi, SI senior golf editor John Schwarb, Inside Sports Network Tap in Birdie podcast host Brian Kirschner, FanSided senior editor Cody Williams and Minute Media VP of Betting Content Brian Giuffra. Each week, we make picks for our outright winner, longshot, first-round leader, favorite prop bet and winning score prediction. 

Kirschner is +119.65 units overall thanks to a hot streak of FRL picks a few weeks ago and a longshot outright, but Vincenzi is definitely the hot hand and is now +90.1 units. Williams is +26.65 units after nailing two outrights, including Rory McIlroy at the Masters. MacMillan and Giuffra lead the prop bet picks battle, but are -25 units overall and searching for their first outrights. Schwarb is down 37 units. 

The Zurich is a unique event because it’s the only team event on the PGA Tour Schedule. McIlroy and Shane Lowry won last year and are the betting favorites (+360 at FanDuel) to defend their title. 

Surprisingly, no one on the panel is taking them. 

Let’s get into our picks with explanations on why we like these picks below the graphic. 

Zurich Classic Picks / Sports Illustrate

Outright Pick 

Iain MacMillan: Aaron Rai/Sahith Theegala (+2500, FanDuel)

The combination of Rai’s accuracy and Theegala’s short game and high-ceiling ball striking complements each other's strengths well. Both finished top 30 at the Masters two weeks ago, a good sign of their form ahead of this week.

Matt Vincenzi: Billy Horschel/Tom Hoge (+2500, DraftKings)

Both Horschel and Hoge are in solid form coming into the week. Hoge is coming off four consecutive top 20 finishes, including a T3 at the Players and a T14 at the Masters. Horschel has been up and down this season, but has gained strokes on approach in three consecutive events and is arguably the player I’d trust most to make putts consistently at TPC Louisiana. 

John Schwarb: Nick Taylor/Adam Hadwin (+3500, DraftKings)

The Canadian duo finished 10th last year and solo second in 2023. While they haven’t shown much in recent weeks on Tour, the way they mesh in this event can’t be ignored. Just need Taylor to heat up his putter and we could see them late Sunday afternoon in the mix.

Brian Kirschner Max Greyserman/Nico Echavarria (+4000, DraftKings)

I am very intrigued by this duo this week in New Orleans. I truly believe they have a great chance to win and take down the coveted belt. Nico and Max played in this event last year and finished T4. This was when they were both in much worse form and were not the golfers they are today. I also think both have significant birdie-making ability. Over the past 50 rounds, Max ranks first in total birdies and Nico is 17th. Do not be surprised to see these two in the mix come Sunday. 

Cody Williams: Max Greyserman/Nico Echavarria (+4000, DraftKings)

I’ll be the first to admit that the ball-striking hasn’t been pretty for either Greyserman or Echavarria of late. The putter has been hot for both of them, though. Furthermore, this is a place where both players are comfortable after finishing Top 5 at the Zurich last year. Nothing can heal some ball-striking woes like a good course feel. If they keep the short game hot, they could be live to make a run this week.

Brian Giuffra: Keith Mitchell/J.T. Poston (+1900, Bet365)

Poston has been the model of consistency this season, ranking 64th on tour in SG: Approach and 47th in birdie average (4.07 per round). Mitchell is 19th in birdie average (4.32) and fourth in SG: Off the Tee. Birdies and driving accuracy will be paramount this week and these two check both of those boxes. Mitchell has had issues closing, but I think this could be the perfect pairing to fix those issues. 

Longshot 

Iain MacMillan: Si Woo Kim/Sangmoon Bae (+9000, FanDuel)

Si Woo Kim’s high ceiling is perfect for a team event, especially during the best ball format. Sangmoon Bae has admittedly been in poor form of late, but if he can provide some stability for Kim to lean on, they could prove to be a solid bet. Kim is fresh off a T8 finish at the RBC Heritage.

Matt Vincenzi: Billy Horschel/Tom Hoge wire to wire winner (+17000, DraftKings)

The Horschel/Hoge dominance will start out of the gates and persist through the end of the tournament.

John Schwarb: Davis Riley/Nick Hardy (+10000 FanDuel)

Davis Riley is 85th in points this season and Nick Hardy is 199th with nine missed cuts in 11 starts. Yikes. The price is appropriate for current form, but if the Zurich is all about team vibes, could the 2023 champs turn their seasons around here? 

Brian Kirschner Isaiah Salinda / Kevin Velo (+10000, DraftKings)

Look, if you are above 70/1 in this field, there isnt going to be a strong case for you. However, I think I have found a decent one with two PGA Tour rookies in Isaiah Salinda and Kevin Velo. Salinda is coming off an 11th place finish in Houston and was third in Mexico earlier this year. Velo isnt off to as great of a start to the year but he did pop at Valspar for a bit – T5 after Round 2 and T17 going into the final round. 100/1 seems like a fair price on these two. 

