Four of the top six golfers in the world will be among those facing the challenge this week at the PGA Tour's 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. World No. 1 Jon Rahm has been one of the PGA Tour's most consistent players for well over a year, and he will be making his first appearance in the event, which tees off Thursday. He will be joined by 2018 Arnold Palmer Invitational champ Rory McIlroy, ranked fifth in the world, as well as No. 4 Viktor Hovland and sixth-ranked Scottie Scheffler. Bryson DeChambeau, who won last year but has slipped to No. 12 as he deals with injuries, had to withdraw because of those issues. Still, a strong 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational field, which also includes Hideki Matsuyama, Sungjae Im and Will Zalatoris among many other stars, will take on a long course with water lurking everywhere.
Rahm doesn't have the Bay Hill experience, but he has unmatched skill, so Caesars Sportsbook lists him as its 17-2 favorite in the latest 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational odds. McIlroy (12-1), Scheffler (16-1) and Hovland (16-1) also are considered strong contenders to emerge as the winner from the 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational field. Before you make any 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational picks, be sure to check out the PGA Tour predictions and betting advice from SportsLine golf insider Sal Johnson.
The esteemed golf insider has been around the game for many years and knows what it takes to win, both on tour and at Bay Hill. Before last year's event, he pegged DeChambeau as a player who would contend and knew the big hitter's risky style could pay off on this course.
"Bay Hill is a very good course for him," Johnson said before the 2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational, "as he can gamble on a lot of holes and make up a lot of shots." DeChambeau bombed away and was one of just three players under par in the final round to finish 11-under for his eighth career victory.
Johnson also had Tyrrell Hatton among his top options before his win at Bay Hill in 2020, and the expert has been on a strong run this season. Before the Mayakoba event in Mexico, Johnson had Hovland among his players to watch, while he predicted Brooks Koepka would miss the cut. Koepka went home early, while Hovland shot 23-under for a four-stroke victory.
Before the Zozo Championship, Johnson tabbed Matsuyama in his best bets, and he was right on the money. Matsuyama shot a final-round 65 and won by five strokes after trailing by one with eight holes to play on Sunday. And at the Sanderson Farms, Johnson nailed Sam Burns as his winner. Anyone who has followed Johnson's advice has cashed in huge.
Now Johnson, the first producer of "Inside the PGA Tour" and longtime ABC Sports golf producer who worked with Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, has released his highly confident 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational picks. The picks from the founder of GOLFstats.com, the world's top golf stats database, will definitely surprise you. Johnson's Arnold Palmer Invitational picks, predictions, and expert analysis are only available at SportsLine.
Top 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational expert picks
In a huge shocker, the golf expert is fading Matsuyama, who has not played well in Florida during his career. The 30-year-old has finished in the top 10 just once in seven starts at Bay Hill, and he only has two in his other 12 appearances in the Sunshine State. His putter is notoriously fickle, and he ranks 152nd in strokes gained putting. He tied for eighth at Phoenix but tied for 30th at the Farmers the previous week and was T-39 at Riviera, so he isn't in a great stretch. Given all that, Johnson recommends steering in another direction for this week's tournament.
Rahm has been the best player on tour for more than a year now — and officially the best in the world since last summer – and Johnson doesn't see much changing. The Spaniard hasn't played this course before, but his game should fit it well. He is long off the tee (third in driving distance at 319.6 yards) and accurate to the greens (first in greens in regulation at 78 percent). Those numbers will play well anywhere, but they will especially benefit him at Bay Hill. The 27-year-old has finished in the top 10 in 18 of his 28 tournaments since the start of last season.
Hovland has been on fire, and the golf expert is looking forward to seeing if he will cool off on the breezy track in Orlando. He has not been great at Bay Hill, finishing 40th, 42nd and 49th, but his success this season is tough to argue. He has three wins worldwide in his past seven outings (Mayakoba, Hero World Challenge and Dubai Classic) and has tied for fourth twice (Abu Dhabi and Genesis). He is eighth on tour in greens in regulation (74.75 percent) and 34th in strokes gained putting, a big reason he leads in birdie average this season at 5.73 per round.
