The Zurich Classic of New Orleans Predictions, Picks & Odds

• The PGA Tour’s only official pairs event
• It returns four the fourth renewal after last year’s tournament was cancelled
• Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer defend their trophy

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The Zurich Classic of New Orleans Odds

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The Zurich Classic of New Orleans Picks and Predictions

Todd and Kirk are the outright pick at +2500 with DraftKings Sportsbook

Snedeker and Mitchell are also an outright pick at +9000 with DraftKings Sportsbook

Back Smith and Leishman to beat Morikawa and Wolff in their match bet at -125 with bet365

Picks:

Todd and Kirk each way in the outright +2500 with DraftKings Sportsbook

Snedeker and Mitchell each way in the outright +9000 with DraftKings Sportsbook

Smith and Leishman over Morikawa and Wolff -125 at bet365

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The Zurich Classic of New Orleans Profile

Perhaps the greatest thrill involved in this tournament is the questions you ask of the partnerships.

Who would ever have guessed that the then-24-year-old Spaniard Jon Rahm would pick the then-42-year-old Texan Ryan Palmer to partner him back in 2019? Fewer still might have imagined that they would gel so brilliantly that they’d claim the win. Similar queries arise ahead of this year’s tournament, the first in two years after the 2020 edition fell foul of Covid restrictions.

It’s no surprise that Rahm and Palmer have maintained their golfing marriage, ditto the Aussie pair Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman, or the English duo of Danny Willett and Tyrrell Hatton. But the Californian power partnership of Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay is a little intriguing, even if they do hail from the same state. That the composed long game of Collin Morikawa is linking with the blistering unorthodoxy of Matthew Wolff, on the other hand, might make sense given they are peers, but it is a golfing match few would have predicted.

The European combination of Graeme McDowell and Matt Wallace is an interesting one: both have the habit of referring to everything they do on the course in the plural (“we played nicely … we put really well”). It’ll be nice for them that this week it actually makes sense, although you’d have to respect their sense of humour if they chose this week to finally say “I”.

The course is a Pete Dye design, like last week at Harbour Town and also TPC Sawgrass. It’s a classic resort layout playing to a par of 72 and yardage that can extend to 7,425. The teams play the more aggressive four-ball (better-ball) format in rounds one and three, then the tricker foursome (alternate shot) in the second and final circuit.

Going low when two balls are in play is crucial, ham and egging it when one ball is on the course might make the critical difference.

Captain Kirk Can Lead Todd to Victory

Is having a hot putter the key this week? It would make a lot of sense and the stats rather back that up.

Ahead of their 2017 win Jonas Blixt arrived having topped the Putting Averages in his previous start and Cameron Smith had ranked second for Putts per Round.

A year later Billy Horschel arrived having ranked second for Putting Average two weeks before this event (we won’t mention his partner Scott Piercy – he was definitely not on trend!).

Then two years ago Ryan Palmer had ranked 13th for both PA and PPR in his last start whilst Jon Rahm had ranked eighth the last time he’d encounter Bermuda greens. We need an angle and that’s the one I’m taking. I’m also accepting that this event has an element of crapshoot about it so will focus on two outright prices.

First up is the resurgent Chris Kirk whose victory on the Korn Ferry Tour last year has allowed him to hit this season running and reclaim his card. He has three top 10s in his last five starts and in a fourth, at TPC Sawgrass, he spent much of the week in contention. He also ranked seventh for Putting Average last week.

His partner Brendon Todd, the noted putting expert who claimed two wins last season, has missed just one cut this year. He only needs a spark and Kirk might provide it. Take them at DraftKings Sportsbook: +2500 for the win and +500 for the place.

Snedeker a Sneaky Play with Mitchell

If we want hot putters and two golfers who are flying under the radar look no further than Brandt Snedeker and Keith Mitchell.

Snedeker had a blistering performance on the greens at the Texas Open at the start of the month and, although he finished T42nd last week at Harbour Town, he was eighth for Putts per Round. Mitchell hasn’t been seen since he was T17th in that Texas Open, but he ranked fourth for Putting Average.

Both of them have won on Bermuda greens, have shown a bit of form, and their price is very tempting.

Take the +9000 for the win at DraftKings Sportsbook, plus the +1400 for the place.

The Aussies Can Down the Young Guns

Cameron Smith knows all about this event after winning it in 2017 and this year he’s playing this Thursday alongside his good friend and compatriot Marc Leishman.

Last week Smith notched his best performance at Harbour Town, his fifth straight top 20 strokeplay finish – and he ranked fifth for Putts per Round.

Leishman took last week off but before that he was fifth at the Masters, ranking top 15 for both Putting categories. They enjoy each other company, will thrive on the laid-back vibe and bet365 have matched them with Collin Morikawa, who looked a little tired last weekend, and Matthew Wolff, who is in terrible form.

Back the Aussies at -125 with bet365.

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