PGA Betting: 6 Picks for the John Deere Classic
The PGA TOUR heads to TPC Deere Run this week for one of the easiest scoring tests of the season, where birdies - and plenty of them - will be required to contend. With many of the sport's biggest names taking the week off ahead of The Open Championship, bettors have a wide-open board featuring contenders like Ben Griffin, Chris Gotterup, J.T. Poston and Rickie Fowler.
TPC Deere Run rewards precision, hot irons and an even hotter putter, with winning scores regularly soaring past 20-under par. Here are six of the best bets to target at the 2026 John Deere Classic.
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change. DraftKings does not sponsor this content.
Emiliano Grillo First-Round Leader (+7600)
Grillo has become a Thursday specialist, and that's exactly what you want in the First-Round Leader market. He's fired opening 64s in two of his last four starts and has twice finished runner-up at TPC Deere Run, including a playoff loss. With his ball-striking trending up and this course producing birdie after birdie, Grillo has a great chance to come out firing and own the early lead.
Blades Brown Top-20 Finish (+220)
Brown has nothing to lose and everything to gain. The 19-year-old phenom already accepted a PGA TOUR Special Temporary Membership, so he can attack TPC Deere Run without looking over his shoulder. Brown has been one of the best birdie-makers on easy-scoring courses and his elite iron play is a perfect fit for this layout. In a wide-open field, don't be surprised if the teenager crashes the leaderboard with another top-20 finish.
Jacob Bridgeman Top-10 Finish (+280)
Bridgeman is a great bounce-back candidate for a top-10 finish. Last week's final result looks ugly, but his ball-striking over the weekend was among the best in the field. Now he heads back to TPC Deere Run, where he finished fifth a year ago. With his irons heating up and one of the TOUR's best putters in his bag, Bridgeman has all the tools to make another serious run at the leaderboard.
Jackson Koivun Top-5 Finish (+530)
Koivun is a bold top-five bet, but the talent is impossible to ignore. The rising star has finished inside the top six in each of his last three non-major PGA TOUR starts and already posted a T11 at TPC Deere Run as an amateur. He followed that by holding his own with a T23 at the U.S. Open. Koivun has shown he belongs, and this feels like the perfect stage for another breakthrough performance.
Tom Kim to Win (+3500)
Kim looks ready to end his win drought. Fresh off a third-place finish at the U.S. Open, the young star heads to TPC Deere Run with confidence, elite iron play and a game built for this type of birdie fest. All three of Kim's PGA TOUR victories have come on shorter, scoreable courses just like this one. If he keeps hitting fairways and stuffing approach shots, don't be surprised if he's holding the trophy Sunday.
Johnny Keefer to Win (+5900)
Keefer is the kind of long shot that can make your betting card look genius. His irons have been on fire, including a massive approach performance at the U.S. Open, and now he heads to a course that rewards exactly that skill set. TPC Deere Run is the perfect place for a young ball-striker to break through. If Keefer finds even an average week with the putter, he has the talent to shock this field.
One-and-Done Play of the Week
If you play in a One-and-Done league, the idea is simple: You get to use each golfer once all season, so picking the right spot matters.
Ben Griffin is the perfect One-and-Done play if you've been saving him for the right spot. He's one of the hottest golfers on TOUR, fresh off another top-10 finish, and now gets a weaker field at a course where he already owns a T5. Griffin has been beating stronger competition for weeks, so this feels like an ideal opportunity to cash in. With his confidence soaring and his all-around game clicking, don't be surprised if he's lifting the trophy on Sunday.
Last Week's Result
Travelers: Thomas - T-14: $310,000
Season Total: $6,378,415
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This story was originally published July 1, 2026 at 5:23 AM.