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Arnold Palmer Invitational Odds Updated for Tournament
Jun 20, 2025; Cromwell, Connecticut, USA; Scottie Scheffler plays his shot from the first tee during the second round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

ORLANDO, Fla. — The 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard tees off Thursday, March 5 at Bay Hill Club & Lodge, and the betting markets have already formed around several familiar names — as well as a few intriguing longshots — for one of the PGA Tour’s Signature Events on the early spring schedule. With a $20‑million purse and a strong 72‑player field competing for 700 FedExCup points, the Orlando stop remains a key barometer for form just before The Players Championship next week.

At the top of the 2026 futures board, Scottie Scheffler enters as the clear favorite to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational, listed at roughly +333 in current DraftKings outright odds. The world No. 1 has already won this event twice — in 2022 and 2024 — and his combination of consistency and elite ball‑striking has him squarely in the mix for another Bay Hill title.

Close behind Scheffler in the odds ranks is Rory McIlroy, around +900 to win, reflecting both his world ranking near No. 2 and his strong record at Bay Hill, including a 2018 victory. Other marquee names with shorter odds include Tommy Fleetwood (+1800) and dual major champion Collin Morikawa (+2200), each capable of taking advantage of Bay Hill’s demanding mix of length and precision.

Beyond the favorites, value lurks deeper in the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational field. Hideki Matsuyama, Jake Knapp and Russell Henley sit in the mid‑to‑long odds range (+2800 to +3500), offering bettors the upside of major‑champion talent or recent strong form without the weight of shortest prices. Jason Day — a former Bay Hill champion (2016) — presents an especially compelling longshot, priced deeper on the board but possessing course history that includes multiple top‑25 results and a career‑low 62 at Bay Hill in the second round of last year’s tournament.

Bay Hill’s par‑72 layout plays to players who can manage both tee‑to‑green control and scrambling ability when the Florida wind shifts and the course’s penal rough tightens scoring windows. Statistically, players gaining strokes on approach while minimizing mistakes around the greens have a strong track record of early contention, and this week’s favorites generally check those boxes through their recent form.

As the flagship event of the Florida swing, the Arnold Palmer Invitational blends tradition with elite competition. With no official cut until after 36 holes — top 50 and ties plus anyone within 10 shots of the lead — Thursday’s start sets the tone for a weekend that could feature low scoring, volatile leaderboards and compelling storylines from star power to surprise contenders.

Whether backing a favorite like Scheffler or McIlroy, or chasing a bigger payday with a longshot like Jason Day or Knapp, the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational offers a wide range of betting narratives heading into a pivotal stretch of the PGA Tour season. Scheffler’s course history, McIlroy’s consistency, and the depth of the field all point to an event where both analytics and experience matter deeply — and where one well‑timed round could rewrite expectations before the Players Championship beckons.

This article first appeared on EasySportz and was syndicated with permission.

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