FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland is going for a three-peat at the 2023 Hero World Challenge, but he'll have to share the spotlight with Tiger Woods at Albany Golf Club. Woods, the tournament host, was the only player to win the Hero World Challenge back-to-back before Hovland matched him last year. Woods, a 15-time major champion, will draw a lot of attention when he plays in his first tournament since the Masters in April. Will Zalatoris, who hasn't played since withdrawing with a back injury before the first round at Augusta, also will be part of the 20-man Hero World Challenge field. Other stars teeing off Thursday include world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and multiple major champions Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.
Hovland is the +400 favorite, followed by Scheffler (+450), Morikawa (+800) and Max Homa (+800), in the latest Hero World Challenge odds. Thomas (+1600) and Spieth (+2000) are among a dozen players shorter than 25-1, while Woods is the longest shot in the Hero World Challenge 2023 field at 80-1. Before you lock in your 2023 Hero World Challenge picks, be sure to see the best bets and predictions from SportsLine's Patrick McDonald.
After spending time at FanSided and NBC Sports EDGE, McDonald joined CBS Sports as a golf writer in 2022. Now covering the sport from a broader perspective, McDonald still likes to dip his toes into the betting pools on a weekly basis on the PGA Tour. Since July, McDonald has gone 11-6-1 with his head-to-head picks, including an 8-1 record over the final three weeks of last season.
He also nailed Russell Henley to be the first-round leader in the Wyndham Championship, at 40-1 odds. McDonald finished the 2021-22 season up 42 units on outright plays, with Hudson Swafford (250-1) at The American Express and Joaquin Niemann (70-1) at the Genesis Invitational among his big scores.
Now, McDonald has evaluated the 2023 Hero World Challenge odds and locked in his best bets. Head to SportsLine now to see the top picks and predictions for the Hero World Challenge 2023.
Top 2023 Hero World Challenge best bets
One shocking prediction from McDonald: Spieth "may be in for a long week," so the expert is fading the three-time major champion. The 30-year-old posted seven top-10 finishes in 2022-23 but hasn't finished higher than 15th in his past three tries at Albany Golf Club. Only one of those top-10 finishes came in his final six outings, and he went 0-2-2 in the American's Ryder Cup loss to Europe. "The entirety of his game appears to have abandoned him," McDonald says.
On the flip side, Hovland hasn't missed a beat since winning the final two tournaments of the season to take the title. The Norwegian is fourth in the Official World Golf Ranking, and he followed his triumph at East Lake with a strong fall. Hovland went 3-1-1 in the Ryder Cup and posted consecutive top-five finishes on the DP World Tour, including a tie for second. The 26-year-old was fourth on tour in scoring average and fifth in strokes gained tee to green last season. See the rest of McDonald's best bets right here.
How to make 2023 Hero World Challenge picks
McDonald has analyzed the 2023 Hero World Challenge field and the Albany Golf Course from every possible angle. His best bets for the 2023 Hero World Challenge include a longshot to win who could break through in this small field at a solid price well over 20-1. You can only see it here.
Who will win the Hero World Challenge 2023, which bets should you be all over and how will Tiger Woods fare? Visit SportsLine right now to see who you can bank on to win the Hero World Challenge 2023, and see which prop bets you should be all over, all from the expert who has gone 11-6-1 on head-to-head props since July, and find out.
2023 Hero World Challenge odds
See the full Hero World Challenge 2023 picks, best bets and predictions here.
Odds to win:
Viktor Hovland +400
Scottie Scheffler +450
Collin Morikawa +800
Max Homa +800
Matt Fitzpatrick +1600
Justin Thomas +1600
Cameron Young +1600
Sam Burns +2000
Jordan Spieth +2000
Rickie Fowler +2200
Tony Finau +2200
Wyndham Clark +2200
Brian Harman +3000
Will Zalatoris +3300
Keegan Bradley +3500
Jason Day +3500
Sepp Straka +3500
Justin Rose +3500
Lucas Glover +5500
Tiger Woods +8000
