There has already been a hole-in-one at TPC Sawgrass before the first round of The Players Championships tees off Thursday. Collin Morikawa’s caddy, JJ Jakovac, notched an ace during the caddie competition Wednesday.
Jakovac and the other caddies were playing a closest-to-the-pin event on hole No. 17 of the Stadium Course when he stepped into the tee box. Jakovac’s shot landed just beyond the hole before spinning back into the cup.
When the ball dropped, Jakovac, everyone around him, and the crowd exploded into a raucous celebration.
🗣️ COME ON JJ! @Collin_Morikawa’s caddie just made a hole-in-one on the Island Green!#THEPLAYERSpic.twitter.com/xMfkLPKRTL
— THE PLAYERS (@THEPLAYERS) March 12, 2025 Needless to say, Jakovac won the caddie competition this year. According to NBC Sports, Jakovac won a pot of money, an engraved money clip, a custom drawing and a VIP parking spot. Not bad for one afternoon’s work.
The first round of The Players Championship begins tomorrow, and Morikawa has a tough act to follow. Morikawa will tee off at 1:40 p.m. ET on Thursday s he looks for his first Players Championship win.
Morikawa is one of the favorites to win the event at 12-1 odds, according to SportsLine. Maybe he can even get a few tips from Jakovac throughout the weekend.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler will try to become the first golfer to win the Players Championship three years in a row when he plays in the event at TPC Sawgrass this week. Scheffler backed up his five-stroke victory in 2023 with a one-stroke win last year. He is the +360 favorite (risk $100 to win $360) in the 2025 Players Championship odds, followed by Rory McIlroy (+800). Other 2025 Players Championship contenders include Collin Morikawa (+1600), Xander Schauffele (+1600) and Ludvig Aberg (+2000). Aberg finished eighth at the Players Championship in 2024 and is +200 (risk $100 to win $200) to crack the top 10 this week.
Morikawa finished second behind Russell Henley in the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week, leaving Morikawa without a PGA Tour victory since October 2023. Morikawa has four runner-up finishes since 2024 and is +275 (risk $100 to win $275) to finish inside the top five. Brian Harman finished T-2 at this event in 2024 but is going off as a 90-1 longshot to finish on top of the leaderboard this week. Before making any 2025 Players Championship picks, you need to see the 2025 Players Championship predictions and best bets from golf insider Patrick McDonald.
McDonald joined CBS Sports as a golf writer in 2022 after stops at NBC Sports and RyderCup.com. Covering the sport from a broader perspective, McDonald still likes to dip his toes into the betting pools on a weekly basis between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and more. Featured weekly on the Early Wedge, he gave out numerous winners in 2024, including Jake Knapp (50-1) at the Mexico Open and Xander Schauffele (20-1) at the PGA Championship.
This year, he has already nailed Sepp Straka (66-1) in The American Express, Joe Highsmith (110-1) in the Cognizant Classic and Russell Henley (65-1) in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Anyone who followed his sports betting picks could have seen massive returns on betting apps like FanDuel, DraftKings and Fanatics.
Now, McDonald has focused his attention on the 2025 Players Championship field and locked in his best bets and top longshot sleepers. You can only see them here.
Top 2025 Players Championship expert picks McDonald loves the value of Sepp Straka at +6000 (risk $100 to win $6,000) at FanDuel this week. The European Ryder Cup member is off to a hot start this season, winning The American Express to go along with four additional top-15 finishes. He has played excellent golf at the Stadium Course two of the last three years, posting a ninth-place finish in 2022 and a T-16 last year.
Straka is coming off a top-five finish in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, shooting 3-under in the final round to move a few spots up the leaderboard. The 31-year-old ranks second on the PGA Tour in green in regulation percentage, third in birdie average and fifth in scoring average. He continues to be priced in the 60-1 range, making him a valuable golfer to include in your Players Championship bets.
