2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Picks & Predictions: Best PGA Bets
The PGA Tour heads to its lone team-format event this week at the 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Hosted at TPC Louisiana, this par 72 track tends to cede low scores galore, with Four-Ball (Best Ball) in Round 1 and Round 3, while Foursomes (Alternate Shot) are played in Round 2 and Round 4.
A 36-hole cut line is enforced, so there is a bit of urgency right out of the gate. Running over 7,400 yards, Bermudagrass is the primary surface, featuring overseeded greens that run 12.5 feet via Stimpmeter. Rough stands just above two inches, while water hazards and sprawling sand bunkers are the primary obstacles on this Pete Dye design.
Betting favorites in the outright winner market this week feature Shane Lowry/Brooks Koepka and Matt Fitzpatrick/Alex Fitzpatrick at +1200 odds. Other notable pairings include 2025 winners, Andrew Novak/Ben Griffin at +2000, and Aaron Rai/Sahith Theegala at +2200 odds.
My 2026 RBC Heritage Picks & Predictions: Best PGA Bets settled with a disappointing 0-3 result. Jordan Spieth’s final round cost us his Top 20 finish prop. Russell Henley’s Top 10 Finish prop never came home, as he settled with a T25 finish, while Sudarshan Yellamaraju’s debut at Harbour Town led to a meager T52, never coming close to a Top 20 finish at +300 odds.
I’ve got three best bets to tail ahead of Round 1 teeing off from the 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Thursday morning. Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more free picks and analysis throughout the 2026 PGA Tour season.
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Top 10 Finishing Position
The Fitzpatrick brothers have been flaming on the links in 2026, which is why they are valued as the betting favorites to win the 2026 Zurich Classic this week. Matt Fitzpatrick just drilled a clutch approach shot in a playoff to beat World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler at the RBC Heritage on Sunday. Alex Fitzpatrick also has a win on the DP World Tour this season.
The chemistry is obvious based on their relationship as brothers. Previous appearances at the Zurich Classic have yielded a pair of top 20 finishes and a surprising missed cut in 2025. Expect these elite ball-strikers to be at the top of their game in Louisiana, playing well enough to card their first top 10 finish at this event.
Pick: Matt Fitzpatrick & Alex Fitzpatrick (+125)
Top 20 Finishing Position
Last year, Michael Thorbjornsen and Karl Vilips managed a top 5 finish at the Zurich Classic, with a final scorecard of -25-under-par. No surprise, these young guns are running it back in 2026, with oddsmakers pricing their top 20 finish prop at a fair -125 odds.
Thorbjornsen has played well this year, racking up three top 20 finishes, including a T3 at the WM Phoenix Open. Vilips also has a pair of top 20 finishes, while both golfers recently carded T33 finishes at the RBC Heritage.
Thorbjornsen is a beast off-the-tee, ranked sixth in total driving, including 19th in driving distance. He’s also 33rd in proximity and 10th in scrambling, while Vilips brings the putting edge, ranked first on Tour in one-putt percentage and 11th in putting average.
Lock this pair in for a top 20 finish at the 2026 Zurich Classic at -125 odds.
Pick: Michael Thorbjornsen & Karl Vilips (-125)
Top 20 Finishing Position
We’ll conclude with another top 20 finish prop on Aaron Rai and Sahith Theegala. In 2025, these two teamed up for a T18 finish, going a collective -17-under-par in Four-Ball, while their final Foursomes result was a paltry -1-under-par.
This is the second straight year Rai and Theegala will pair up at this event. Rai is more of a finesse player, a tee-to-green tactician, while Theegala ranks 36th in SG: Putting. Rai is eighth in driving accuracy and 15th for greens in regulation percentage, while Theegala is ninth in scoring average, sixth in putts per round, and 13th in scrambling.
I expect Theegala to deliver with his short game, while Rai’s accuracy off-the-tee will keep this tandem in position throughout the weekend to secure a second straight top 20 finish.
Pick: Aaron Rai & Sahith Theegala (-120)