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Scoring improved by nearly three strokes in the second round of the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational with many of the world’s best taking advantage, including 36-hole leader Shane Lowry. In pole position at the halfway point at Bay Hill Club & Lodge for the second straight season, the Irishman stands at 8 under and two strokes clear of Wyndham Clark.

Experiencing a quick turnaround from his 3-under 69 late Thursday evening, Lowry leapt into his second round early Friday morning. Two birdies in his first three holes were courtesy of some quality putting with another coming a few holes later on the par-3 7th, this time from 15 feet.

Three more birdies on his inward half — including one from 38 feet on No. 13 — were partially offset by a disappointing bogey on the par-5 16th. It all added up to a 67 for Lowry, who looks the part in the early stages of this tournament — and even more so when considering he did all this alongside his good friend, Rory McIlroy, the first two days.

“Look, you’re out there with one of the best golfers in the world, with big crowds, great golf course, lovely weather, what’s not to like? It’s easy to get up for something like that,” Lowry said. “I feel like I thrive in those situations. And, yeah, I enjoyed my couple of days, and I feel like we did play off each other a little bit. I know he probably feels like he could be better, but he’s still in a great position going into the weekend.”

While Lowry surged on Friday, McIlroy’s day was made of its usual stuff as he backed up an opening 70 with another in Round 2. The four-time major champion is among the many big names lurking behind his friend; Collin Morikawa, Russell Henley, Jason Day, Justin Thomas and Keegan Bradley are among those who enter the weekend within five of the pace.

The leader

1. Shane Lowry (-8)

There’s a lot to like about Lowry’s game up to this point. He ranks fourth in strokes gained tee to green, second in strokes gained approach and fifth in strokes gained putting — which may be the most important for a player like Lowry, who tends to struggle on the greens.

Something notable about Lowry’s second round is just how he got the job done. In Thursday’s 69, Lowry played the par 5s in 4 under. In Friday’s 67, he played those same holes in 1 over. His inability to take advantage of those holes kept a good round from being a great one, and his play on those four holes over the weekend may tell the tale of his week as a whole.

“I think it’s my iron play is good, and conservative when it needs to be,” Lowry said. “I think you need that around places like this. I just like the grind of pars are good, you know. There are a lot of weeks out here when you shoot level par for nine holes and you feel like you’re beating your head against the wall. Whereas, weeks like this, level par after nine you’re actually doing okay, you’re a little run away from having a lovely day. I like the type of golf where any time you break 70 you feel like you’ve had a good day.”

Other contenders

2. Wyndham Clark (-6)
   T3. Corey Conners, Collin Morikawa (-5)
   T5. Russell Henley, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day (-4)
   T8. Justin Thomas, Keegan Bradley, Max Greyserman (-3)

Scoring may have improved from Round 1 to Round 2, but no one improved more than Day. The former tournament champion shaved 12 strokes (!!!) off his opening 76 and clawed his way back into this tournament with a second-round 64. Day’s score represents the lowest score at Bay Hill since Bradley signed for the same number in the third round of the 2021 tournament.

“I would rather have good vibes than not good vibes, so it’s nice to be able to think about winning here, seeing replays of my win back in 2016,” Day said. “I was probably 10 to 15 pounds lighter, younger, didn’t have as many grays. But I’ve got the experience, which is nice, so I’m looking forward to the weekend, so that’s a plus.”

Schauffele sneaks through the cut line
It wasn’t easy, but Xander Schauffele snuck his way into the weekend for the 58th straight tournament — the longest streak since Tiger Woods’ 142 in a row. The two-time major champion started the day at 5 over and quickly gave himself some breathing room with three birdies in his first six holes.

That was quickly taken away, however, as Schauffele signed for back-to-back double bogeys on Nos. 11 and 12 to jump outside the cutline. Three birdies in his final six holes were just enough to get the world No. 3 through on the number as the cutline moved to 4 over late Friday evening thanks to the last few groups on the golf course.

“I kind of had it going for a little bit. I was playing some really good golf. Hit some nice shots. Actually made some putts,” Schauffele said. “Then, you know, kind of messed up some really easy things. Took on maybe too much risk or hit a really poor, I mean, one really bad swing, and some seriously bad execution around the greens on the par-5. So it was a very stressful, nice day for me.”

Notable names sent packing early
Max McGreevy played his final four holes in 2 under to sign for a 72. Why should you care? Well, because of that finish, McGreevy moved the cutline from 5 over to 4 over and sent even more big names home early. Here’s a look at some of those who won’t be around for the weekend, including those at +5 who wished for a different finish from McGreevy.