“Straka surged over the weekend at the Arnold Palmer Invitational employing a strategy we have seen from him ample times this season – hit fairways and hit greens in regulation. A first-round 77 in brutal conditions proved too much to overcome for the big Austrian, but he remains at a palatable price in a field he has proven he can keep up with,” McDonald told SportsLine. See who else to back here.
fanduel logo rectangle Bet $5 Get $200 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins CLAIM BONUS 21+ (18+ D.C.) and present in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL IN, KS (in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino), KY, LA (excluding certain perishes), MA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV, or WY. Void where prohibited. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets that expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Data & text rates may apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit RG-help.com. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT). Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support (MA). Visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD). Call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY).21+ (18+ D.C.) and present in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL IN, KS (in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino), KY, LA (excluding certain perishes), MA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV, or WY. Void where prohibited. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets that expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Data & text rates may apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit RG-help.com. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT). Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support (MA). Visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD). Call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY).21+ (18+ D.C.) and present in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL IN, KS (in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino), KY, LA (excluding certain perishes), MA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV, or WY. Void where prohibited. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets that expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Data & text rates may apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit RG-help.com. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT). Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support (MA). Visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD). Call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). How to make 2025 Players Championship golf picks McDonald has locked in his best bets for the 2025 Players Championship and has also selected an epic longshot who’s priced over 160-1. This golfer has proven “he can get the job done no matter the field and no matter the stage.” You can only see the picks at SportsLine.
So which golfers should you target for the 2025 Players Championship, and which longshot could bring a huge payday of more than 160-1? Check out the 2025 Players Championship odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Patrick McDonald’s top picks for the 2025 Players Championship, all from the expert who has already hit three longshots this season.
2025 Players Championship odds, field See the full Players Championship picks, best bets and predictions here.
Scottie Scheffler +360 Rory McIlroy +800 Collin Morikawa +1600 Xander Schauffele +1600 Ludvig Aberg +2000 Justin Thomas +2000 Hideki Matsuyama +3000 Patrick Cantlay +3500 Tommy Fleetwood +3500 Shane Lowry +4000 Russell Henley +4500 Sungjae Im +5500 Sepp Straka +5500 Keegan Bradley +5500 Sam Burns +6000 Wyndham Clark +6000 Corey Conners +6500 Jason Day +6500 Maverick McNealy +6500 Tony Finau +7000 Viktor Hovland +7000 Si Woo Kim +7000 Daniel Berger +7000 Min Woo Lee +7500 Robert MacIntyre +7500 Jordan Spieth +8000 Tom Kim +8000 Will Zalatoris +8000 Brian Harman +9000 Taylor Pendrith +9000 Adam Scott +9000 J.T. Poston +10000 Sahith Theegala +10000 Denny Mccarthy +10000 Aaron Rai +10000 Kurt Kitayama +11000 Davis Thompson +11000 Doug Ghim +11000 Rickie Fowler +11000 J.J. Spaun +11000 Michael Kim +11000 Matt Fitzpatrick +11000 Akshay Bhatia +11000 Ben Griffin +11000 Christiaan Bezuidenhout +11000 Keith Mitchell +11000 Rasmus Hojgaard +12000 Max Greyserman +12000 Thomas Detry +12000 Byeong Hun An +12000 Samuel Stevens +15000 Stephan Jaeger +15000 Cameron Young +15000 Justin Rose +15000 Joe Highsmith +15000 Alex Smalley +15000 Seamus Power +15000
The season’s “fifth major” gets underway this week as the best and brightest from the PGA Tour travel to TPC Sawgrass for the 2025 Players Championship. Representing the 51st playing of the event, this week at the famous Pete Dye design will test every aspect of one’s game — physically and mentally.
It should come as no surprise that world No. 1 and two-time defending champion Scottie Scheffler tops the odds board at 9/2. Scheffler came into this tournament a year ago at a similar price, but that year, he had one win already under his belt having captured the Arnold Palmer Invitational just one week prior. This year, he enters as a two-time reigning champion seeking an immensely rare three-peat at a golf tournament.
Scheffler has yet to enter the winner’s circle this season, but Rory McIlroy has already hoisted a trophy. The world No. 2 is listed closely behind Scheffler at 7-1 as the two have combined to win three of the last the five Players with McIlroy’s title coming in 2019.
Justin Thomas joins the fun at 20-1 following a strong start to his season. Meanwhile, names like Wyndham Clark, Russell Henley, Sepp Straka and Jordan Spieth find themselves further down the odds board. They may be worthy of a wager considering their recent form.
CBS Sports has a full slate of Players Championship picks and predictions that you can review, along with Patrick McDonald’s list of the nine golfers who can actually win The Players this week. Let’s also take a look at the betting odds for the 2025 Players Championship via FanDuel Sportsbook.
