It all comes down to this when the PGA Tour's top 30 players tee off Thursday in the 2021 Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. Patrick Cantlay starts with a two-stroke lead at 10 under par after his steely BMW Championship victory in a six-hole playoff with Bryson DeChambeau. Northern Trust winner Tony Finau starts second at 8 under, followed by DeChambeau (-7), Jon Rahm (-6) and Cameron Smith (-5). 

Caesars Sportsbook lists world No. 1 Rahm and Cantlay as the 4-1 co-favorites in its latest 2021 Tour Championship golf odds. DeChambeau is right behind at 5-1, followed by Finau at 7-1, while reigning champion Dustin Johnson is at 25-1.

Before you lock in any bets on the 2021 Tour Championship or make any PGA Tour predictions, you have to see what proven golf insider Sal Johnson has to say.

The media legend has broken down the field and has revealed his top 2021 Tour Championship picks below. With his track record on picks, you'll really want to see who he is backing, because he knows what it takes to win in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

He has NAILED the past three Tour Championships, calling for Xander Schauffele to make a run but fall short of Dustin Johnson last year and Rory McIlroy to surge to the 2019 title. He also pegged Tiger Woods as the winner in the 2018 tournament but said Justin Rose would hang on to win the season-long title.

"(McIlroy) is 5 shots back, but he has the firepower to make that up," Johnson told SportsLine before the 2019 Tour Championship. "He could surprise a lot of folks."

The Northern Irishman did just that, roaring past Brooks Koepka on the seventh hole in the final round and not looking back. He finished three shots clear of Schauffele to join Woods as the only multiple FedEx Cup winners.  

The golf expert has been on fire all season! At last week's BMW Championship, he was on board with the struggling DeChambeau. "His bomb-and-gouge approach could work for him at Caves Valley, since the rough isn't all that bad," the golf expert said. And the tour's biggest hitter led all day Sunday before finishing as runner-up. 

Johnson also was one of the few to say Kevin Kisner had a legitimate chance before he got his first stroke-play win in more than four years at the Wyndham Championship. Anyone who has followed Johnson's advice has cashed in HUGE!

Now Johnson, the first producer of "Inside the PGA Tour," a longtime ABC Sports golf producer who worked with Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, and founder of the world's top golf stats database, has released his highly confident 2021 Tour Championship picks, and they will surprise you. (For golf updates and news, click here)  

Shockingly, the golf expert is fading DeChambeau, despite his strong play at last week's BMW Championship! The tour's biggest hitter looked to be running away on Sunday in Baltimore, but Cantlay clawed back and wouldn't give up. Still, it was a strong sign for a player who had been in a rough patch, and now DeChambeau has a real shot at the season-long title. Unfortunately, he has a poor record at East Lake, and his style of play is a poor fit for the course. He's definitely a player you'll want to avoid, but Johnson is offering several options .    

Instead, the golf expert is backing a long shot who comes in at around 25-1! This player's game is an immaculate fit for the course. While he will need to be more aggressive because of his deficit, he has the talent to limit his mistakes. East Lake is a tough course where players can easily drop shots, and this golfer can capitalize and could easily pull off a shocker! Anyone who backs this underdog could cash in HUGE!

Who wins the 2021 Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club? Where do Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson finish? And which MONSTER long shot is a MUST-BACK? ... Join SportsLine now to see Sal Johnson's top predictions and analysis for 2021 Tour Championship golf, all from the insider who knows what it takes to win on the PGA Tour!