PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational Betting Preview

The PGA Tour continues this week with the latest signature event, the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando. Play begins on Thursday, March 4, and the tournament will be televised on Sky Sports Golf in the run-up to the climax on Sunday night.

The elite of the PGA Tour will assemble at Bay Hill this week for one of the most prestigious events of the golf calendar, the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Tiger Woods has won the event eight times, but Rory McIlroy will be aiming to replicate his 2018 success as he continues his preparations for defending his Masters title at Augusta next month. While Russell Henley is on hand to defend his crown, it is ominous for the field that world number one Scottie Scheffler has already won this tournament in 2022 and 2024 and is set to go off as a short-priced favourite.

Tip 1: Rory McIlroy to win @ 9/1 with bet365

It has been eight years since McIlroy’s Bay Hill triumph, but the Masters champion will be pleased with the way he has started 2026, even though he has yet to claim a tournament victory. The quality of the Northern Irishman’s approach play has been a pleasing aspect for his followers and success seems just around the corner after he finished just one shot behind winner Jacob Bridgeman at the Genesis Invitational in his most recent outing.

McIlroy had closed with a 64 at Pebble Beach the week before when he finished 14th and there is scope for him to come out on top at one of his favourite tracks.He was second to Kurt Kitayama in 2023 and has four other top-ten finishes at Bay Hill, so he can prove a real force again this week.

Tip 2: Sepp Straka each-way @ 50/1 with bet365

Sepp Straka’s fifth at last year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational came out of the blue after a 57th and four missed cuts in his previous five visits, and was all the more impressive after he started with a 77. However, there looks to be a strong chance that the Austrian can enjoy a big week after he claimed PGA Tour victories at the American Express and the Truist Championship in 2025. He was tied for second at Pebble Beach, which was a strong result among a stacked leaderboard and while a third-round 80 led to him finishing 50th at the Genesis last time out, his confidence should not have taken a huge pounding.

Tip 3: Jake Knapp each-way @ 40/1 with bet365

Jake Knapp is one of the up-and-coming Americans who can make a big impression this week. The 31-year-old won the Mexican Open in 2024 and showed encouraging signs after he was fourth at the Rocket Mortgage and third at the 3M Open in the autumn. And his 2026 has started in excellent fashion as he has been 11th at the Sony Open in Hawaii, fifth at the Farmers Insurance Open, eighth at both the Phoenix Open and Pebble Beach Pro-Am and sixth at the Genesis Invitational. He is in a much better place than when he was 57th on his only previous course visit two years ago and his chances should not be easily dismissed.