2025 Players Championship odds, picks Favorites Scottie Scheffler: 9/2 Rory McIlroy: 7-1 Ludvig Åberg: 14-1 Collin Morikawa: 16-1 Xander Schauffele: 18-1 Justin Thomas: 18-1 Four of the last five Players Championships belong to this group with the outlier being Cameron Smith. Scheffler, McIlroy and Thomas have shown the ability to get the job done at TPC Sawgrass while Schauffele came agonizingly close last season. Morikawa brings the most intrigue, however, as he is in great form after a runner-up finish at Bay Hill and has a number of solid rounds at TPC Sawgrass.
Contenders Before the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Hideki Matsuyama was the only player in the below group to have won on the PGA Tour since the start of the 2024 season. With his win at Arnie’s Place, it was Russell Henley who joined the man from Japan and has our attention as the 35-year-old has been sensational to start the year. He has his entire game clicking right now and continues to put himself into weekend contention. Could he follow in Scheffler’s footsteps and go back-to-back at the Arnold Palmer and Players? There are a few contenders from last season’s championship including Wyndham Clark and Maverick McNealy. The latter missed the cut at the API but remains in fine form having finished runner-up at the Genesis Invitational and inside the top 10 at the WM Phoenix Open.
Hideki Matsuyama: 22-1 Patrick Cantlay: 22-1 Sungjae Im: 29-1 Russell Henley: 29-1 Shane Lowry: 29-1 Tommy Fleetwood: 29-1 Sam Burns: 33-1 Sungjae Im: 37-1 Sepp Straka: 41-1 Will Zalatoris: 41-1 Viktor Hovland: 41-1 Corey Conners: 45-1 Maverick McNealy: 45-1 Tom Kim: 50-1 Keegan Bradley: 50-1 Wyndham Clark: 50-1 Jason Day: 50-1 Daniel Berger: 50-1
2025 Players Championship predictions, picks, favorites: One of these nine golfers will win at TPC Sawgrass Patrick McDonald 2025 Players Championship predictions, picks, favorites: One of these nine golfers will win at TPC Sawgrass Sleepers Weird things can happen at TPC Sawgrass, so why not look in the direction of Jordan Spieth? The three-time major champion has two top-10 finishes in his first four starts since returning from offseason wrist surgery. He continues to drive the ball beautifully, and most importantly, he is making putts like vintage Spieth. If the iron play cooperates, he can be a factor.
Min Woo Lee: 60-1 Taylor Pendrith: 65-1 Robert MacIntyre: 65-1 Jordan Spieth: 65-1 Sahith Theegala: 65-1 Tony Finau: 65-1 Thomas Detry: 65-1 Harris English: 70-1 Adam Scott: 70-1 Byeong Hun An: 80-1 Cameron Young: 80-1 Aaron Rai: 80-1 Akshay Bhatia: 80-1 Max Homa: 80-1 Davis Thompson: 80-1 Si Woo Kim: 80-1 Rickie Fowler: 90-1 Longshots Nick Taylor: 100-1 Matt Fitzpatrick: 100-1 Billy Horschel: 100-1 Lee Hodges: 100-1 J.J. Spaun: 100-1 Harry Hall: 100-1 Brian Harman: 100-1 Max Greyserman: 100-1 Keith Mitchell: 100-1 Austin Eckroat: 100-1 Stephan Jaeger: 100-1 Justin Rose: 120-1 Christiaan Bezuidenhout: 120-1 Denny McCarthy: 120-1 Jhonattan Vegas: 120-1 Rasmus Hojgaard: 120-1 Charley Hoffman: 120-1 Nico Echavarria: 120-1 Niklas Norgaard: 120-1 Beau Hossler: 120-1 Lucas Glover: 120-1 Nick Dunlap: 120-1 Cam Davis: 120-1 J.T. Poston: 120-1 Kurt Kitayama: 120-1 Despite approaching 45 years of age, Rose can still keep up with the big boys on golf courses that require a solid strategy to navigate. TPC Sawgrass fits into that category and seems to fit the Englishman’s eye. He has five top 25s in the last nine Players Championships including a T6 just a couple seasons ago. Rose arrives off a solid performance at Bay Hill.
Rest of the field One player jumps off the page at this range with that being Doug Ghim. He may have zero PGA Tour victories, but he does have his fair share of success at TPC Sawgrass. Ghim will need to find his putter (and likely some luck) to contend, but we have seen him do it before. A top 10 or top 20 play may ultimately be the prudent option.
