2025 CJ CUP Byron Nelson Preview: Betting Picks, Odds, Course Preview and Prediction from TPC Craig Ranch
The 2025 CJ Cup Byron Nelson features a field of Scottie Scheffler vs. everyone else. There aren't many other top stars in the mix, with Jordan Spieth and Sungjae Im as a few of the main competitors. Will anyone be able to take down Scheffler? Matt MacKay previews the CJ Cup Byron Nelson from TPC Craig Ranch, and gives his best outright picks.
Matt MacKay - April 30, 2025, 3:25 PM EDT
6 min2025 CJ CUP Byron Nelson Preview: Betting Picks, Odds, Course Preview and Prediction from TPC Craig Ranch
TPC Craig Ranch is the site for the upcoming 2025 CJ CUP Byron Nelson as the latest PGA Tour event. Located in McKinney, Texas, a suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth, two highly-decorated golfers hailing from this area, Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth, are being valued as the top two betting favorites.
Scheffler is a much shorter favorite than Spieth at +280 odds. The World No. 1 golfer has yet to record an outright win in 2025 following seven PGA Tour wins last season. He's been stringing together consistent finishes inside the top 10, so it's only a matter of time before Scheffler breaks through this year.
Spieth is +1800 to win the CJ CUP Byron Nelson this week. He's the second betting favorite in this field though, which shows just how wide open this tournament is after Scheffler at +280. Spieth is seeking his first win on the PGA Tour since the 2022 RBC Heritage.
Other notable betting favorites include Sungjae Im (+2500), with Byeong-Hun An, Sam Burns and Si Woo Kim all available at +3000 odds. Last year's winner, Taylor Pendrith, is +3300. It was Pendrith's first and only career win on the PGA Tour.
PGA handicapper Matt MacKay is here with his latest betting preview of the 2025 CJ CUP Byron Nelson. Follow Matt's X account for more PGA betting analysis and free picks throughout the 2025 PGA Tour season.
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2025 CJ CUP BYRON NELSON ODDS
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2025 CJ CUP BYRON NELSON DATE, TIME, AND WHERE TO WATCH
- Date: Thursday, May 1 - Sunday, May 4, 2025
- Time: 7:45 AM - 7:00 PM ET
- How to Watch: ESPN+, Golf Channel, CBS
TPC CRAIG RANCH OVERVIEW
TPC Craig Ranch is a par 71 that runs 7,569 yards. It's one of the longest tracks on the PGA Tour but tends to yield some of the lowest scorecards due to its expansive fairways and minimal water hazards.
TPC Craig Ranch is set to undergo a complete overhaul after 2025 but it's still going to have some new tees in play on Thursday. The four-inch Bermudagrass rough isn't as punishing as other courses. Zoysiagrass fairways are wide and generous off-the-tee, while Bentgrass greens measure 11.5 feet via Stimpmeter.
Designed by Tom Weiskopf and opened in 2004, TPC Craig Ranch has been the host site for the CJ CUP Byron Nelson since 2021. The winning score during the past four years has bounced between 23-under-par and 26-under-par.
Distance off-the-tee is critical, while finding greens in regulation is another way to help golfers climb into contention on the leaderboard. Sprawling sand bunkers are the primary hazard, along with a few water hazards scattered throughout the course.
Putting can also separate golfers on these Bentgrass greens. Scrambling may not be required due to the wide fairways and relatively big greens, so being able to read the greens and sink birdies is another way to tackle TPC Craig Ranch.
2025 CJ Cup Byron Nelson Outright Picks
Scottie Scheffler (+280) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best CJ Cup Byron Nelson odds
Not a whole lot of analysis is needed when it comes to Scottie Scheffler. He has not won at TPC Craig Ranch but did record a career-best T5 finish here during his last appearance in 2023.
Ranked second in total strokes gained, including sixth off-the-tee, fourth on approach, and second in proximity, only the putter is betraying Scheffler right now. He's still ranked 44th SG: Putting, so it's not a massive liability, but it's the one piece of Scheffler's game that continues to need improvement.
No one is better tee-to-green than Scheffler. He's gone T2-4-T8 in his last three events, so expect Scheffler to be dialed in per usual and in contention on Sunday at TPC Craig Ranch.
+280 for an outright winner in PGA betting markets is very short. However, we're talking about the best golfer in the world coming back home to finally end the winning drought in 2025.
