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Betting: PGA AT&T Byron Nelson Preview

Pamela Maldonado breaks down her top picks for the AT&T Byron Nelson from TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas.

Video Transcript

PAMELA MALDONADO: The PGA heads to my state this week, to McKinney, Texas, to play the AT&T Byron Nelson event. Seven of the top 15 players are in play this week, one week ahead of the PGA Championship. So it should be a good one. Looking at the course, it is TPC Craig Ranch and is a par 72, nearly 7,500 yards. And it is a pretty easy dang course.

Now when I say easy, you have wide open fairways, little to no rough, there's some water, but it doesn't really come into play, and bent and grass greens. Looking at the odds, Scottie Scheffler is the ten to one favorite to win this event. Followed by Justin Thomas, Sam Burns, Will Zalatoris, and Dustin Johnson. Now I'm going to do something that I typically do not do, I probably have never done. But I'm going to do it this week and that is, target just one player to do well in this event and that is my boy Willie Z.

Will Zalatoris, plus 130 for a top 20, plus 260 for a top 10, 20 to 1 for a win. Now why am I so laser focused in on just one player, because Zalatoris' is first in strokes gain total on courses over 7,400 yards. Since the 2020 season, Zalatoris has played in 16 tournaments of this number, he has had 11 top 20 finishes, nine top tens, including runner up at the 2021 Masters, and runner up just this year at the Farmers in January. He is top 10 in long iron play of 200 yards or more, that could really come into play because there are three par 3's between 215 and 230 yards.

There are four par 5s that are short enough to get on the green in two. Zalatoris could definitely benefit from this being a long course. He has top 30 in par 5 scoring and in driving distance. I have been saying for a couple of years now that Zalatoris is bound to get a win. I am as confident as ever that this could be it.

Building up his confidence to have a great PGA Championship next week. There are plenty of players that can contend this week at AT&T Byron Nelson, but I'm looking at just the one, Will Zalatoris. You want to give me plus money on him to finish in the top 20? A pretty good price for him to finish in the top ten, something that he has done consistently on long courses.

And if I think a player is going to finish in the top ten, then certainly he has a shot at an outright win and 20 to 1 is a pretty good price. You can find odds for Zalatoris at the Yahoo Sportsbook. Bet $10 and win $200 in free bets by signing up at betmgm.com/yahoovip. New customers only, must be 21 or older, and terms do apply.