2025 PGA Tour Golf Bets: The American Express Final Thoughts, Betting Card, OAD

,
Written By John Haslbauer | Last Updated
american express bets

Coachella lineups may have just been announced, but the party starts now in Coachella Valley. The PGA Tour’s best make their way to PGA West in Coachella Valley for the 2025 American Express. Let’s dive into my American Express bets.

As a two-time winner of this event, Jon Rahm, famously explained, this event is one of the most extreme examples of a putting contest on the PGA Tour. It removes the skillset needed from tee to green on a short and easy setup that ultimately boils down to who can sink the most putts. While common to see longshot winners in this event, the favorites have performed well, too, whether it be Rahm’s two aforementioned wins or Patrick Cantlay’s runner-up finish in 2021.

In short, PGA West offers a lot of randomness due to the easy conditions and persistent water hazards on the Stadium Course. So with less conviction, it lends itself to a more expansive outright card and DFS player pool.

Ahead, we’ll go through all the bets I’ve placed for the 2025 American Express.

Click on any of the American Express odds below for the best available prices at sportsbooks in your state. Navigate to my longshots post for more golf DFS picks and considerations.

New Underdog & PrizePicks Promo Codes: $100 Bonus For 2025

Click PLAY NOW and use the promo code “THELINES” at sign-up to get your first deposit matched up to $100. Underdog and PrizePicks offer golf, football, basketball, baseball, and other daily contests.

Claim Your $1,000 Bonus at Underdog Fantasy Today
1
UP TO $1,000
In Bonus Cash
Get up to $1,000 in Bonus Cash
PLUS a Pick’Em Special on Deposit
Win Up to 100x Your Entry in a Single Night
Use Bonus Code: THELINES

HOW I BUILT MY American Express BETTING CARD

Hard to have too much conviction going into an event in which the reigning champion entered as a non-professional golfer. The American Express has also produced four winners at 200-1+ odds over the last six years. While two courses in the three-course rotation (La Quinta CC, Nicklaus Tournament Course) offer no resistance or penalty for misfires off the tee, the Stadium Course is one to reward accurate driving. Considering half the rounds this week will take place at the Stadium Course, I’ve found myself gravitating to players who are elite on approach, have spike putting upside as demonstrated in comparable birdie fests, and are capable of dialing back their driving on positional courses to avoid trouble.

In terms of unit allocations for my card, it’s back to business as usual, minus first-round leaders and matchups due to the quirky three-course rotation.

  • Outrights — 3.5U in to pay 25U each
  • Placements — 1.5U in to pay 3U+ each

The American Express Bets: OUTRIGHTS (3.5 UNITS)

For PGA Tour DFS picks and longshot bet considerations, check out my golf sleepers for the American Express.

Patrick Cantlay

My bet: +2000
Best available odds: Patrick Cantlay +60000 on FanDuel

My official pick to win this week is Patrick Cantlay. The pendulum has swung too far against Cantlay at this point, as a winless season seems to have overshadowed his usual elite form across facets of the game. Cantlay comes to La Quinta amid a stretch of eight consecutive top-25 finishes.

Somewhat of a pro-am specialist, when the rounds get slower, Cantlay gets better. That’s evidenced by his top-five course history both here and at Pebble Beach. He’ll set out to add to his total of three top-10 finishes at this event over his last five trips.

Eric Cole

My bet: +5500
Best available odds: Eric Cole +500000 on DraftKings

If golf was played from fairway to green, Eric Cole would likely already be a multiple winner on the PGA Tour. Unfortunately, his shortcomings off the tee have held him back from contending every week. But second-shot courses like PGA West cater best to Cole’s strengths.

After a strong fall swing that included three top-15 finishes, Cole has kept his foot on the gas in 2025, looking strong at the Sony Open with a T5 finish last week.

Will Zalatoris

My bet: +5500
Best available odds: Will Zalatoris +500000 on DraftKings

Not exactly the type of player I saw myself gravitating to in an event that has primarily rewarded random spike putting performances, but this number is simply too long for me to pass up. Despite his reputation on the greens, Zalatoris is an elite birdie-maker in this field, a credit to his supreme ball-striking ability. He was a T6 finisher at The American Express in 2022. This event may serve as a launching pad for a special season ahead for one of the PGA Tour’s brightest young stars.

Ben Griffin

My bet: +6000
Best available odds: Ben Griffin +500000 on DraftKings

A similar profile to Eric Cole, and I tend to like both players for the same reasons in these types of setups. That is, second-shot courses where spike approach play and putting are what’s needed for separation. Griffin’s done his best work on short, easy courses, ranking No. 8 in comp course history and No. 6 overall in my model.

Adam Hadwin

My bet: +8000
Best available odds: Adam Hadwin +500000 on DraftKings

As the rule goes, if you’ve shot 59 on a course before, I’m always going to want to bet you every single time you return to that course in perpetuity. Such is the case with Adam Hadwin, who reached the sacred sub-60 society here at this event in 2017. Hadwin is a proven winner on the PGA Tour who thrives in birdie-fests given his combined approach and putting skill.