Cody Williams: Justin Lower/Chad Ramey (+8000, FanDuel)

While they might not be familiar partners at the Zurich, both Ramey and Lower have played well here. The former finished in the Top 10 (including a runner-up last year) in his last two Zurich starts, while Lower was T28 last year and 10th in 2022. Both players have been pedestrian on approach lately, but have shown that to be a strength in the past. They are both putting quite well recently, which makes them worth a gamble in my book. 

Brian Giuffra: Beau Hossler/Andrew Putnam (+6500, FanDuel) 

This is relying on the hot putters of Hossler and Putnam, who both rank in the top 50 in SG: Putting on the PGA Tour, to stay hot. That’s what it takes to win this tournament – great putting and low scoring. I also like that they’re gaining on the field in scrambling, which should help in the foursomes format. 

First-Round Lead 

John Schwarb: J.T. Poston/Keith Mitchell (+2500, DraftKings)

Keith Mitchell has been the best golfer on the PGA Tour in the first round of events this season. He leads the Tour in Round 1 scoring average of 67.1. This week, he’s paired with a red-hot JT Poston, who’s fresh off a T11 finish at the RBC Heritage. Sounds like a great first-round leader bet to me.

Matt Vincenzi: Billy Horschel/Tom Hoge (+3000, DraftKings)

Hoge is one of the hottest iron players in the field and Horschel is one of the best putters in the field. I’m expecting birdies early and often from this duo. 

John Schwarb: J.T. Poston/Keith Mitchell (+2500, DraftKings)

This is a new pairing, but Poston and Mitchell are both part of the Sea Island (Ga.) Mafia, so they pass the “friends” test, which has been key in this event. Mitchell also has two top-6 finishes here, most recently sixth two years ago with Sungjae Im. In the freewheeling best-ball format of Round 1, I could see him going off. 

Brian Kirschner Akshay Bhatia/Carson Young (+4000, DraftKings) 

Given some of the prices in this field, I am a bit surprised to see these two so high for this market. Carson is known to go low and popped at the PR open earlier this year with a T10 finish. He also hit the ball very well at The Players, which is another TPC design. Akshay is one of the better players in this field and has the potential to go low in any round. I can see this duo coming out to a hot start this week.

Cody Williams: Taylor Moore/Wyndham Clark (+3000, FanDuel)

I don’t think Wyndham Clark necessarily has the goods to put together four good rounds in a team format such as this, particularly with alternate shot. However, with him and Taylor Moore bombing it off the tee, displaying good short game prowess, and having the potential to pop on approach, there’s some value here. I’m always looking for guys who can get hot at the right time, and these two fit that bill together in a big way in four-ball. 

Brian Giuffra: Keith Mitchell/J.T. Poston (+2500, FanDuel)

Mitchell leads the PGA Tour in first-round scoring and, as mentioned, Poston is among the best in birdie average. I expect this team to get off to a hot start in four ball and ride it to the finish. 

Prop Bet

Iain MacMillan: Playoff Yes (+350, DraftKings)

The Zurich Classic has been prone to playoff finishes lately. It’s gone to a playoff in four of the past eight years. That’s enough for me to bet it happening again at +350.

Matt Vincenzi: Billy Horschel and Tom Hoge Top 10 (+260, DraftKings)

Horschel got his first PGA Tour victory at TPC Louisiana in 2013, and then won the team event there in 2018 alongside Scott Piercy, who has Las Vegas ties similar to Tom Hoge.

John Schwarb: Playoff Yes (+350, DraftKings)

The alternate-shot format of the final round at TPC Louisiana doesn’t lend itself to a team running away on Sunday, it only ratchets up the pressure late in the round. A playoff-prone event gets another one and continues a run of extra golf lately as the Masters and RBC Heritage both had playoffs.

Brian Kirschner: Keith Mitchell/J.T. Poston Top 20 (-125, DraftKings) 

These two should easily finish in the top 20 this week. This is one of the most well-balanced pairs in the entire field. Both coming off Top 11 finishes in their last event, with T2 for Keith and T11 for JT. Keith has experience in this event and their two games should balance each other out for a top 20 finish.

Cody Williams: Ryan Gerard/Danny Walker Top 10 (+450, FanDuel)

Ryan Gerard has quietly been a stud over his past three tournaments with a T27 at the RBC Heritage as his worst finish in that span, one that includes a runner-up at the Valero. Danny Walker hasn’t been as consistent, but was T6 at The Players and bounced back to finish T31 at Corales last week. This pair is quietly playing better on approach cumulatively than most teams at the Zurich while also putting well. If that’s the case, then a Top 10 together feels well within reason. 

Brian Giuffra: Nick Taylor/Adam Hadwin Top 20 (+135, FanDuel) 

After two misses in this market, which, as I’ve explained, I use to mitigate any potential outright losses, I’m going with something I feel confident in at plus odds. Hadwin already has a win this year and has been playing some solid golf overall. Taylor isn’t where he was a few years ago, but back at the site of a tournament where they have consecutive Top 10 finishes, I’m betting on these friends to contend once again. 

Winning Score 

• Iain MacMillan: -24
• Matt Vincenzi: -26
• John Schwarb: -25
• Brian Kirschner -25
• Cody Williams: -27
• Brian Giuffra: -28

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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