Golf
CJ Cup Byron Nelson 2025 Preview: Odds, Tips, and Predictions
A mainstay of the PGA Tour, the CJ Cup Byron Nelson comes into sharp focus this week, and the action gets underway at TPC Craig Ranch in Texas on Thursday, May 1. Last weekend saw a thrilling conclusion to the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a team event, as Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak joined forces to win the title, pipping the Hojgaard brothers (Nicolai and Rasmus) by one shot. All roads lead to the PGA Championship, the second major of the season at Quail Hollow in a couple of weeks. With that in mind, top golf betting sportsbooks will be stacked with prices, including pre-tournament betting odds and specials to provoke interest among punters.
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Taylor Pendrith of Canada//Getty Images
A mainstay of the PGA Tour, the CJ Cup Byron Nelson comes into sharp focus this week, and the action gets underway at TPC Craig Ranch in Texas on Thursday, May 1.
Last weekend saw a thrilling conclusion to the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a team event, as Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak joined forces to win the title, pipping the Hojgaard brothers (Nicolai and Rasmus) by one shot.
All roads lead to the PGA Championship, the second major of the season at Quail Hollow in a couple of weeks. With that in mind, top golf betting sportsbooks will be stacked with prices, including pre-tournament betting odds and specials to provoke interest among punters.
The CJ Cup Byron Nelson was first hosted in 1944, and Taylor Pendrith penned his name into the long-running tournament which carries a total prize purse of $9.9 million.
A Tom-Weiskopf course that opened in 2004, TPC Craig Ranch should provide a few birdie opportunities, and it plays as a par 71.
Nevertheless, of the key performance metrics this week, scrambling well could hold the key, as Pendrith and the 2023 champion Jason Day were in the top 10 for this stat.
But what should you look out for? We’ve been very thorough in providing golf stats for betting, as well as sharing golf tournament predictions for this event.
Pre-Tournament Betting Odds and Win Probability
To set the tone for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, we have scooted over to reliable online betting sites for inspiration.
The following golf betting odds reflect the players receiving the most backing ahead of the first round.
- Jordan Spieth – 20/1 (21.00) – 4.8%
- Sungjae Im – 20/1 (21.00) – 4.8%
- Odds courtesy of 1xBet, subject to change
Key Player Updates
Some golf betting sites like to keep punters clued up at every turn in the run-up to a tournament.
We’ve dug a little deeper and revealed some important performance stats this season of the key contenders who could make their mark this week.
| Attribute | Jordan Spieth | Sungjae Im | Taylor Pendrith |
| Age | 31 | 27 | 33 |
| World Ranking | 59 | 20 | 45 |
| Recent Wins | N/A | N/A | CJ Cup Byron Nelson |
| Driving Accuracy | 61.86% | 67.61% | 62.78% |
| Greens in Regulation | 65.20% | 64.21% | 70.76% |
| Putting Average | 1.729 | 1.696 | 1.775 |
Contender News
To contextualise our golf tournament preview, we have shone a light on the key contenders, exploring recent results and performances.
By checking this out, this can ultimately aid punters who want to master their golf betting strategies.
Jordan Spieth
Jordan Spieth may have a rather decorated CV with 13 PGA Tour wins to his name, including the Masters, but he has drifted over the past few seasons.
Okay, a wrist injury and back problems haven’t helped his cause, but he is arguably one of the household names in the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
Last year, Spieth missed the cut, but he will be hungry to prove his critics wrong. He has been trending in the right direction, and he’s coming off a T18 at the RBC Heritage. If he’s dialled in, then Spieth could end up having a very productive week.
Sungjae Im
Sungjae Im is arguably one of the most talented players on the Tour, and it’s perhaps perplexing that he has only recorded two career wins to date.
He has a very measured swing, and he has all the ingredients to claim a Major. Back to the here and now, and he may not be high in the table as he would hope for scrambling (55) or SG: Putting (38), but he can turn on the style and get on the birdie trail.
The South Korean is overdue a victory, and after a T11 at the RBC Heritage, he could go low this week.
Taylor Pendrith
Golf bookmakers may not be backing him as much as we thought they would, but Taylor Pendrith is the reigning champion, so that has to count something, right?
Pendrith was brilliant last year, finishing on -23, and claiming a cheque for $1.7 million. The Canadian ranks second for SG: Off-the-Tee, and his best performance came in Texas last month, finishing T5 at the Children’s Houston Open.
Naturally, Pendrith will want to rekindle some good memories this week, and you wouldn’t want to overlook him.
Suggested Bets
It’s now time to head back to the best betting sites for golf and pick out three suggested bets that could be worth adding to your slips.
Sungjae Im to win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson – While success has eluded him more recently, Sungjae Im is a class act, and he could blow this field out of the water if he’s dialled in and impeccable from tee to green. There are birdie opportunities to be had, and he could well end up on top of the pile (20/1 with Betandyou).
Jordan Spieth to claim a top-10 finish – Jordan Spieth is one of the good guys on the PGA Tour, and we’re always willing him to do well. Just one missed cut this term from nine appearances is pretty decent, and he’s building up some form ahead of the US PGA Championship. Whether he will step into the winner’s circle this weekend remains to be seen, but a top-10 finish represents good value (13/1 with 1xBet).
Byeong-Hun An to lead after Round 2: By the end of Round 2, the cut line will be drawn going into the weekend’s play. Byeong-Hun An may still be awaiting his first PGA Tour win, but he has been showing glimpses of what he can produce. There have been a couple of top-20 finishes, and the course this week may suit his game. Rather than go for the Round 1 leader market, we’ve gone with An to sit at the summit of the leaderboard after the second round which could be worth unlocking (23/1 with Betandyou).
Tournament Prediction
The CJ Cup Byron Nelson always makes for interesting viewing, and as mentioned, it forms a key part of the US PGA Championship preparations. Jordan Spieth would be a popular pick among punters in terms of golf betting tips given what he’s achieved in his career, even if the past couple of seasons have been lean by his high standards.
Taylor Pendrith, meanwhile, will have a target on his back as the defending champion, and there will be pressure on him to recapture the heights of 12 months ago.
Given recent performances and stats such as driving accuracy and even sand saves, Sungjae Im’s all-around game appears to be more cohesive than that of Pendrith and Spieth, and it wouldn’t be a shock if he ended his long wait for a win. Therefore, we are going with the South Korean to clinch the CJ Cup Byron Nelson this weekend.
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Charles Perrin is a highly experienced sports betting content writer with over six years of working with some of the leading sportsbooks in the UK, including bet365 and William Hill.