Despite ending the 2024 season on a downswing, Hadwin should take motivation from his countrymate’s victory at the Sony Open last week and head to the perfect get-right spot at this comfort course.

Harris English

My bet: +12500
Best available odds: Harris English +500000 on DraftKings

My favorite value on the board this week, Harris English may prove a sleeping giant in this field. He’s demonstrated great recent form with three top-15 finishes over his last five starts and has proven comfortable in this event with just one missed cut over eight career appearances. He’s looking to improve on his career-best finish of T11 here back in 2018.

Andrew Putnam

My bet: +12500
Best available odds: Andrew Putnam +500000 on DraftKings

A native Californian who, like many others on my betting card, seems to only find himself in contention when the premium of SG: OTT is removed, we’re getting a great value here with Andrew Putnam this far down the board. Putnam has now made the cut here in seven consecutive appearances, including four top-20s over that stretch. He embodies the profile I’m looking for in a value bet this week, as he ranks top 15 in both SG: APP and SG: putting.

Matt McCarty

My bet: +20000
Best available odds: Matt McCarty +500000 on DraftKings

We’ve had to pump the brakes just a bit on McCarty’s potential stardom on tour, as he’s looked human since picking up his first career PGA Tour win at the Black Desert Championship over the fall. Regardless of his results over his last few starts since, it’s hard to ignore the ceiling of a player like McCarty, who has won four times in the last six months between the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour.

Henrik Norlander

My bet: +25000
Best available odds: Henrik Norlander +500000 on DraftKings

Norlander has found his name atop the leaderboard regularly in one-round increments; he’s just struggled to piece four good rounds together in a tournament. In a setup like this, I’ll happily take the birdie-making ceiling, as Norlander has proven to suit the course well with a T12 finish here in 2021.

Paul Peterson

My bet: +30000
Best available odds: Paul Peterson +500000 on DraftKings

This seasoned rookie played himself onto the radar of many PGA Tour fans at the Sony Open last week, finishing T10 in his first start of 2025. A former winner on both the DP World Tour and Korn Ferry Tour, Peterson enters this week on a stretch of three consecutive top-25 finishes.

Francesco Molinari

My bet: +75000
Best available odds: Francesco Molinari +250000 on DraftKings

Based purely on course history and long-term pedigree, I can’t pass up the former major champion at these odds, considering he’s finished top-10 in each of his last two trips to The American Express. The form isn’t great, but a T17 two starts ago at the Bermuda Championship suggests there’s still some left in the tank for the Italian veteran.

Underdog Fantasy First-Round Golf Drafts Now Open

TheLines is partnering with Underdog Fantasy this season. Create a new account on the Underdog Fantasy app and sign up with promo code THELINES to get up to a $100 deposit match on your first deposit. Underdog snake drafts include PGA Tour contests that strip away the complexity of traditional DFS lineup-making. John’s golf picks may provide valuable sleepers for your Underdog golf drafts.

The American Express Bets: props (1.5 UNITS)

For PGA Tour DFS picks and longshot bet considerations, check out my golf sleepers for the American Express.

Top-20 Finish: Harris English

My bet: +350
Best available odds: Harris English +3500 on DraftKings

A polished all-around player in a field where those aren’t so easy to find, English has many avenues to get to the top 20 here, whether it be relying on his superior ball-striking or a hot putter that has won him tournaments like the Travelers in the past. He’s missed the cut just once in eight career appearances, suggesting a high floor this week.

Top-20 Finish: Henrik Norlander

My bet: +450
Best available odds: Henrik Norlander +20000 on DraftKings

A bit more volatile than English, Norlander’s upside is appealing here as a bona fide birdie maker. He’ll just need to piece four solid rounds together to stay inside the top 20.

Top-20 Finish: Francesco Molinari

My bet: +1200
Best available odds: Francesco Molinari +25000 on FanDuel

If you’re going to bet a player at 750-1 odds, it’s usually a pretty good idea to take some placement insurance, too. Molinari will look to make it three straight top-10 finishes at the American Express this week.

One And Done

My pick: Patrick Cantlay

The OAD season is off to a slow start after Byeong Hun An’s early exit from the Sony Open. So, while the American Express is exactly the type of event where you don’t have to pay up for an elite player at this event, I’m going the contrarian route with Cantlay, whom I don’t feel I need to save for more premium events like the majors or The Players Championship.

If not Cantlay, I would also consider Eric Cole, Ben Griffin, or Adam Hadwin.

Best of luck with all of your American Express bets!

The American Express: THE BETTING CARD

That’ll do it for this week’s PGA Tour golf bets. Best of luck this week with your own American Express bets, and see you next Sunday for the Farmers Insurance Open preview. For more, follow TheLines on Twitter.

The American Express ODDS

Compare odds before making your PGA Tour golf bets this week by using the table below. Click the odds to bet now.

Latest Golf Betting News

Photo by AP/Fred Beckham

RELATED ARTICLES