“Between Bets” is an article series revealing our staff’s best wagers across the NFL, NASCAR and PGA Tour. This week’s bets features our favorite wagers for the 2023 John Deere Classic odds.
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
2023 John Deere Classic Best Bets (Outrights)
- Eric Cole (+2800)
- Adam Hadwin (+2800)
- Chez Reavie (+5000)
- Peter Kuest (+10000)
Eric Cole (+2800)
This tournament is hard to get into betting-wise. There are short odds on golfers that are usually 10-15 points deeper than they are this week. Eric Cole feels like he might somehow be a value at 28/1. He has been making cuts and staying in contention seemingly every week for as long as I can remember. Cole rates out incredibly well statistically against the rest of this field. He is No.1 in this field for birdie-or-better rate and in the top 10 for all of the approach and accuracy stats I considered. He’s No. 1 in 3-putt avoidance and No. 9 in strokes gained putting as a whole. He has a complete game, which is precisely what you need at the birdie fest, that is the John Deere Classic. Not to mention I’ve been all over Cole for six months. It’s time to get paid!
Adam Hadwin (+2800)
Speaking of finding value, Adam Hadwin is a great value. Hadwin rates out No. 2 overall for me this week and has been flying under the radar as he often does. Coming off a second-place finish at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, I would have expected him to be much shorter in this weak field. This seems like a track that sets up incredibly well for Hadwin’s game. His tee-to-green game is steadfast, and his putter has kept him from losing strokes, rating out No. 3 in this field for 3-putt avoidance and No. 14 for overall strokes gained putting. The stat that really draws me to Hadwin is his shots gained on par 4s. He rates out No. 3 overall, and the par 4s will be critical this week in what will end up being a birdie fest.
Chez Reavie (+5000)
Good ole’ Chez Reavie and I have a complicated relationship. It seems I never get him right. Nonetheless, this seems like a really big number on a golfer who has been playing some of the better golf we have seen out of him in a few years. Reavie isn’t going to win any long drive contests, but his approach game is very stout, and he likes to stick it close. His putting has been pretty average but with moments of brilliance. Again, the stat that really draws me in is his par 4 scoring, rating out No.10 for me. Reavie has the type of all-around skills that should give him a chance to compete and win here at the 2023 John Deere Classic.
Peter Kuest (+10000)
I think readers and listeners had a good laugh at my Peter Kuest calls over the last month, but after a fourth-place finish last week, I don’t think he’s the punchline anymore. He has had some ridiculous strokes gained metrics over his last three tournaments, not the least of which was his performance last week, gaining almost five strokes on the field on approach. The previous week he gained almost five strokes on putting. At the Byron Nelson, he gained seven strokes on the field overall and averaged 6.3 strokes gained off the tee.
He is a real player, and he is going to win at some point. For a golfer who was 500/1 last week and is now all the way down to 100/1 (which is still amazing value), I think the books are hip to Kuest, and he truly has a better shot at winning than some of the players at the top of this board. Go grab a ticket on Kuest!
Other Bets to Consider:
- Russell Henley (+1400)
- Emiliano Grillo (+2800)
- Adam Schenk (+2800)
- Alex Smalley (+3300)
- Nick Taylor (+4000)
- Kevin Streelman (+8000)
Thanks for reading my best bets for the 2023 John Deere Classic. Be sure to give “The 19th Hole” a watch for more in-depth analysis – every Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. EST on our YouTube channel.