Thomas Detry (+5)
Viktor Hovland (+5)
Harris English (+6)
Sahith Theegala (+6)
Min Woo Lee (+7)
Max Homa (+7)
Maverick McNealy (+9)
Cameron Young (+9)
Tom Kim (+10)
2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational updated odds and picks
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Shane Lowry: 3-1
Rory McIlroy: 9/2
Collin Morikawa: 6-1
Wyndham Clark: 7-1
Scottie Scheffler: 10-1
Corey Conners: 12-1
Russell Henley: 14-1
Justin Thomas: 16-1
Jason Day: 20-1
Keegan Bradley: 25-1
Ludvig Åberg: 30-1
Well, we like Lowry, but if there is a player to catch him over the weekend, Thomas at 16-1 looks like a solid option. He’s driving it great (No. 1 in strokes gained off the tee, No. 3 in driving accuracy) and has yet to get the putter rolling. It has been good so far this year, so there is some reason to believe it can flip positively over the weekend. Down the board at 90-1, Sepp Straka sits at 1 under as well and is a fun longshot option.

The 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational heads for the weekend beginning with Round 3 on Saturday at 9:20 a.m. ET. The final group tees off at around 1:50 p.m. ET and that pairing features leader Shane Lowry, who is 8-under for the tournament, and Wyndham Clark at -6. Corey Conners (-5), Collin Morikawa (-5), Russell Henley (-4), Rory McIlroy (-4) and Jason Day (-4) are the other golfers within four strokes of the lead. 

Lowry is the +280 favorite (risk $100 to win $280) to win heading into the weekend, followed by Rory McIlroy (+450), Morikawa (+600), Clark (+750). Scottie Scheffler, who is seven shots off the lead at 1 under, is getting +1100 in the latest 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational odds. With several big names near the top of the Invitational leaderboard, what are the best bets and prop picks for the weekend? Before making any 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational weekend picks, be sure to see the PGA picks and props from SportsLine’s Eric Cohen.

Cohen is an avid golf bettor who correctly predicted the pre-tournament outright winner in seven tournaments over the last two seasons. He correctly identified Aaron Rai at +3300 odds in the 2024 Wyndham Championship, as well as Davis Thompson (2024 John Deere Classic, +2200), Bryson DeChambeau (2024 U.S. Open, +2000), Scottie Scheffler (2024 Players Championship, +550), Rickie Fowler (2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic, +1400), Brooks Koepka (2023 PGA Championship, +2000), and Chris Kirk (2023 Honda Classic, +3500). Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen strong returns.

Now that the Cohen has had a chance to break down the latest weekend PGA Tour odds for the Arnold Palmer Invitational 2025, he has locked in his betting picks. You can only see all his picks by heading to SportsLine.

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Top Arnold Palmer Invitational PGA Tour weekend picks

For the Arnold Palmer Invitational 2025 weekend, Cohen is backing J.J. Spaun to finish in the top 20 (+185). Spaun bounced back nicely from a first-round 75 with a 71 on Friday to make the cut and get within a couple spots of the top 20. He tees off at 11:05 a.m. ET on Saturday.

“Spaun has actually been the best player on approach thus far this week, slightly ahead of Shane Lowry and sits T30 through two rounds,”  Cohen said. “The putter hasn’t been great, but I’ll always side with consistent iron player over potentially a fluky putter. He sits two shots out of the top-20 and we’re getting nearly 2-1 odds so I’ll take my chances. The course history isn’t great at Bay Hill but Spaun finished T2 at PGA National last week so I’ll take my chances that he once again heats up on the weekend.” See the rest of Cohen’s weekend picks at SportsLine.

How to make 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational weekend picks 

Cohen has also locked in his outright winner picks, which include a longshot priced higher than 15-1 as well as another plus-money prop pick for the weekend. You can only see the picks at SportsLine.

So who wins the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational, and what prop picks should you jump on this weekend? Visit SportsLine now to get Eric Cohen’s picks for the Arnold Palmer Invitational 2025, all from the golf expert who has called seven outright winners since 2023, and find out.

2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational weekend odds, contenders 

See picks at SportsLine.

