Zurich Classic picks 2023: Expert picks, best bets for PGA Tour golf this week

Zurich Classic picks and best bets for the 2023 trip to TPC Louisiana as we have an outright, Top 10 and more PGA Tour expert picks for golf.

Frankly, let’s just get to our Zurich Classic picks this week for the trip to TPC Louisiana. Harbour Town was cruel to us with our outright pick, Jordan Spieth, getting into a playoff and failing to win. Additionally, Rickie Fowler was +550 for a Top 10 and finished one stroke out while Collin Morikawa was on the cusp of a Top 20 to hit a parlay.

Instead, our PGA Tour expert picks were winless last week at the RBC Heritage, though we did get a nice One and Done finish from Patrick Cantlay. Silver lining? Regardless, we’re onto Avondale, LA this week for the tour’s one team event at the Zurich Classic. The field is lackluster, to say the least, but the golf should still be fun with the unique format on the PGA Tour.

We are trying to bounce back after an awful showing with out Zurich Classic picks for this week, which will be light given the field and format. Let’s dive into our PGA Tour expert picks and best bets for the week.

Note: All odds are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook unless otherwise noted. Odds will be updated when made available. For more betting picks and advice, check out BetSided.

Golf betting record in 2023 through RBC: 21-57-2, -6.994 units (0-15 on outrights, 0.5 unit bets | -4.5 units at RBC Heritage)
One-and-Done record in 2023: $4,110,878.22 (Patrick Cantlay at RBC, $1.4 million)

PGA Tour expert picks for Zurich Classic: Winner, Top 10, One and Done

Top 10 Pick for the Zurich Classic: Thorbjorn Olesen and Nicolai Hojgaard (+320)

When I saw the lackluster pairings for this week, the Danish team of Olesen and Hojgaard jumped off. While they might not be totally familiar to all of American golf fans, this duo has been racking up Top 5 and Top 10 finishes on the DP World Tour and Hojgaard has been solid stateside recently. With their ball-striking and a solid short game, I love for them to finish in the Top 10 this week amid a weak field, especially with some chemistry already built in as countrymen.

Pick to Win the Zurich Classic (0.5 Units): Billy Horschel and Sam Burns (+2100)

I truly believe that experience as a team an in this event is a bit underrated, so I don’t know why Sam Burns and Billy Horschel, who have finished T4 and second in the past two years, are priced the way they are. Burns has started to finally regain his winning form as of late after his ball striking nosedived for a while. Horschel’s numbers aren’t great of late, but he’s still shown the ability to pop up. I think this format will be good for him and boost the team into a strong overall finish.

One and Done Pick for Zurich Classic: Thorbjorn Olesen and Nicolai Hojgaard

With the One and Done, the way I’m playing it this week is that you have to burn both players and get the full team winnings for doing so. For that reason, I’m going with the Danish team this week. I already explained why I’m in on their chances to play well at the Zurich Classic but, more importantly, I don’t want to burn any other bigger names this week as we are into major championship and more designated events this time of year.

Zurich Classic picks and best bets

Davis Riley and Nick Hardy to finish Top 20 (+135)

Davis Riley quietly finished T4 in this event last year, albeit alongside Will Zalatoris. But Riley’s ball striking has started to resurface and his short game hasn’t been the disaster it was early in the year. Nick Hardy, for his part, has also been hitting the ball well. If both players can just be average with the putter, I think we could see a pretty comfortable Top 20 from these players.

Ben Griffin and Ryan Gerard to finish Top 20 (+185)

The only other best bet this week as I’m keeping the card smaller because, frankly, I hate going in on this unique event, Griffin and Gerard feel extremely undervalued in this tournament. Gerard has been gaining over 0.8 strokes ball striking over the last 20 rounds while Griffin is gaining more than a stroke with his short game over the same span. If they can balance each other out as I believe they can, a Top 20 in this tournament feels extremely plausible.

Longshot pick to win the Zurich Classic: Austin Smotherman and Harry Higgs (+18000)

This is very much a dart throw, especially because of the way that Austin Smotherman has played of late as he’s been straying from his DNA as a great ball striker. But Harry Higgs is rounding into form recently with two Top 40 finishes, a hot putter, and much-improved ball striking. If Smotherman can get back to the basics he’s used to playing with, this should be a strong overall pairing that complements one another nicely this week.

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