The PGA Tour takes a break from stroke play again for a team event, with the Zurich Classic of New Orleans scheduled to tee off Thursday at TPC Louisiana. There are 80 teams scheduled to compete in the event, which will feature two rounds of best ball and two of alternate-shot. World No. 1 and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler will team with Ryan Palmer, while the pairing of top-five players Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland will draw plenty of attention. Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman will be back to try to defend their title. 

Patrick Cantlay, who lost last week in a playoff with Jordan Spieth, will play alongside Xander Schauffele. They are an 8-1 co-favorite along with Hovland-Morikawa in the latest 2022 Zurich Classic odds from Caesars Sportsbook. The Smith-Leishman team is 9-1, Scheffler-Palmer is 11-1 and the team of Billy Horschel and Sam Burns is 12-1.

Who can you trust for your 2022 Zurich Classic fantasy golf picks? Before you bet this PGA Tour event or lock in any 2022 Zurich Classic Fantasy golf rankings, you HAVE TO see who fantasy expert Riley Gates is backing.

Gates is a writer for 247Sports and has covered a range of sports for nearly five years. He has followed golf closely for much longer and has a profound knowledge of the sport. He also knows what it takes to win, on the course and in fantasy sports.

He has been on a roll all season. At the Masters, eight of his 20 picks finished in the top eight, including Scheffler and runner-up Rory McIlroy! In fact, the top four golfers on the final leader board were among his picks. 

At the Valspar Championship, seven of his picks finished in the top 12, and he was on the money at Phoenix, where his five top selections all ended up in the top 10. He also NAILED his picks at the Sentry, with four of his top seven picks posting top-five finishes, and he duplicated that at the Hero World Challenge. Anyone who has followed Gates is WAY UP! 

Now, Gates has ranked his top golfers for the 2022 Zurich Classic, and you'll really want to see who he is backing. 

We can tell you that Gates is strongly backing the Morikawa-Hovland team, saying the pairing "almost feels too unfair!" Morikawa has finished in the top five three times this season, and both have well-rounded games that should translate well. The expert says you shouldn't overthink it when the talent is so obvious with both are ranked in the world's top five.  

SHOCKINGLY, the expert is fading Smith and Leishman, despite the excellent rapport they showed in winning at New Orleans last year. Smith has established himself as one of the game's best, but his setback at the Masters followed by a missed cut at the RBC are a little concerning. And Leishman doesn't figure to offer much other than great putting.

For the 2022 Zurich Classic, the fantasy expert is backing TWO long-shot teams ahead of Smith-Leishman that come in at more than 25-1! Gates says both of these teams are made up of players in excellent form, and the golfers should play well off each other. You ABSOLUTELY need to see which teams Gates is backing and check out his top picks before you bet the 2022 Zurich Classic or enter any Fantasy golf picks.

Which team wins the 2022 Zurich Classic of New Orleans? Which unheralded pairings should you be all over for your Fantasy golf rankings? ... Join SportsLine now to get Riley Gates' Fantasy golf power rankings for the 2022 Zurich Classic, all from the fantasy expert who has been rolling on his Fantasy golf picks!