Golf tips, free bets and latest odds for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson

IT IS a surprise to find Will Zalatoris listed as only fourth favourite for this week’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson event near Dallas, because you can bet your ten gallon hat the ‘adopted’ Texan will be fired up for this one.

Zalatoris was born in San Francisco but grew up in the Lone Star state.

And he looks capable of ending the so-called curse which has seen local golfers fail to win the tournament named after their greatest player in almost twenty years.

In his current mood, Scottie Scheffler would be considered a shoo-in to end the drought. But like most of the game’s top stars, he is putting his feet up ahead of next week’s Wells Fargo 'Signature’ event, and the USPGA a week later.

Another local boy, Jordan Spieth, heads a wide open market at around 14-1, But he continues to resemble Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates - ‘you never know what you’re going to get’.

Defending champion Jason Day and Si Woo Kim - another unpredictable character - are also head of Zalatoris in the betting. But at 22-1, the pencil-slim Owen Wilson-lookalike will do for me

How to bet on golf

Here are five easy steps for beginners.

1. Choose Your Favourite Sportsbook – there are plenty to choose from and most have their own app or mobile site.

2. Make a Deposit – each sportsbook will walk you through how to connect your bank account to their system including providing a list of all the safeguards they have set up to ensure the safety of your transactions.

3. Claim Your Bonuses – most sportsbooks offers bonuses to first time bettors in the form of free bets.

4. Place Your Bet – now it’s time to navigate through your sportsbook’s odds where they will offer a variety of options including outright winners, or top finishing positions, such as top 10 or 20, or even to make the cut. For the event this week each way odds are generally paid on the top eight players.

5. Collect Your Winnings – If you're successful you will be able to withdraw your winnings once the bet is complete. Some bookmakers offer cashout options on certain bets as well, which is worth keeping an eye on.

Where to find the best odds for the golf?

Lots of bookmakers have different options for betting on the golf this week, including competitive odds and different place markets.

We like the markets on bet365, including the price boosts on offer pre-event.

CJ Cup Byron Nelson betting tips

World No 20 Spieth is the highest ranked player in the field this week, and the absence of so many of golf’s big guns makes Zalatoris’ odds look even more appealing.

He looked certain to win plenty of much bigger events than this after finishing  runner-up in THREE Majors before undergoing back surgery.

Two top five finishes this year, and a highly encouraging ninth place at the Masters, suggest his injury worries are behind him.  Zalatoris is still only 27, so his best is yet to come. In this company, he has to be the top pick. 

The top half of the market seems to be littered with players who could never be described as consistent, and Min Woo Lee is another golfer who falls into that category. But his best stuff is VERY good. 

He also played some fine golf at Augusta before finishing in a tie for 22nd place, and that form stacks up very well in this far weaker event. At 28-1, he has to be considered.

Adam Schenk did even better at the Masters, claiming a share of 12th, and that came on the heels of a fifth place finish at the Texas Open.

He looked a bit jaded when he finished down the field at the Heritage straight after Augusta, but a week off should have freshened him up. He can be backed at 50-1, which makes him  an attractive each way proposition.

There are a couple of players who stand out among those at fancy odds, especially as this is the sort of event that could easily throw up a big priced winner.

Wesley Bryan emerged from a dismal run  of form to finish runner-up at the Corales Puntacana Championship while the big boys were at Augusta, 

There is no guarantee he will reproduce that form this week - but at 250-1, it might be worth a small stake to find out!

Nico Echavarria is a player who has been highlighted as an each way possibility here a few times - and he has rewarded that faith once or twice. 

He finished 14th at the Corales and stepped up on that effort by partnering Max Greyserman to a share of fourth in the Zurich last week.

At 200-1 Echavarria is double the price of Greyserman this week. So at the odds, I prefer to see whether the Colombian can translate that two-man form into a decent individual effort here.

Remember to gamble responsibly

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• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – 
• Gamble Aware – 

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling website