2026 PGA Picks: John Deere Classic and Expert Betting Predictions

Last week’s Travelers Championship ended dramatically as Viktor Hovland defeated Scottie Scheffler in a playoff. This was Hovland’s eighth career win on the PGA Tour and his first since the 2025 Valspar Championship.

This week, the PGA Tour will head to Illinois to take on the John Deere Classic. The field does not look to be as strong as in previous weeks, as many of the top-ranked players in the world have opted to take this week off. That said, there is plenty of talent in the field, which should make for another competitive event.

The John Deere Classic is scheduled to get underway on Thursday, July 2nd, and will run through Sunday, July 5th. As with every week, my article will preview the tournament by providing you with a brief course overview and a look at the outright betting odds. Additionally, I will include my best bet to win the John Deere Classic, as well as my two favorite Top 20 Finish props.

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The Course

The John Deere Classic will be played at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois. The course is a Par 71, measuring at 7327 yards. Further, it consists of 11 Par 4s, four Par 3s, and three Par 5s. 

Outright Odds

Below are the top 10 outright betting odds for the John Deere Classic per DraftKings Sportsbook:

*Ben Griffin: +1325

*Chris Gotterup: +1400

*Keith Mitchell: +1800

*Keegan Bradley: +2600

*Jackson Koivun: +2700

*J.T. Poston: +2700

*Eric Cole: +2700

*Jordan Spieth: +2800

*Pierceson Coody: +2900

*Jacob Bridgeman: +3000

Best Bets

Chris Gotterup to Win the John Deere Classic (+1400)

My best bet to win the John Deere Classic will target Chris Gotterup. Gotterup has had a breakout season in 2026, having made the cut in 15 of his 16 events and, as a result, ranks 12th in the FedEx Cup Standings.

Most notably, Gotterup has won twice on the PGA Tour this season, that being at the Sony Open and the WM Phoenix Open. His results have not been as strong since his last win, but he did finish T10 at the PGA Championship.

On the season as a whole, Gotterup ranks 12th in Strokes Gained: Total, 4th in Driving Distance, 21st in Scoring Average, and 24th in Birdie Average. He has also had some success at the John Deere Classic in his career, finishing T4 in 2022 and T21 in 2025.

While the results have not always been consistent this season for Gotterup, the fact that he has had success at this tournament, and the fact that the field looks to be weaker, make backing Chris Gotterup to win the John Deere Classic my best bet.  

Ben Griffin to Finish Top 20 (Including Ties) (-136)

My favorite prop for the John Deere Classic is for Ben Griffin to finish inside the Top 20. Griffin has had a successful season up to this point, having made the cut in 15 of the 19 events he has played on the PGA Tour. 

To this point, Griffin has finished inside the Top 20 a total of seven times this season, which includes five of his last seven events, four of his last five events, and his last two events in a row.

Additionally, Griffin has only played in the John Deere Classic twice in his career, but has had some success, finishing T5 in 2024 before missing the Cut in 2025.

Further, Griffin ranks 36th in Strokes Gained: Total, 25th in Strokes Gained: Putting, and 27th in Scoring Average. Therefore, given that Griffin appears to be playing his best golf of the season, backing Ben Griffin to Finish Inside the Top 20 will be my play.

J.T. Poston to Finish Top 20 (Including Ties) (+122)

My second favorite prop for the John Deere Classic is for J.T. Poston to finish inside the Top 20. Poston has had a solid year to date, having made 12 of 16 cuts this season on the PGA Tour. 

He currently ranks 23rd in the FedEx Cup standings, and while he has finished inside the Top 20 just twice this season, both have been over his last three starts, with one of those times being when he won The Memorial Tournament in a playoff, and the other when he finished T4 at the US Open.

Further, Poston has had some success at the John Deere Classic in his career, most notably winning the tournament in 2022 and finishing T6 in 2023.

Poston could certainly improve in most categories, but given that his form has improved in recent weeks and given his previous success at this tournament, backing J.T. Poston to Finish Inside the Top 20 will be my play. 

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