Honda Classic Picks, Predictions, Odds 2023: Sungjae Im, Shane Lowry Favorites in Thin Field

In the wake of the WM Phoenix Open and The Genesis Invitational, we have a very thin 144-man field for this week's Honda Classic to begin the PGA Tour's Florida swing. Check out below for our top 2023 Honda Classic picks based on the best golf odds.

Golf bettors rejoice! New world No. 1 Jon Rahm, Max Homa, and many more of the rest of the world's top golfers are taking a break following the WM Phoenix Open and The Genesis Invitational elevated events. That leaves the door open for a potential long-shot winner for the Honda Classic at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Rahm's victory at Riviera Country Club last week returned him to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) with his fifth international victory in his last nine events. That was the second straight change atop the OWGR after Scottie Scheffler usurped Rory McIlroy with his win on Super Bowl Sunday. Sungjae Im and Billy Horschel, entering the week ranked Nos. 18 and 19 in the OWGR, respectively, are the top-ranked golfers in this week's 144-man field. Sepp Straka looks to defend his 2022 Honda Classic title.

Check out our top Honda Classic picks as we preview the tournament and assess the odds from our best sportsbooks.  

Honda Classic picks

• Shane Lowry (+1600 via BetMGM)
• Harris English (+3700 via FanDuel)
• Lee Hodges (+5500 via Caesars)

Honda Classic odds 2023

Check out our Masters odds, Players Championship odds, and PGA Championship odds.

PGA National course profile

Par: 70
Length: 7,125 yards
Greens: Bermuda
Architect: George and Tom Fazio with renovations by Jack Nicklaus

Water is the theme of PGA National with prominent hazards on 10 holes, including each of the final four, with Nos. 15-17 known as The Bear Trap. Just four holes played below par last year as Straka won by a single stroke over Lowry at minus-10. Only four golfers finished with a 72-hole score better than 4-under par.

Each of the two par 5s, coming in at 538 and 556 yards, played below par in 2022. The only other hole with a sub-par scoring average was the 365-yard, par-4 opening hole. That's one of three par 4s at PGA National shorter than 400 yards and just one exceeds 500 yards (508). The most common range is 400-450 yards with five such holes. The most difficult hole last year was the 479-yard, par-4 sixth with a scoring average of 4.378.

Coming into the 2023 Honda Classic, PGA National's Champion course underwent some renovations which saw the removal or reduction of several bunkers. 

Honda Classic key stats

• Strokes gained: off-the-tee (distance)
• SG: around-the-green
• SG: approach
• Scrambling
• Bogey avoidance
• Proximity 125-150 yards

Due to the common threat of water at PGA National, we're prioritizing bogey avoidance in search of those in the field best equipped to stay out of trouble. Distance needs to be prioritized over accuracy when looking at strokes gained: off-the-tee. SG: around-the-green works in combination with scrambling percentage, and SG: approach needs to be considered as always, especially in the key range of 125-150 yards.

The fairways at PGA National are narrow but the rough isn't overly difficult, so long as tee shots aren't too wayward. 

Honda Classic picks and predictions

Shane Lowry (+1600 via BetMGM)

Lowry is second by the consensus odds to win this week but is the third-highest ranked golfer in the field by the OWGR. Last year's runner-up in the Honda Classic, Lowry's coming off a strong T-14 result at The Genesis Invitational that bumped him up to No. 20 in the OWGR.

In last week's performance, Lowry averaged 1.81 strokes gained: tee-to-green on the field per round and lost strokes only on the greens. He gained 1.00 strokes per round with his putter on PGA National's Bermuda putting surfaces last year, so there's good reason to believe he can correct that weakness.

Surprisingly, the odds for Lowry to win the Honda Classic have ticked up across the market since Monday's opening lines. It's tough to see odds better than the +1600 available as of Tuesday afternoon coming this week once the recreational betting handle comes in.

Harris English (+3700 via FanDuel)

English enters the week at No. 73 in the OWGR after a 2021-22 season that was largely lost to injury. He improved from No. 90 in the world with a T-12 finish against the much stronger field at Riviera last week. While his 2.21 SG: putting per round gets the lion's share of the credit for that promising result, it could be the confidence boost he needs while returning to a familiar venue.

