Sleeper Picks: Who's under radar, riding good form into Bank of Utah Championship?
3 Min Read
Running with Rick: Three long-ball hitters who can win Bank of Utah
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Players in This Article
NOTE: Sleeper Picks did not appear in Rob’s Power Rankings, but each presents value for the bet specified.
Top 20
Jordan Smith (+150) ... Given his fit and form, it’s tempting to scale into the top-10 market at +320, but you’re still getting plus money in this one. Finished T21 in his last worldwide start at the BMW PGA Championship and he’s second only to Scottie Scheffler in ball-striking on the PGA Tour. The Englishman has acquitted himself well as a first-time member this season with eight top 25s. He arrives for his debut at the Bank of Utah Championship at 69th in the FedExCup, so the pressure is off to retain fully exempt status while he zones in on snagging a spot in the opening Aon Next 10 (51st-60th) if not a breakthrough victory. Because the 33-year-old is no stranger to winning, with a pair of titles on the DP World Tour from which he sprung after a fruitful 2025, it boosts our confidence in something special here.
Jordan L Smith holes 132-yard approach for eagle on No. 6 at FedEx St. Jude
Top 30
Patrick Rodgers (+200) ... Kickbacks rise ever so gently in this field of 120 at Black Desert Resort, so he leaps off the screen in this market with those odds because we know who he is and what he’s capable of. Although he’s remained winless across his 11 seasons on the PGA Tour, he’s been a staple inside the top tier of membership year over year. Indeed, those odds don’t reflect his impact over time but he concluded the FedExCup season with a T19 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship for his seventh top 30 of the season. Still one of the best putters amongst his peers, he’s an example of how that skill plays up in a shootout like this one. As a comp, El Cardonal at Diamante, which hosts the World Wide Technology Championship (Nov. 5-8), features similarly expansive fairways. That promotes distance off the tee – Rodgers can hold his own with the driver – but contending requires reliable putting to score. That’s his calling card. In two starts there, the 34-year-old has finished T24 and T6. In the first two editions of the Bank of Utah, he placed T11 and T27.
Patrick Rodgers gets up-and-down from 135 yards for birdie on No. 1 at FedEx St. Jude
Top 40
Paul Peterson (+150) ... When dropping into this market in this tournament, you’re looking for more than just an overlooked talent, you’re looking for dynamic value. This means someone who’s proven to pack a punch when least expected and not merely a paper fit in whom you’re hoping for a timely performance. That’s where the lefty enters the chat. Saddled with conditional status this season, he’s been limited to 12 starts but he’s 135th in the FedExCup with a trio of top 30s, and he finished one stroke outside the top 40 at the Biltmore Championship Asheville to open the FedExCup Fall. When combined with his moonlighting on the Korn Ferry Tour, he arrives 5-for-5 in made cuts with three top 40s. Although not eligible to be ranked officially in PGA Tour statistical categories, he’d slot No. 1 in fairways hit by a wide margin. That’s impressive but not as eye-popping (or impactful at Black Desert) as the fact that he’d also pace the circuit in proximity to the hole on approach. It puts the onus on his putter, which also is strong, and it’s why he’s dynamic.
Odds were sourced at DraftKings.
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