Taylor Moore: 150-1 Patrick Fishburn: 150-1 Kevin Yu: 150-1 Tom Hoge: 150-1 Matt Wallace: 150-1 Alex Noren: 150-1 Mark Hubbard: 150-1 Mackenzie Hughes: 150-1 Chris Kirk: 150-1 Doug Ghim: 180-1 Ryan Fox: 180-1 Thorbjorn Olesen: 180-1 Victor Perez: 180-1 Eric Cole: 180-1 Justin Lower: 180-1 Laurie Canter: 180-1 Jesper Svensson: 210-1 Matteo Manassero: 210-1 Jordan Smith: 210-1 Matt McCarty: 270-1 Max McGreevy: 270-1 Romain Langasque: 270-1 Erik van Rooyen: 270-1 Mattieu Pavon: 270-1 Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen: 270-1 Who will win The Players Championship, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard and best bets, all from the model that’s nailed 13 golf majors and is up nearly $9,000 since June 2020.
The Boston Celtics are one of the best teams in the league, and rightfully so. Their ability to be one of the most unselfish teams in the league makes them almost unstoppable. In an article by Celtics insider Noa Dalzell, multiple coaches couldn’t help but be impressed with their playstyle.
Erik Spoelstra, head coach of the Miami Heat, was impressed by their quick growth in between meetings. “‘They move the ball much better than they have in the past,’ Spoelstra said after the Celtics defeated the Heat earlier this month.”
Milwaukee Bucks and former Celtics head coach Doc Rivers was very impressed by their deep trust in one another to make huge, selfless plays. “They’ll pass until there’s one second on the clock to try to find someone. They did that a couple of times and that’s why they are what they are. That wasn’t them two years ago — and it is them now. That’s what makes them the champions.”
The final coach to sing praises of the Celtics was Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who had one thing to say: “They just seem like they care about winning more than anything else”.
The C’s are in second place in the East sitting at 20-5, and will face the Washington Wizards tomorrow at 6pm EST.
Anderson would provide great defense, and decent stats off the bench. For the Warriors, he’s averaging five points, three rebounds and two assists. Compared to Hauser, Anderson is also a better playmaker, which the Celtics like having.
Horford and the second-rounder would be near equal in salary to Anderson, and both teams could exchange some cash due to their huge payrolls. It would also help the Celtics get their young team even younger.
Should the C’s do this? Honestly, they probably should. They have the depth at center to lose Horford, and he’s only getting older. However, he is a fan favorite and still pretty efficient, so if they decide to not do it, it wouldn’t hurt them that much.
They have the supporting cast of a contender, just not the main piece. Embiid would be that guy for them.
FanSided outlined how a potential trade would work. It would most likely involve Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., and Jalen Green. Of course, draft capital would have to be included. It would also take some more contracts to match, like Jeff Green’s and Steven Adams.
The problem with a trade with the Rockets While the Rockets boast some intriguing young talent, Sengun and Green have poison-pill contracts. In other words, their extensions kick in next season.
Green will start the first year of a three-year, $105 million contract while Sengun will start the first year of a five-year, $185 million contract.
Other factors would be at play in a potential trade with the Rockets. Embiid just got hurt again shortly after admitting to a “depressing” injury history. The Rockets would have to ask themselves if he’s worth the injury risk.
Embiid has familiarity with Rockets coach Ime Udoka from Udoka’s time as an assistant with the Sixers. Udoka has helped the Rockets find their groove, and Embiid would vault them up a level on paper.
A trade like this would make sense if the Sixers decide they don’t want to have Embiid anymore. A deal could be reached here depending on what else the Rockets would offer.
Currently, the Sixers won’t think about this because they’ve got more pressing immediate problems. If they put Embiid on the market, the Rockets are a realistic trade partner.
“This trade offer from the Houston Rockets is an ambitious move to catapult themselves into championship contention,” Fadeaway World’s Eddie Bitar wrote Thursday.
“Jalen Green, the centerpiece of the package, is a dynamic scorer with star potential (19.5 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game), making him an appealing addition to the Lakers’ core while Dillon Brooks (12.8 points per game, 3.7 rebounds per game) brings elite defense on the perimeter.
“For Houston, acquiring LeBron James would pair him with a young roster including Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., and possibly Bronny James.”
“Adding LeBron’s leadership and championship pedigree could transform the Rockets into playoff threats instantly.”
“While losing Jalen Green stings for a franchise focused on the future, LeBron’s ability to elevate a team is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and expect head coach Ime Udoka to go after this trade at all costs if it is feasible.”
James will turn 40 on Dec. 30, but the four-time NBA champion still produces at an impressively high level.
In Year 22, James hasn’t lost the ability to overpower defenders in the lane, locate open teammates on the run, and occasionally drill nonchalant pull-back triples on the perimeter.