English made the cut at the Honda Classic in four consecutive appearances from 2017 to 2020 but didn't play either of the past two years. Those made cuts resulted in finishes of T-12 and T-17 in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Once ranked as high as 10th in the OWGR and a two-time winner when last healthy in 2021, English's injuries are giving us a very appealing price in this weak field. It too longer than I expected in this field this week but the odds for English to win the Honda Classic finally fell overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning. FanDuel's offering the best remaining price but I wouldn't bet anything lower than +3500.

Lee Hodges (+5000 via PointsBet)

Hodges is the third top-20 finisher from last week's elite field who I'm targeting with my Honda Classic picks. Like Lowry and English, he also has course history on his side with a T-9 finish at PGA National in his tournament debut last year.

Both last year and last week, Hodges was strong in SG: approach and SG: putting, and he's averaging 0.50 true strokes gained off-the-tee per round across his last seven measured rounds. He's 58th on the PGA Tour this season in bogey avoidance and 30th in scrambling, as well as 39th in proximity from 125-150 yards.

With odds as low as +4600 via FanDuel for Hodges to win the Honda Classic, the +5000 via PointsBet remains very enticing.

Honda Classic expert picks

Honda Classic expert picks made by Esten McLaren, Neil Parker, and Shane Jackson.

Honda Classic outright picks

Harris English (+3700 via FanDuel)

As discussed above, I love targeting English in this odds range. The fact the odds have started to fall as we get closer to Thursday's first round is further encouragement.

A two-time winner in 2021, English battled injuries throughout 2022. He's back up to No. 73 in the OWGR following a strong T-12 showing at last week's Genesis Invitational. That has him as the 14th-ranked golfer in this field.

English also had back-to-back top-20 finishes in this event in 2019 and 2020 before skipping the 2021 and 2022 tournaments. With last week serving as a confidence boost, this venue, this field, and these odds serve as the ideal time to bet on English before his odds fall for good. - McLaren

Min Woo Lee (+3000 via DraftKings)

Considering the 24-year-old Aussie is trading as low as +1500 through Caesars, I’m interested in him at the inflated odds available via DraftKings and PointsBet. The +3000 offers a 95% positive expected value over the number through Caesars, and I’m happy to back a player on the rise in a shallow field.

Lee ranks 47th in the OWGR, and his short game stands among the best in this field in true SG: putting (second) and SG: around-the-green (14th) across his past 29 measured rounds. Ranking seventh in SG: tee-to-green and second in distance further sweetens the deal.

Plus, Lee already has two career wins on the DP World Tour and five top-five finishes across his past eight worldwide starts. He also showed well at three of the four majors last season with a T-14 at the Master, T-27 at the U.S. Open, and T-21 at The Open Championship. - Parker

Aaron Wise (+2500 via FanDuel)

Last week, I felt like I had a good read on the board and was engaged throughout The Genesis Invitational from Thursday through Sunday. This week’s Honda Classic could be the complete opposite of that, but one thing that would interest me is if Wise came through with a victory.

Wise has just one career win under his belt, but I think he has a good shot this weekend. He knows how to navigate water hazards, which is why he’s made the weekend in three of his last four visits to PGA National and finished T-13 in 2021. 

Wise has missed back-to-back cuts, but that has just given us better odds on the 26-year-old in this field. Take advantage of FanDuel’s 25/1 listing, as every other sportsbook is sitting at 22/1 or shorter on my pick to win this year’s Honda Classic. - Jackson

Honda Classic long-shot picks

Aaron Rai (+7000 via FanDuel)

The majority of the trouble at PGA National is off the right side of the fairways. This sets up well for Rai, who ranks third in this field over everyone's last 24 measured rounds in avoiding drives that miss to the right.

The Englishman debuted in this event with a lackluster T-66 finish last year, but that was against a considerably stronger field. He made the cut in each of his last three events, improving each time out up to a T-29 result against last week's elite field. Rai has also gained strokes off the tee, on approach, and around the greens over his last 11 measured rounds. - McLaren

Joseph Bramlett (+5500 via FanDuel)

This will be Bramlett’s third trip to PGA National, and while he failed to play the weekend in his first two treks around the track, his opening round 66 two years ago caught my attention. Add his ball-striking statistics and distance off the tee, and he was an easy addition to my light portfolio from this run-of-the-mill field.

