Zurich Classic of New Orleans betting preview and tips from Ben Coley

Recommended bets

1pt e.w. Stuard and Knox at 66/1 (1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7)

0.5pt e.w. English and Wagner at 150/1 (1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6)

0.5pt e.w. Merritt and Streb at 150/1 (1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6)

0.5pt e.w. Castro and Tringale at 175/1 (1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6)

Different strokes for different folks, but the Zurich Classic of New Orleans has been a great success since switching to a team format ahead of the 2017 edition, won by Cameron Smith and Jonas Blixt.

Inspired by the European Tour and desperate to revitalise an event which was on its last legs even before a Monday finish in 2016, the PGA Tour took the plunge and have been rewarded by big names and exciting golf, a play-off victory for the aforementioned odd couple preceding an outstanding display by Billy Horschel and Scott Piercy last year.

The format of the event, four-balls on Thursday and Saturday, foursomes on Friday and Sunday, lends itself to volatility, and while the defending champions were well-fancied there's no doubt that the ingredients are there for another shock result in a season which has had its share.

It's for that reason that only the exceptionally brave or damagingly foolish should be considering the two teams priced up at less than 10/1, for all that Aussie duo Jason Day and Adam Scott bring Presidents Cup credentials and Sergio Garcia and Tommy Fleetwood are Ryder Cup winners.

With Patrick Cantlay surely drained and pairing again with Patrick Reed, who has been working to shorten his swing with a new coach, Jon Rahm seemingly playing with Ryan Palmer because of a bet between caddies and the defending champions next in the betting, I really like the shape of this market for all the natural unpredictability of the tournament.

The angle I really like is a simple one which is applied to other events every week - course form.

Horschel's first individual win came here, and his partner Piercy last year was at pains to underline the significance of that as they spoke to the media afterwards. "Let me say one thing real quick," he interjected, before talking about how comfortable he suddenly felt at a course which had previously foxed him.

With Jason Dufner, another former winner here at TPC Louisiana, finishing second along with Pat Perez, and other past champions Bubba Watson and Nick Watney placed in 2017, those who've demonstrated a liking for this classic Pete Dye layout have shown already that they're at an advantage.

As such, it's Russell Knox and Brian Stuard who earn the headline vote at 66/1.

Stuard won the final edition of this tournament before the revamp, beating Jamie Lovemark and Byeong Hun An in a Monday play-off thanks to a heroic display of putting throughout the event.

He's shown that to be no fluke by finishing 11th and 28th subsequently, both times with Chris Stroud, and with the greatest of respect he's making a big upgrade in partner here by teeing up with Knox.

The Scot brings winning Dye form of his own to the table courtesy of a summer win at TPC River Highlands in 2016 and both have played a lot of good golf this year without quite working their way into the heat of battle.

Significantly, Knox ends his partnership with Martin Laird despite the fact that they're compatriots who, after finishing seventh here a year ago, went on to represent Scotland in the World Cup last November.

He does so to play with his best friend on the circuit in Stuard, and we've seen similar relationships - Horschel and Piercy, who have been housemates in the past; Kevin Kisner and Scott Brown, childhood friends - produce fireworks here.

Stuard's iron play has been outstanding across fourth place in the Texas Open and 16th last week and if Knox bounces back following a surprise missed cut at Harbour Town, they should be right in the thick of things.

Charley Hoffman and Nick Watney renew their partnership at a nice time, with the former having returned to form and the latter needing help as he looks to arrest the slide and keep hold of his PGA Tour card.

For all the relaxed environment and emphasis on fun, the Zurich Classic is the reason Blixt still has his playing privileges and shouldn't be underestimated in its significance, with spots in next month's PGA Championship and the 2020 PLAYERS up for grabs along with a two-year exemption.

Watney - a former winner here, remember - could well take advantage of the leg-up from his former neighbour but they look short enough and I prefer the mutual incentive of Johnson Wagner and Harris English.

Again, I'm siding with a pairing I know are close, in this case from their days living in Sea Island. You might assume every partnership here has some long-held connection but that isn't the case, with some thrown together by management companies or a shared coach whereas others are genuine friends.

It's hard, of course, to quantify these things but even Blixt and Smith had a connection through their caddies, who lived together at the time, and I want to attack the week with a collection of teams who will have been looking forward to this for a while.

For Wagner and English, the incentive I mentioned is high as neither has an exemption beyond this year and they're both just - and I do mean just - inside the top 125 in FedEx Cup points, the cut-off for keeping a card.

English has always been fond of Dye layouts, with top-10 finishes at Harbour Town and River Highlands demonstrating that fact, and it can't hurt that he's got winning form in another team event as a two-time champion in the QBE Shootout.

Wagner's first notable victory came in Louisiana and this proven winner who is 10th in greens in regulation this season looks an ideal foil for English, wayward off the tee but tough, tenacious and capable of putting the lights out.

Scott Stallings and Trey Mullinax are both upgrading partners and could go well, having each caught the eye this year. Mullinax is starting to fulfil his potential and his prodigious length may be an even greater asset this time, with the rough on this par 72 reportedly down on previous years.

They are feared along with Sung Kang and Danny Lee, the latter having started to strike the ball really nicely, while there's some appeal in reigning QBE champions Patton Kizzire and Brian Harman even if the latter will need to improve.

Next on my list, however, are Troy Merritt and Robert Streb.

Another duo whose relationship goes back several years, the key to this case is their course form - both have gone very close to winning here individually, Merritt finishing third and Streb second.

Together they finished 24th in the first edition of this event, sitting fifth at halfway, and in Streb's absence last year Merritt confirmed his affection for the layout with an excellent share of 10th alongside a struggling Brendon de Jonge.

Merritt, who makes a lot of birdies when on his game, had earmarked this as his ideal return to competitive action following rib surgery, but having been ahead of schedule he in fact made his comeback at the PLAYERS where understandably missing the cut.

Last week's share of 10th at Harbour Town therefore reads particularly well and if Streb can keep his end of the bargain I can see these two causing a big upset.

Finally, it's worth having a small, speculative play on Roberto Castro and Cameron Tringale.

Five or six seasons ago, Tringale was considered among the best maidens on the circuit and several of his best chances to win came at TPC Louisiana, where he finished second, seventh, 17th, 18th and 28th to mark it down as his most lucrative PGA Tour stop.

"Zurich Classic is one of my favorite events of the year," he said when seventh. "The golf course suits my game (and) it is so fun to stay downtown in the city of New Orleans."

It's fair to assume Castro will feel similarly about the location as something of a music buff and these former Georgia Tech team-mates, companions on the circuit for many years ago, could dovetail nicely.

Tringale's approach play was excellent as he bagged his first top-20 finish of the season last time and with Castro sure to put him in the fairway more often than not, they're the sort who could make serious ground in the foursomes.

Posted at 1245 BST on 23/04/19