Aldrich Potgieter recently clinched victory at the Rocket Classic in a thrilling five-hole playoff and is eager to continue his success at the 2025 John Deere Classic. At just 20 years old, he has made history as the youngest South African winner on the PGA TOUR, overcoming Max Greyserman and Chris Kirk during the playoff. Currently, Potgieter is a 40-1 longshot in the odds for the 2025 John Deere Classic, while Ben Griffin leads as the favorite at 16-1. Griffin, a two-time PGA Tour champion this season, secured wins at both the Zurich Classic and the Charles Schwab Challenge. He finished T-5 at last year’s John Deere Classic, holding odds of +320 to finish in the top five again this week.
Jason Day, fresh off a T-4 finish at the Travelers Championship, is next on the PGA odds board with 22-1 odds. The field for the 2025 John Deere Classic includes six past champions, among them Davis Thompson, who won last year. Thompson’s remarkable performance included a record-low score of -28 at the John Deere Classic, with odds of 35-1 for a repeat victory. He is also 50-1 to be the round leader after the first day. Thompson will tee off alongside Day and Lucas Glover at 1:49 p.m. ET on Thursday. Be sure to check out golf expert Eric Cohen’s predictions and top bets for the 2025 John Deere Classic.
Eric Cohen, who hosts the Early Wedge Best Bets Show on SportsLine’s YouTube channel, is a passionate golf bettor with a solid track record of predicting pre-tournament outright winners in eight tournaments over the last three seasons. He accurately forecasted Justin Thomas for the 2025 RBC Heritage and Ben Griffin for the Charles Schwab Challenge. Followers of his betting picks have seen remarkable returns on various betting platforms.
Cohen has specifically concentrated on the 2025 John Deere Classic lineup and has finalized his preferred bets and sleeper picks. His insights, including a projected leaderboard from a computer model that has gained over $8,500 since 2020 on best bets, can be viewed on SportsLine.
Top Picks for the 2025 John Deere Classic
One notable pick from Cohen is Jake Knapp at 40-1 odds (risking $100 for a potential win of $4,000). After a strong showing at the Rocket Classic, Knapp finished significantly ahead of the competition from Friday to Sunday. He ranks eighth in birdie average on the PGA Tour, making him a prime candidate for success in this birdie-friendly event.
Prior to his win at the Rocket Classic, Knapp faced challenges, including a T27 finish at the RBC Canadian Open and two missed cuts. However, his impressive rankings in birdie average, putting, and scoring average indicate strong potential this weekend, particularly at such attractive odds. For additional recommendations, visit the provided link.
On the flip side, Cohen is steering clear of Si Woo Kim, a four-time PGA Tour winner who is another favorite this week. Kim withdrew from the Travelers Championship due to a back issue and has struggled lately, finishing outside the top 80 at the Rocket Classic with rounds of 75-73. His lack of top-five finishes this year and rankings that place him near the bottom of the Tour in putting and birdie average lead Cohen to believe it’s wiser to bet against him rather than for him. More information on who else to fade is also available.
Making Your 2025 John Deere Classic Picks
Cohen has made his best bets for the 2025 John Deere Classic and identified a golfer with 70-1 odds who has achieved at least -18 under par in five tournaments since 2024. Explore SportsLine for complete access to Cohen’s picks.
Which golfers should you consider for the 2025 John Deere Classic, and which longshots might yield considerable returns? Check out the latest odds below, then visit SportsLine to view Eric Cohen’s top recommendations, who has already successfully predicted winners like Justin Thomas and Ben Griffin this season.
2025 John Deere Classic Odds:
Ben Griffin +1600
Jason Day +2200
Denny McCarthy +2800
Si Woo Kim +3000
J.T. Poston +3300
Sungjae Im +3500
Luke Clanton +3500
Davis Thompson +3500
Michael Thorbjornsen +3500
Jake Knapp +3500
Aldrich Potgieter +4000
Sam Stevens +4000
Kevin Yu +4000
Thorbjørn Olesen +4000
Chris Kirk +3500
More odds available online.
