The most popular name at the ticket window this week for the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard may depend upon who you ask.

The game’s brightest stars are back in action this week at Bay Hill Club & Lodge, where Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler are among the recent tournament winners. World No. 1 Jon Rahm is also in attendance, as he looks to slip into the winner’s red cardigan for what would be his fourth victory of the new year.

The trio comprise the top betting favorites this week, with Rahm (+650) a clear favorite at BetMGM Sportsbook followed by McIlroy and Scheffler, both at +900. From there, the drop off to Max Homa (+1800) is pronounced.

As of Wednesday morning, there was a clear leader in handle at BetMGM: McIlroy, who won here in 2018 and comprised a whopping 29.8% of the total money wagered. Next on the list wasn’t Rahm or Scheffler, it was Will Zalatoris – who is alongside Homa at +1800 and leading the way in tickets (total bets placed).

Zalatoris only has one TOUR win under his belt, and he missed time late last year rehabbing an injury. But his closing 64 that nabbed a fourth-place finish at The Genesis Invitational in his most recent start seems to have turned a few heads. The former Wake Forest product is also leading in tickets and second in handle at PointsBet, where his odds fell from +2500 to +2000 over the course of early-week wagering before drifting back out to +2200 Wednesday.

“Scottie (Scheffler) got some serious steam in the last 24 hours to take the lead in handle, but Zalatoris remains in second and is one of our top liabilities,” said a PointsBet representative.

Other prices on the move at PointsBet include former API runner-up Keegan Bradley (+8000 to +5500), recent TOUR winner Justin Rose (+9000 to +7000) and fan favorite Rickie Fowler (+8000 to +5000). Odds are drifting the other way for Sahith Theegala (+6000 to +8000) despite a $1,500 wager at +6000 that would win $90,000 if Theegala breaks through for his maiden title in Orlando.

The picture at DraftKings is a similar one, with Zalatoris and McIlroy leading the way with 11% of the handle each ahead of Rahm (10%). Other players gaining traction include Justin Thomas and former API winner Tyrrell Hatton, both listed at +3000 and among the top 10 in both tickets and handle. But bettors haven’t forgotten about the red-hot world No. 1: DraftKings received a $2,500 bet on Rahm at +650 odds that would yield a $16,250 profit if the Spaniard wins for the fourth time in six starts this year.

Betting is more balanced at FanDuel, but the theme persists: Zalatoris is the most-bet golfer at 7.3% of total wagers for Bay Hill, narrowly ahead of Rahm and Homa. There was, however, a notable wager late Wednesday that tipped the scales: $200,000 on Scottie Scheffler (+750) to win, which would net a whopping $1.5 million profit if Scheffler goes back-to-back.

Of course, it’s not just the big names that are garnering action at the Home of the King. South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout has displayed a knack for Bay Hill, finishing inside the top 20 in each of his three prior appearances including a T7 result in 2021. One bettor at PointsBet stands to win nearly $30,000 after backing Bezuidenhout at +17500 odds, while a DraftKings customer put $5,250 on him to make the cut at -210 odds, a bet that would net $2,500 if Bezuidenhout makes the weekend.

There’s also some carryover from last week’s feel-good story. Eric Cole, a 34-year-old TOUR rookie, surprised many with his run up the leaderboard at The Honda Classic before losing to Chris Kirk in a playoff. Cole is playing this week on a sponsor exemption and listed at lofty odds, but one PointsBet client put $100 on him at +30000 and stands to win $30,000 if Cole follows his near-miss at PGA National with an even more improbable result.

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