Bramlett ranks fourth in driving distance and fifth in true SG: tee-to-green in this field across his past 28 measured rounds. His weakness has been with the putter, but high-end work on the greens hasn’t been a requirement to contend here in recent years.

The results this season have also been solid for Bramlett. He has made the cut in nine of 11 events with two top-10 showings and another two top-15 finishes, including a T-7 at Pebble Beach two weeks ago. Landing the +5500 odds available through FanDuel and Caesars also presents an expected positive value of 12% over the +5000 number via DraftKings, BetMGM, and PointsBet. - Parker

Joseph Bramlett (+5500 via Caesars)

I think I bet on Bramlett for a month straight at the start of last year, so I’m not about to go away from him when this field is so weak and I’m simply picking all my favorites. But it certainly helps that Bramlett is playing extremely solid golf right now.

Bramlett finished T-7 at Pebble Beach last time out, which followed a T-13 finish at the Farmers. He has made the weekend in seven consecutive events, with his last missed cut coming in early November. Bramlett ranks 14th in this field in SG: tee-to-green over the last 50 measured rounds, so he is certainly capable of getting his first PGA Tour win this weekend.

Bramlett is listed at 50/1 everywhere in the outright market except Caesars and FanDuel, where he is going off at 55/1. Make sure to get the best possible price in an event where a long shot could get home. - Jackson

Honda Classic prop picks

Will Gordon: First-round leader (+6500 via FanDuel)

Gordon skipped this event last year but tied for 36th in his professional debut at PGA National in 2021. He ranks third on the PGA Tour and second in this field with a first-round scoring average of 67.82 through 11 events this season, and he opened the 2021 Honda Classic with a first round of 3-under 67.

Gordon's strength is his play off the tee and his distance, in particular. He's been off for two weeks after withdrawing from the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am following missed cuts at The American Express and the Farmers Insurance Open, so he should be entering this week rested and fresh. - McLaren

Shane Lowry: Top GB and Ireland player (+280 via FanDuel)

I’m looking for creative ways to add to my Lowry outright ticket. The Irishman was on my betting card last week at the Genesis, and at this event last season when he slipped in the rain and finished runner-up. It was the fifth time he played the weekend in five trips to PGA National, too.

This nationality prop market stands out because we’re landing an elevated number through FanDuel. Lowry is trading as low as +200 to be the low-scorer from Great Britain and Ireland via DraftKings, which is interestingly the same number for him to post a top-10 finish through the book.

For reference, FanDuel also has Lowry listed at +200 for a top-10 finish. I prefer Lowry against nine other players at +280 considerably more than him having to finish in the top 10 out of a field of 144 – especially considering the dead-heat rules for placement markets at both shops. Plus, the +280 number presents a positive expected value of 27%. - Parker

Byeong Hun An to finish top 10 (+550 via FanDuel)

An is going to make my outright card as a long shot, but I couldn’t recommend readers tailing that in good faith. I could just picture the mean comments I’d receive whenever An missed a putt this weekend, which will probably happen a lot. An might not be a flat stick wizard, but he still has a pretty strong reputation at the Honda Classic. 

An finished T-4 in this event in 2020 and T-5 in 2018. After not making the trip here last year and missing the cut in 2021, An could find himself back near the top of the leaderboard this weekend. An has made the weekend in four consecutive events, including a T-12 at the Sony Open, so he has strong form coming in.

We hit on Max Homa to finish inside the top 10 last weekend, so we are going back to that prop here. At FanDuel, you can get +550 odds on An to finish inside the top 10. Just don’t yell at me when he misses some putts. - Jackson

Honda Classic info

When: Thursday, Feb. 23 - Sunday, Feb. 26
Where: PGA National Resort (The Champion), Palm Beach Gardens, FL
How to watch: Golf Channel, NBC, Peacock

Recent Honda Classic winners

How to watch the Honda Classic

The Honda Classic will be broadcasted on Golf Channel and NBA, with PGA Tour Live streaming exclusive early-round coverage.

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