The 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club and Lodge begins on Thursday, marking the second tournament in this year's Florida swing. It is a Signature Event on the PGA Tour, with the 70-player Arnold Palmer Invitational field loaded with superstars. There is a 36-hole cut for the top 50 golfers plus anyone within 10 strokes of the lead. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is the defending champion and has won this event twice in the last three years.  

Scheffler is the +320 favorite (risk $100 to win $320) in the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational odds, followed by Rory McIlroy (+750). Other 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational contenders include Ludvig Aberg (16-1), Xander Schauffele (16-1) and Collin Morikawa (22-1). Scheffler is -140 (risk $140 to win $100) to record a top-five finish this week, while McIlroy is -120 to crack the top 10. Schauffele is making his first start since finishing T-30 at The Sentry in January and is -175 to finish inside the top 20.  

Before locking in any 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational picks, you NEED to see the PGA Tour predictions and best bets from golf insider Patrick McDonald.

McDonald joined CBS Sports as a golf writer in 2022 after stops at NBC Sports and RyderCup.com. Covering the sport from a broader perspective, McDonald still likes to dip his toes into the betting pools on a weekly basis between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and more. Featured weekly on the Early Wedge, he gave out numerous winners in 2024, including Jake Knapp (50-1) at the Mexico Open and Xander Schauffele (20-1) at the PGA Championship. He already nailed Sepp Straka as a 66-1 longshot in The American Express 2025. Anyone who followed his lead could have been WAY UP!

Now, McDonald has been digging into the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational field to find the best betting value and just locked in his best bets and longshots to back. 

This week, McDonald loves the value of Patrick Cantlay, who is a 30-1 longshot. "The American arrives to the Florida Swing riding a subtle run of form that included top-five finishes at the Genesis Invitational and The American Express. The putter has turned around drastically from the downturn in 2024 and the iron play has followed suit as well. He's doing everything well at the moment, which should translate to success at a difficult test like Bay Hill," McDonald told SportsLine. 

Moreover, McDonald is jumping on several underdogs, including one MASSIVE LONGSHOT who's priced at more than 160-1! This golfer has the "ability to navigate rounds in this type of scoring environment." Anyone who backs this golfer could cash in HUGE. You need to see who it is before locking in any 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational picks of your own.

So which 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational players should you target, and which surprising longshot could bring a MASSIVE payday? ... Join SportsLine right now to see Patrick McDonald's best Arnold Palmer Invitational picks, all from the expert who already nailed Sepp Straka at 66-1!