“Between Bets” is an article series revealing our staff’s best wagers across the NFL, NASCAR and PGA Tour. This edition’s bets feature our favorite wagers for The Zurich Classic of New Orleans 2024.
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Zurich Classic of New Orleans Betting Picks
- Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele (+450)
- Sahith Theegala/Will Zalatoris (+1000)
- Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy (+2500)
- Jimmy Stanger/Adrien Dumont de Chassart (+20000)
Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele (+450)
I draw the comparison in player type between Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele every week, and if there is one pair better suited to play together, I’m not sure who it would be.
They are a force to be reckoned with at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The 2022 champion team is always live to win here, and they are both in form heading in. These are perhaps the most consistent players on Tour, and we are sure they’ll continue that this week. The major advantage this team has comes in the alternate shot rounds. Cantlay and Schauffele typically hit the same shots in individual play, so in a format that requires you to play your partner’s ball, they will have the least issue performing that task.
Schauffele rates out far and away top in my model, and it’s not particularly close. Cantlay is coming off a solo third at the RBC Heritage. They are prime to win at TPC Louisiana. I know the number is short. However, this tournament is a lottery ticket and this is the combo with the least amount of question marks.
Sahith Theegala/Will Zalatoris (+1000)
Sahith Theegala is the real story here. He is hot. Coming off of a solo second at The RBC Heritage and three additional T10s in his last seven starts, he is rapidly becoming the Tour star we hoped he’d be. Some of the consistency and accuracy issues are fading away, and he continues to stalk the leaderboard, looking for wins. The approach game and putter were on fire last week, gaining 4.9 and 4.5 strokes, respectively. Though much easier than Harbour Town, TPC Louisiana will require a similar set of skills.
Zalatoris is the bigger question mark in my mind. He looks good, perhaps better than he did even before his injury. Still, he had a very suspect week at The RBC Heritage, where every aspect of his game suffered, with the exception of his approaches. If that trend continues, will Theegala be able to make up for it? The flip side is that Zalatoris finished ninth at The Masters and has two T10s in his last seven starts, so it’s not like he isn’t playing excellent golf overall. If he bounces back this week, he and Theegala could go wire-to-wire here. I kind of like the upside of the wire-to-wire bet (+6000) on these golfers on the chance that I’m right and they come out hot
Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy (+2500)
I’m probably playing with fire, going back to my old buddy Tom Hoge. This tournament will require both team members to be consistent and accurate, and over the last 24 rounds, Hoge and McNealy have been doing that almost as well as any other team at much shorter numbers. Hoge is second in this field for birdie-or-better rate and first for opportunities gained. He is also 10th for bogey avoidance, and that includes two implosions at Harbour Town.
Though not the birdie machine that Hoge is, McNealy is fourth in this field for bogey avoidance. This team can score a lot of birdies and not give many strokes back. Hoge’s approach and McNealy’s short game on Bermuda make for a deadly combo at TPC Louisiana.
Jimmy Stanger/Adrien Dumont de Chassart (+20000)
Jimmy Stanger and Adrien Dumont de Chassart have been fixtures in my DFS pools this year, but I haven’t found much call to bet them outright seriously. Pair them together and they become a true value at 200-1. This team seems like a sneaky under-the-radar pairing of complementary skills. Both have had mixed results this season but seem to pop up in lesser-field events and less-pressure scenarios. Both have had good results on the Korn Ferry Tour (KFT). Dumont De Chassart has six T10s, including a win over the 2023-2024 KFT season. Stanger’s record for his career on the KFT is more impressive with 17 T10s, seven T5s and a win.
These players are both volatile overall, but they have the right mix to succeed in this format. They have similar distance profiles and will feel more comfortable during alternate shots than some teams. They both can get hot tee-to-green, and Stanger has a solid up-and-down game to bail them out when in trouble. This is a longshot for a reason, but I like the sum of the whole more than the parts, so I will take a flyer on them at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
Other Outright Bets on My Card for The Zurich Classic 2024:
- Matthew Fitzpatrick/Alex Fitzpatrick (+2500)
- Davis Thompson/Andrew Novak (+4500)
- Billy Horschel/Tyson Alexander (+5000)
- Austin Eckroat/Chris Gotterup (+6500)
- Steve Stricker/Matt Kuchar (+8000)
- Thriston Lawrence/Aldrich Potgieter (+13000)
Check out all of our content for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans 2024:
- Between Bets: Zurich Classic of New Orleans 2024 Outrights
- PropKings: Zurich Classic of New Orleans 2024
- PGA DFS: Zurich Classic of New Orleans 2024
Thanks for reading my best bets for The Zurich Classic 2024, and be sure to catch us live every Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. EST on the 19th Hole! Good luck this week!
*Photo Credit: Reinhold Matay – USA TODAY Sports*