The professional golf circuit’s Florida segment commences this Thursday with the 2026 Cognizant Classic, hosted at the PGA National Champion Course in the Palm Beaches. Following two high-profile Signature Events, the roster for the Cognizant Classic notably lacks numerous prominent figures, yet it still includes former major champions like Shane Lowry and Brooks Koepka, the latter competing in his third tournament since returning to the PGA Tour this season.
According to recent betting lines for the 2026 Cognizant Classic from FanDuel Sportsbook, Ryan Gerard and Shane Lowry are jointly favored at +1600. Koepka’s odds stand at +3300, having failed to make the cut at his preceding competition, the WM Phoenix Open. Prior to finalizing any selections for the 2026 Cognizant Classic, or engaging in PGA daily fantasy sports on platforms such as FanDuel or DraftKings, it is advisable to consult the golf forecasts and anticipated standings generated by SportsLine’s established computational model.
The exclusive model developed by SportsLine, crafted by DFS expert Mike McClure, has performed 10,000 simulations of each PGA Tour competition, yielding golf wagering recommendations consistently demonstrating substantial profitability.
This identical analytical system has also accurately predicted an impressive 16 major tournaments leading up to the current weekend, encompassing the 2025 Masters – marking its fourth consecutive Masters prediction – alongside the PGA Championship and Open Championship for the current year. Individuals who have adhered to its sports wagering suggestions would have experienced significant financial gains on gambling platforms.
With the competitor list for the 2026 Cognizant Classic now finalized, the computational framework ran the event through 10,000 simulations, producing unexpected outcomes. Access SportsLine without delay to view the anticipated ranking of players.
Forecasts for the 2026 Cognizant Classic
A significant unforeseen prediction from the model for the 2026 Cognizant Classic indicates that Lowry, who is this week’s joint top contender and the victor of the 2019 Open Championship, is not expected to place within the top three. He is identified as a player to bet against this week. Lowry has not secured a solo title on the PGA Tour since his major championship win, although he did partner with Rory McIlroy to claim the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2024. His T8 finish at Pebble Beach earlier in the current month represented his initial top-10 placement since May of 2025. Discover other players to disregard here.
Additionally, the model unexpectedly shows strong confidence in Daniel Berger, currently a +2700 outsider, suggesting he could be a top-six competitor even though he is not listed among the top ten favorites. Berger has had difficulties in his last two competitions, yet he has managed two top-20 placements this season, one at the Sony Open and another at the WM Phoenix Open. He boasts three top-five results at this particular tournament, formerly designated as the Honda Classic, with one such performance occurring in 2022. Find out more selections here.
Guidelines for selecting players at the 2026 Cognizant Classic
Furthermore, the analytical system identifies four underdog players, priced at +3000 or greater, as potential top-10 finishers. The specific selections from the model are exclusively accessible here.
Who is poised to emerge victorious in the 2026 Cognizant Classic, and which significant dark horses are set to astonish the golf community? Review the 2026 Cognizant Classic betting lines provided beneath, then proceed to SportsLine for the anticipated player rankings, all derived from the predictive tool that has accurately forecasted 16 major golf championships, including three in 2025.
Betting odds and favored players for the 2026 Cognizant Classic
Access comprehensive player selections, top wagers, and forecasts for the 2026 Cognizant Classic here.
(betting values sourced from FanDuel and are liable to alteration)
Ryan Gerard +1600
Shane Lowry +1600
Nicolai Højgaard +1900
Rasmus Højgaard +2200
Michael Thorbjornsen +2200
Keith Mitchell +2700
Daniel Berger +2700
Max McGreevy +3300
Johnny Keefer +3300
Brooks Koepka +3300
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen +3300
Will Zalatoris +3500
Aaron Rai +3500
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +3500
Haotong Li +3500
Alex Smalley +3500
Davis Thompson +3500
Richard Hoey +4000
Mac Meissner +4000
Thorbjørn Olesen +4000
Max Homa +4500
Kristoffer Reitan +4500
Michael Brennan +4500
Jordan Smith +4500
Chris Kirk +4500
Nico Echavarria +4500
Tom Kim +5000
John Parry +5500
Sami Valimaki +5500
Mackenzie Hughes +5500
Matt Wallace +5500
Ricky Castillo +5500
Seamus Power +6000
Garrick Higgo +6000
Stephan Jaeger +6000
Jesper Svensson +7000
Kevin Yu +7000
Eric Cole +7000
Zecheng Dou +7500
Doug Ghim +7500
David Ford +7500
Kris Ventura +7500
Billy Horschel +7500
Austin Eckroat +7500
Joel Dahmen +7500
Kevin Roy +7500
Gary Woodland +7500
Dan Brown +8000
Adrien Dumont de Chassart +8000
S.H. Kim +8000
Taylor Moore +8000
Luke Clanton +8000
Emiliano Grillo +8000
Vince Whaley +8000
