The PGA Tour will make the five-hour trek from Monterey to LA for the 2026 Genesis Invitational, and some familiar faces are in the running to top the leaderboard.
The big event doesn’t tee off until Thursday, Feb. 19, but there’s already plenty of excitement as the tournament returns to Riviera Country Club. That means sportsbooks everywhere are already locking in their Genesis Invitational betting odds and targeting the favorites to watch. So, should you go all-in on the golfer with the shortest odds, or hold out for a long shot?
Here are the betting favorites ahead of the Genesis Invitational, along with what to keep in mind before you place your wagers.
Genesis Invitational Betting Favorites and Long Shots
This year’s tournament features a deep field packed with some of the PGA Tour’s top talent. However, the pre-tournament betting odds are heavily tilted in favor of the world’s top golfer.
That’s right: World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is the far-and-away betting favorite in the Genesis Invitational odds at DraftKings, listed at +300. Scheffler, who won The American Express back in January, is also listed at -150 odds to finish in the top five. DraftKings lists him at very short -320 odds to have his fourth top-10 finish of the season.
After Scheffler, the odds to win get quite steep. Rory McIlroy is second on the list, but listed at +1475 to finish first at Riviera. Xander Schauffele and Tommy Fleetwood are each listed at +2250 to top the leaderboard this weekend. Hideki Matsuyama had the lowest final-round score in Riviera history when he won the Genesis Invitational in 2024, but he rounds out the top five contenders at +2450 odds.
Los Angeles native Collin Morikawa was runner-up at Riviera in 2022 and is coming off an impressive victory at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am last weekend. DK isn’t so high on him topping the leaderboard, though, and he is a +3200 long shot to have back-to-back victories. Morikawa is, however, listed at +225 to finish in the top 10.
Reigning tournament champion Ludvig Aberg, who was victorious at Torrey Pines last year, is even further down the odds board. He’s listed at +3900 odds to repeat, although oddsmakers like Aberg to have a top-10 finish and list him at +320.
An Important Note Before Placing Your Bets
One glance at those odds, and it’s easy to back Scheffler without much thought. However, it’s not too often the pre-tournament betting favorite actually finishes atop the leaderboard. (Scheffler was the favorite in 2024, the year Matsuyama won.)
This is, in part, because the stacked field at the Genesis Invitational ups the competition. Since a wide variety of seasoned pros are hitting the Southern California links, it’s more likely that a competitor with longer odds will win.
There is also some caution to consider when backing a golfer at such short odds. While Scheffler is more than capable of winning at Riviera, he also has virtually no room to make any mistakes.
“When you’re backing players at short prices, you need everything to fall into place,” Gold Magic summarizes. “At 3-1 this week, the World No.1 is understandably favourite again – but those odds leave very little margin for error.”
Scottie Scheffler Tops List of Betting Favorites for the Genesis Invitational