How to make 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational golf picks
Johnson is backing a long shot among his picks to win this week at Bay Hill who comes in at around 40-1. This player has been hitting greens and making his putts, and he has piled up top-10 finishes at Bay Hill. "These are the courses where he can win," Johnson says of this player, and the expert believes he could break through this week. Anyone who backs this underdog at the Arnold Palmer Invitational could cash in big. You can only get Johnson's PGA picks and expert analysis at SportsLine.
Who wins the 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational this week at Bay Hill? Where do Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland finish? And which long shot is a must-back? Check out the odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Sal Johnson's full projected leaderboard, picks and analysis for the 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational, all from the insider who knows what it takes to win, both at Bay Hill and on the PGA Tour, and find out.
2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational odds, field, top contenders
Jon Rahm +850
Rory McIlroy +1200
Scottie Scheffler +1600
Viktor Hovland +1600
Hideki Matsuyama +2500
Matt Fitzpatrick +2800
Marc Leishman +3000
Sungjae Im +3000
Will Zalatoris +3300
Tyrrell Hatton +3300
Adam Scott +3300
Paul Casey +4000
Jason Kokrak +4000
Sam Burns +4000
Max Homa +4000
Keith Mitchell +4000
Sergio Garcia +5000
Tommy Fleetwood +5000
Talor Gooch +5000
Gary Woodland +5000
Maverick McNealy +5000
Russell Henley +5000
Jason Day +5500
Corey Conners +6000
Cameron Tringale +5500
Justin Rose +6000
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +5500
Chris Kirk +6600
Luke List +6600
Cameron Young +6600
Seamus Power +6600
Erik Van Rooyen +7000
Lanto Griffin +7000
Tom Hoge +8000
Kevin Na +8000
Thomas Pieters +8000
Si-Woo Kim +8000
Keegan Bradley +8000
Sepp Straka +8000
Kevin Kisner +10000
Ian Poulter +10000
Lucas Glover +10000
Carlos Ortiz +10000
Patrick Reed +10000
Matthew Wolff +10000
Sebastian Munoz +10000
Sahith Theegala +10000
Lee Westwood +10000
Kyoung-Hoon Lee +10000
Troy Merritt +12500
Sam Ryder +12500
Kevin Streelman +12500
Taylor Pendrith +12500
Andrew Putnam +12500
Lee Hodges +12500
Rickie Fowler +12500
Denny McCarthy +12500
Brendon Todd +12500
Taylor Moore +12500
Garrick Higgo +12500
Martin Laird +12500
Aaron Wise +12500
Adam Svensson +12500
Matt Jones +12500
Aaron Rai +15000
J.J. Spaun +15000
Takumi Kanaya +15000
Chez Reavie +15000
Cam Davis +15000
Patton Kizzire +15000
Dylan Frittelli +15000
Patrick Rodgers +15000
Lucas Herbert +15000
Charles Howell +15000
Pat Perez +15000
Nicolai Hojgaard +15000
Beau Hossler +15000
Danny Lee +20000
Brendan Steele +20000
Danny Willett +20000
Hudson Swafford +20000
Cameron Champ +20000
Sean O'Hair +20000
Doug Ghim +20000
Min Woo Lee +20000
Michael Thompson +20000
Henrik Stenson +20000
Rory Sabbatini +20000
Zach Johnson +20000
Matt Wallace +20000
Padraig Harrington +20000
Branden Grace +20000
Davis Riley +20000
Alex Smalley +20000
Scott Stallings +20000
Brandt Snedeker +20000
Greyson Sigg +25000
Vincent Whaley +25000
Henrik Norlander +25000
Trey Mullinax +25000
Stephan Jaeger +25000
Hayden Buckley +25000
Graeme McDowell +30000
Nick Watney +30000
Peter Malnati +30000
Adam Long +30000
Charl Schwartzel +30000
Adam Schenk +30000
