SportsLine's model simulated the Zurich Classic of New Orleans 2026 10,000 times and revealed its surprising early picks
By Daniel Lewis Apr 20, 2026 at 12:59 pm ET • 3 min read 
Imagn Images The PGA's only official team event is set for this week as the 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans tees off on Thursday at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La. It has a $9.5 million purse and awards 400 FedEx Cup points to each player in the winning duo. Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin won it last year. Formerly a solo event, the format changed to partners in 2017, and it alternates best ball and alternate shot each round.
The 2026 Zurich Classic odds via DraftKings Sportsbook list the defending champions at +1700, which puts them third on the PGA odds board behind brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick (+1100) and the duo of Brooks Koepka and Shane Lowry (+1475). Before locking in any 2026 Zurich Classic picks, be sure to see the golf predictions and projected leaderboard from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
SportsLine's proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, simulated every PGA Tour event 10,000 times and reveals golf betting picks that have a history of being extremely profitable.
This same model has also nailed a whopping 17 majors entering the weekend, including the 2026 Masters -- its fifth Masters in a row -- as well as last year's PGA Championship and Open Championship. Anyone who has followed its sports betting picks could have seen massive returns on betting sites.
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Now that the 2026 Zurich Classic field is set, the model simulated the tournament 10,000 times, and the results were surprising. Head to SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard, which you can use for PGA picks, one and done contests or PGA DFS lineups.
2026 Zurich Classic predictions
One major surprise the model is calling for at the PGA Championship 2026: It is not projecting the Fitzpatrick brothers to win despite their status as the favorites. Matt Fitzpatrick enters this tournament in strong form after winning the RBC Heritage last week and the Valspar Championship in March. He also finished second at the Players Championship and T18 at the Masters this year. His brother, Alex, however, is in this field via a sponsor's exemption, and has a far less impressive resume. With the alternate-shot format in place for two rounds, the model projects that this team isn't the best value to win at +1100. See who else to fade here.
Another surprise: The model projects a strong showing for the team of Aaron Rai and Sahith Theegala. This will be their third straight Zurich Classic playing together, so that experience should pay off. Both have extensive PGA experience, and Theegala, especially, is playing well on tour this season with four top-10 finishes. Despite getting +2200 odds, the model projects them to be top-3 contenders, making them a strong value for Zurich Classic best bets. See who else to pick here.
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How to make 2026 Zurich Classic picks
The model is also targeting several other longshots, including one team going off at 30-1 who makes a stunning run for the title. You can only see the model's picks here.
Who will win the 2026 Zurich Classic, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Check out the 2026 Zurich Classic odds below and then visit SportsLine to see the projected leaderboard, all from the model that's nailed 17 golf majors, including three in 2025.
2026 Zurich Classic odds, favorites
Get full 2026 Zurich Classic picks, best bets and predictions here. (odds via DraftKings and subject to change)
Fitzpatrick / Fitzpatrick +1100 Koepka / Lowry +1475 Novak / Griffin +1750 Thorbjornsen / Vilips +2100 Rai / Theegala +2200 Penge / Wallace +2200 Moore / Clark +2200 Li / Smith +2200 Thompson / Eckroat +2400 McCarty / Meissner +2500 Hughes / Pendrith +2800 Ventura / Reitan +2800 Springer / Smalley +2800 Keefer / Brennan +3000 Bauchou / Stevens +3000 Yu / Kim +3000 Mitchell / Snedeker +3300 Finau / Greyserman +3500 Roy / McGreevy +3500 Schmid / Power +3600 Hoey / Lipsky +3700 Parry / Brown +4000 Olesen / Neergaard-Petersen +4100 Suber / Jaeger +4400 Smotherman / Putnam +4500 Van Rooyen / Bezuidenhout +4600 Ewart / Jarvis +4900 Lebioda / Cole +5100 Hossler / Ryder +5300 Dou / Wu +5600 Whaley / Sigg +5600 Svensson / Nyholm +5600 Mouw / Kanaya +5700 Dumont De Chassart / Chatfield +6000 Kuchar / Higgo +6200 Horschel / Hoge +6500 Kizzire / Kirk +6800 Ghim / Kang +6800
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