Hideki Matsuyama opened the 2025 PGA Tour season with the ultimate high, but he’s been chasing the feeling ever since after the 33-year-old won The Sentry on January 5. Matsuyama is winless over his ensuing 15 PGA Tour events and has only finished inside the top 20 once over his last 10 tournaments. However, the SportsLine model projects there could be value in Matsuyama repeating his opening tournament result at the 2025 Rocket Classic, which begins on Thursday at Detroit Golf Club.
Coming off last weekend’s Travelers Championship as a signature event and the U.S. Open the week before, many of the top-ranked golfers are bypassing the 2025 Rocket Classic, which opens the door to longshot winners for online sports betting. Most notably, Scottie Scheffler won’t be in the 2025 Rocket Classic field, which creates better chances for others. The model sees value in Matsuyama at 33-1 in the latest 2025 Rocket Classic odds, but he isn’t the only longshot it finds value in to consider when making 2025 Rocket Classic picks on betting sites.
Now that the 2025 Rocket Classic field is locked in, SportsLine simulated the tournament 10,000 times, and revealed its longshot betting picks. New users have the opportunity to take advantage of the latest DraftKings promo code, BetMGM promo code, bet365 bonus code and Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.
Hideki Matsuyama (33-1)
Matsuyama is an 11-time PGA Tour champion with three of his victories over the last two years. He has struggled lately, but after finishing ninth in last year’s FedEx Cup standings, he’s a stronger golfer than his recent results display. The recent struggles have lengthened his odds and in a weakened field compared to recent weeks, Matsuyama’s No. 12 world ranking is the third-highest among all competitors at the 2025 Rocket Classic.
Masuyama has been a master of the second shot this year, ranking 11th in proximity, and he can also salvage a poor situation. He’s fifth in sand save percentage and seventh in scrambling. His driving and putting have been underwhelming, but if he can put together at least an average driving and putting performance paired with his strong second shots, Matsuyama is a viable longshot. He’s listed at 33-1 at DraftKings Sportsbook, while other sportsbooks have him at 30-1 odds or lower, and the latest DraftKings promo code offers new users $150 in bonus bets after making their first $5 wager.
Luke Clanton (40-1)
Clanton is officially no longer an amateur, earning his professional card starting with the RBC Canadian Open, where he missed the cut. But, Clanton made the cut and finished T34 in a competitive Travelers Championship field last weekend. His tournament started with a 3-under-par 67, which was T-15 after Round 1, as Clanton proved he can compete with the best in the world.
Clanton, 21, was a two-time First-Team All-American at Florida State and set multiple course records at FSU. He’s played 15 professional PGA Tour events and already has two runner-up results. Clanton became the youngest player since Jordan Spieth (2014) to runner-up at a PGA Tour event after placing second at the John Deere Classic at 20 years old. Clanton could be the next big name in golf, and at 40-1 odds on FanDuel Sportsbook, the model sees value in him for 2025 Rocket Classic longshot bettors. Other betting apps list Clanton at 35-1 odds or lower, and the latest FanDuel promo code offers new users $150 in bonus bets if their first bet of at least $5 wins.
Alex Smalley (55-1)
The 28-year-old finished T-13 at the RBC Canadian Open in his last tournament, and although he’s winless in 125 career events, he’s been close with two runner-up results as part of 12 top-five finishes at PGA Tour events. He finished T-5 at the Myrtle Beach Classic on May 11, as he’s made the cut in four of his last five starts.
He’s only played in 17 PGA Tour events this year and only one of the three majors this year, but when he’s been on the course, he’s put himself into strong situations. Smalley is fourth in total strokes gained, highlighted by sixth in strokes gained: tee-to-green and 11th in strokes gained: around-the-green. At 55-1 odds, the model views him as a value play for longshot PGA Tour bettors. Smalley is listed at 55-1 odds on bet365, and the latest bet365 bonus code offers new users $150 in bonus bets with a $5 wager, whether it wins or loses.
More 2025 Rocket Classic picks
You’ve seen the latest longshots from the model. Now, see the Rocket Classic leaderboard, including forecasted finishes for Keegan Bradley, Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa, Cameron Young, and more. Visit SportsLine to see the projected leaderboard, all from the model that’s nailed 15 golf majors, including the last four Masters, the past two PGA Championships, and three majors in 2024.
You can also view expert advice before locking in your PGA Tour picks. Visit SportsLine now to see picks from expert Eric Cohen for the Rocket Classic 2025, all from an expert who correctly picked eight tournaments over the last three seasons, including two this year.
Cohen has also built a 2025 Rocket Classic parlay that would pay nearly $1.3 million on a $10 bet. Check it out here and view more PGA Tour advice at SportsLine.