2026 Rocket Classic odds, picks: Surprising predictions from golf model that's nailed 17 majors
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Cameron Young enters as the +1200 favorite at the 2026 Rocket Classic, followed by Jackson Koivun, Xander Schauffele, and Chris Gotterup all at +2000
- Jackson Koivun, coming off a 3M Open win where he shot a 61 on Saturday, is a model-flagged fade despite being tied with Schauffele and Gotterup for the second-shortest odds
- SportsLine's model simulated the Rocket Classic 10,000 times and has correctly predicted 17 majors, including the 2026 Masters for a fifth straight year
- J.J. Spaun at +3000 is a model-backed target, ranked 20th in the FedEx Cup standings with four top-10 finishes this season and two prior top-10s at the Rocket Classic
- Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are both taking the week off, leaving Cameron Young and Xander Schauffele to headline a still-strong field at Detroit Golf Club
- Only two events remain before the FedEx Cup Playoffs, making this one of the final regular-season tune-ups
- The model is also highlighting a +3500 longshot as a potential leaderboard climber, though the pick is gated behind a SportsLine subscription
Why it matters: With Scheffler and McIlroy sitting out and just two events left before the FedEx Cup Playoffs, bettors hunting edges are leaning on model projections over marquee names. The directive to fade 3M Open winner Koivun — at +2000 on the odds board — while targeting Spaun at +3000 is a clear contrarian call against the public market.
