It is close to the start of this year’s second major tournament and, as the countdown continues, the fields start to strengthen. After a quiet couple of weeks, the new World Number One is back in contention with Scottie Scheffler leading a competitive entry for the 2022 edition of the AT&T Byron Nelson.
First run in 1944, the switching of the PGA Championship to May means that the Byron Nelson may have more big name golfers this year than it has in the past.
Last week at the Wells Fargo Championship, we took another top 10 finish return courtesy of runner up Keegan Bradley. It has been a solid recent run so let’s aim to continue as we switch to the TPC Craig Ranch course in Texas for our AT&T Byron Nelson predictions, picks and full preview.
Scottie Scheffler leads the way at the top of the outright betting and the number one ranked golfer can be found at 10/1 in most places. He has no great record to speak of in this particular event but four wins in his last six starts is a phenomenal return and he is a clear favorite going into Thursday.
Behind the market leader, Justin Thomas is as short at 12/1 with some USA sportsbooks but, elsewhere, he is on offer at best odds of 14/1. JT is without a win in 14 months and this is his debut on this course but he has some strong Tour stats including a third place in Par-5 scoring.
A gap appears behind the top two before Xander Schauffele slots in at a top industry price of 18/1. Victory in the recent team event that is the Zurich Classic ended a barren run and Schauffele is in good touch.
Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Will Zalatoris and Sam Burns follow with all four men quoted at a best of 20/1. Burns was the runner up here last year and is someone who we have been behind for some time. He has won twice on Tour this season and is nicely rested following a second place at the Zurich Classic alongside Billy Horschel.
Spieth is rested since his recent win and the native Texan had a solid tournament here last year. Zalatoris could certainly be one to watch: He tied for 17th last year but, more importantly, has three top six finishes in his last three starts.
Moving through the chasing pack, Hideki Matsuyama, Brooks Koepka and Joaquin Niemann can all be found at 30/1 with some of the bookies. Niemann makes the more solid claim with good stats tee to green and he ranks 12th in Adjusted Scoring which could be relevant this week.
Other names to consider from among this group include Talor Gooch at 35/1 plus Jason Kokrak and Adam Scott at 40/1. There is interest in Gooch this week with good strong stats which elevate him to sixth place in the Power Rankings.
Tommy Fleetwood and Maverick McNealy kick off our list of underdogs with both golfers available at 50/1. Just behind them at 55/1, Aaron Wise could be one to watch with six top 25s this season which include a tie for sixth on his last start.
Further back at 60/1, Cameron Champ interests us as a player who gave us a good return in the top 10 finish betting lines when he converted at the Mexico Championship. This followed a tie for tenth place at the Masters and it suggests that Champ has moved past his injury concerns and is ready to deliver on his huge potential.
Other names to mention in this section include Jason Day at 55/1, Matt Kuchar at 70/1, Bubba Watson at 75/1, Brian Harman at 80/1 and Kevin Kisner at 90/1. Defending champion Lee Kyoung-hoon is given little chance at a general 100/1. There is good depth to this week’s field but what will it take to get over the line?
Our Preview’s AT&T Byron Nelson Predictions, Picks, Course & Betting Trends
TPC Craig Ranch at McKinney, Texas is the venue for this week’s tournament. Following a number of changes of location across its 78-year history, this is the second year that Craig Ranch will host the Byron Nelson.
It is a par 72 course and there is some reasonable length at some 7,468 yards. Low scoring was a feature last year with the 72-hole cut landing at six under par. Last year’s winner was Lee Kyoung-hoon who finished at -25 and edged Sam Burns into second place by three strokes.
On his way to victory, Lee ranked strongly for Greens in Regulation, Proximity and Putting: Birdies or Better. Similar stats could be needed this week and, with low scoring expected once again, it could all come down to a battle with the putter.
One man that continues to impress us is Sam Burns who, after a recent dip in form, looks to have rediscovered the touch that brought him wins at the start of the season.
Burns has the game to succeed on this surface and is our betting tip for the outright win. The top 10 finish markets have been productive for us in recent weeks and there are three more suggestions which we hope will line up to give us a profitable four days in the Lone Star State. So these are our AT&T Byron Nelson predictions and betting picks for this preview:
- Sam Burns to win at +2000 (20/1) with Bovada and EveryGame. He is 18/1 with BetOnline.
- Top 10 Finish Picks: Burns (best at +240 with BetOnline), Talor Gooch (+450 BetOnline), Will Zalatoris (+260 BetOnline) and Cameron Champ (+500 EveryGame, BetOnline).
Matt Harris is a golf and soccer expert for USA Betting. His other area of specialist knowledge is cricket. He is well known in sports journalism and contributes articles to a plethora of big-name websites and media outlets. Titles that he writes or has written for include: Betfair, BetVictor, Unibet & Just Bookies.