The 20-time All-Star averages 23.0 points, 9.1 assists, and 8.0 rebounds per game on a Lakers team attempting to turn the corner in mid-December.
With Green competing with D’Angelo Russell for the most erratic performer in the league award, it wouldn’t be asinine for the Rockets to enter win-now mode and trade for a franchise-elevating piece in James.
However, there’s a good chance the Rockets’ trade package for James wouldn’t move the needle for the Lakers, making it nearly impossible to complete a blockbuster deal.
“The Brooklyn Nets are facing a familiar conundrum when it comes to Ben Simmons,” Hoops Wire’s Sam Amici wrote Sunday. “His $40 million-plus expiring contract screams NBA trade chip, but actually moving it? That’s a different story.”
“According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Nets could explore flipping Simmons to a team looking to clear cap space for 2025. The idea? Sweeten the deal by attaching a promising young player or draft assets to entice Brooklyn into taking back a multiyear salary.”
“Sounds good in theory, right? But in practice, it’s complicated. Simmons has had flashes of his old self this season, but consistency remains the big question.”
“If you’re Brooklyn, you’re not just moving Simmons to move him. You’re looking for pieces that help you win now and keep an eye on the future.”
“The Nets are a team trying to stay competitive while building around a collection of solid role players. Taking on bad long-term contracts doesn’t exactly fit the script unless the sweetener is too good to pass up.”
“From the other side, teams looking to shed salary might find Simmons’ expiring deal attractive, but how many of those teams are willing to part with assets to make it happen?”
“Teams are already hesitant to move high-value picks or young players, especially with the new CBA tightening the screws on long-term cap management.”
“Bottom line: Brooklyn has options, but they’re not great ones. Simmons’ contract gives them some leverage, but not enough to expect a blockbuster return.”
“If a deal does materialize, it’ll likely involve Brooklyn absorbing some tough financial commitments. Whether that’s worth the potential assets coming back? That’s the $40 million question.”
“For now, the Nets will keep taking calls, but don’t expect fireworks unless someone blinks first.”
Before the start of the 2023-24 season, Simmons promised Nets fans he would eventually dominate opponents again.
Unfortunately, the 2016 lottery pick has been unable to replicate the success he enjoyed with the Philadelphia 76ers.
He’s averaging 5.1 points and 6.5 assists per game with the Nets this season and has sometimes looked out of place.
Simmons is still a decent playmaker who can quickly get downhill and force off-ball defenders to abandon their original assignments. Still, he isn’t the same player who was highly regarded coming out of college.
Expect the Nets to move on from the LSU product this season.
“The Knicks’ offer for LeBron James is a robust package of talent, defense, and draft capital,” Fadeaway World’s Eddie Bitar wrote Thursday.
“Mikal Bridges, a budding two-way star posting 16.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, gives the Lakers a player who can score efficiently, defend at an elite level, and fit seamlessly alongside Anthony Davis.”
“Josh Hart, with his hustle and versatility, brings energy and defensive intensity (13.9 points per game, 8.3 rebounds per game, 5.5 assists per game), while Mitchell Robinson provides rim protection and rebounding prowess to bolster the Lakers’ interior.”
“From the Knicks’ standpoint, this trade is the ultimate splash, pairing LeBron James with Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and OG Anunoby to form one of the most stacked lineups in recent memory.”
“LeBron’s leadership and playmaking could unlock new dimensions for the Knicks’ offense while giving them a legitimate shot at Eastern Conference supremacy over the Boston Celtics.”
“It’s a bold move for New York, but it aligns with their appetite for marquee names and high-pressure situations.”
“While the Knicks would miss Bridges’ versatility and Hart’s heart-and-soul energy, bringing The King to Madison Square Garden might finally end their decades-long championship drought.”
James isn’t in the MVP conversation to start the 2024-25 campaign, but he certainly isn’t a weak link on the disappointing 13-12 Lakers squad.
As a physically imposing 6-foot-9 forward who puts instant pressure on defenses when the ball is in his possession, James can still elevate a franchise with his awe-inspiring play on the hardwood.
The 20-time All-Star is one assist and two rebounds short of averaging a triple-double this season.
Bridges, a lengthy 6-foot-6 wing who can take on various offensive and defensive roles, is having an encouraging season in his own right, netting 17.0 points per contest on 48.1% shooting from the field.
While it would be interesting to watch James team up with Towns, Brunson, and Anunoby in New York, the Knicks’ frontcourt depth and bench production need the most attention.