It's shaping up to be a birdie-fest, so let's bet a unit on Scheffler to win the 2025 CJ CUP Byron Nelson at this price.
SungJae Im (+2500) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best CJ Cup Byron Nelson odds
Sungjae Im has been erratic in 2025 but he's elevated his play during recent events with loaded fields. The South Korean golfer recorded a T5 at The Masters and followed that up with a T11 finish during the RBC Heritage, which was a Signature Event.
Im is set to make his debut at this event, which is rare for Im. There might be some learning curves early on but I believe he'll catch on quickly at a course that will help him improve his approach shots.
Im ranks 22nd in SG: Off-the-Tee, 38th SG: Putting and 15th in driving accuracy. He doesn't have a lot of power in terms of distance, so he'll need to dial in his irons with improved approach shots at TPC Craig Ranch.
His short game is great. Im ranks sixth in putting average, 55th scrambling, 19th in sand save rate, and fifth in putts per round. He's also 38th in scoring average, 27th on par 4s and 22nd in birdie average.
At 25-1, I'm willing to bet half a unit (0.50) on Im to record his third PGA Tour win, making it his first victory since the 2021 Shriners Children's Open.
Ben Griffin (+3500) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best CJ Cup Byron Nelson odds
Ben Griffin sunk a clutch 30-foot birdie putt on the 71st hole at the Zurich Classic on Sunday to help him and his teammate, Andrew Novak, each earn their first win on the PGA Tour. Griffin's confidence should be soaring after that outing but he's been playing solid golf all season long.
The North Carolina native turned in a T13 finish at TPC Craig Ranch in 2024 at 17-under-par. Griffin ranks 46th in total strokes gained, including 54th SG: Approach, 39th total driving and 21st at finding greens in regulation, sporting a 69.3 percent hit rate.
Griffin averages 70.09 per round, ranked 39th for scoring average on the PGA Tour in 2025. Putting and scrambling have been the problem areas but Griffin's big-time putt from Sunday should give him plenty of momentum heading into an event with a course that is far from perilous.
Let's add another half-unit bet onto Ben Griffin to win The CJ CUP Byron Nelson at +3500 odds.
Rasmus Hojgaard (+4500) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best CJ Cup Byron Nelson odds
We're dealing with a very streaky golfer here at 45-1 odds but I cannot pass on the upside when it comes to Rasmus Hojgaard. The Danish golfer ranks ninth in driving distance on the PGA Tour, which is going to be a great way to separate from the field at a lengthy track like TPC Craig Ranch.
Hojgaard and his twin brother, Nicolai, wound up carding a runner-up finish at the Zurich Classic on Sunday. Rasmus Hojgaard does struggle with his putter, ranked 110th SG: Putting, while also sitting 151st SG: Approach.
However, he bombs it off-the-tee with his driver, ranks 26th on approach shots from 200+ yards, and averages 4.08 birdies per round. Hojgaard's short game is far from ideal but he's going to get a lot of opportunities to make birdies this week.
Let's sprinkle a quarter unit (0.25) bet onto Rasmus Hojgaard to record his first career PGA Tour win at +4500 odds.
Jake Knapp (+5000) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best CJ Cup Byron Nelson odds
Jake Knapp's outright betting number has shortened substantially since opening earlier this week. He's a power hitter who also brandishes nice touch with his irons and short game, which is why Knapp was able to record a solo eighth-place finish at the 2024 CJ CUP Byron Nelson.
Ranked 56th in total strokes gained, which includes 21st SG: Putting, 34th in driving distance, and 23rd on approach shots from 200+ yards, Knapp is built for a course like TPC Craig Ranch. He's 12th in birdie average (4.42).
Inaccuracy off-the-tee is mitigated with the wide Zoysiagrass fairways Knapp will face this week. He's equipped with a solid putter and can bomb it with his driver and irons, which is likely why a lot of bettors are gravitating to Knapp at this price.
Knapp has found himself in contention at a couple of events this season. He also won during his rookie campaign at the 2024 Mexico Open at Vidanta, which was a similar birdie-fest layout compared to The CJ CUP Byron Nelson. Let's bet one final 0.25 unit wager on Knapp at 50-1 before this number gets any shorter ahead of Round 1 on Thursday.
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