Shane Lowry +280
Rory McIlroy +450
Collin Morikawa +600
Wyndham Clark +750
Scottie Scheffler +1100
Corey Conners +1400
Justin Thomas +1600
Russell Henley +1600
Jason Day +2200
Keegan Bradley +3000
Ludvig Aberg +3500
Max Greyserman +4500
Si Woo Kim +6500
Sungjae Im +9000
Tony Finau +10000
Sepp Straka +11000
Patrick Cantlay +17000
Hideki Matsuyama +17000
Michael Kim +20000

Where to bet on the PGA Tour

Here are some of the sportsbooks to bet on the PGA Tour, along with the various PGA sportsbook promos they currently offer.

The PGA Tour schedule has heated up this weekend the king’s place, Bay Hill Club & Lodge, where the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational serves as the fourth signature event of the season. Welcoming the best and brightest from the PGA Tour, Bay Hill is providing a stern examination as it regularly ranks as one of the most difficult stops of the campaign.

With that in mind, it may come as no surprise that it has also become a safe haven for world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Securing two red cardigans (and another top-five finish) in the last three seasons, Scheffler arrived in Florida looking to keep a good thing going in the Sunshine State.

Scheffler secured three top-25 finishes across three starts on the West Coast Swing but still has room to improve following his offseason hand procedure. He is within striking distance but will need a substantial effort Sunday to pull off a win as he sits eight shots back entering the final 18 holes.

World No. 3 Xander Schauffele, like Scheffler, was looking to knock some rust off. He’s playing for the third time this season but barely made it inside the cut line and sits last among those playing the weekend. The two-time major champion returned following a two-month layoff due to a rib injury. Having only played at the PGA Tour’s season open, he will need to find his groove as a big two-week stretch on the PGA Tour and the Masters both loom large.

Collin Morikawa has taken a one-stroke lead at the 54-hole mark as he seeks his first victory in more than 16 months. There are a number of big hitters right behind him, and it should be thrilling down the stretch at the place that Arnold Palmer built.

All times Eastern; streaming start times approximated

2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational TV schedule
Round 4 – Sunday
Round starts: 9:15 a.m.

PGA Tour Live: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. — PGA Tour Live

Early TV coverage: 12:30-2:30 p.m. on Golf Channel, fubo (Try for free)
Early streaming: 12:30-2:30 p.m. on NBC Sports App

Live TV coverage: 2:30-6 p.m. on NBC
Live streaming: 2:30-6 p.m. on Peacock

Radio: 1-6 p.m. — PGA Tour Radio

“The Boston Celtics are stacked, but could the rich get richer,” Clutch Points’ Bailey Bassett wrote Wednesday.

“That is what would happen if the Celtics made a trade with the Heat for Jimmy Butler.”

“Considering how much talent they have, there would be seemingly no reason to do this, but Boston certainly fits the description of a championship-contending team that Butler could be interested in playing for.”

“Butler is a star, but he actually might not be good enough to even start on the Celtics.”

“Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are one of the best duos in basketball, and Jrue Holiday and Derrick White fill the backcourt spots perfectly with their elite two-way play.”

“Kristaps Porzingis is even back and healthy, too. Even so, the Celtics have had a lot of legendary players suit up for them over the years, and Butler could hypothetically be yet another.”

Two seasons ago, Butler and the Heat, the lowest-seeded team in the Eastern Conference, completed a pleasantly surprising run to the NBA finals.

Butler averaged 26.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per contest on 46.8% shooting from the field and 35.9% shooting from deep in 22 postseason games.

The following season, however, Butler suffered an MCL sprain and missed the entire postseason, causing the short-handed Heat to fall to the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.

Butler is doing his part this season to help Miami stay afloat, but the Heat aren’t 100% sold on the idea of the six-time All-Star finishing the season with the organization.

While Miami is open to trade talks regarding Butler, it’s unlikely the Heat will ship the Marquette product to the already-loaded Celtics between now and the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

While the Magic have stayed near the top of the East without their two biggest stars, they could look to add more scoring to their roster. One name that has entered trade rumors is the Sacramento Kings’ All-Star guard, De’Aaron Fox.

Fox is signed through the 2025-26 season, but he and the Kings have yet to agree on a new extension. Because of both this and the Kings’ struggles this season, Sacramento may be willing to trade him away for the right price.

In a possible trade, Orlando could send a package of Jonathan Isaac, Jett Howard, Cole Anthony, Gary Harris and multiple first-round picks to Sacramento for Fox and Kevin Huerter. Note that this trade cannot be completed until Jan. 2 due to Isaac’s recently signed restriction.

With the Kings struggling, they could revamp their lineup around Domantas Sabonis with the players in this trade while also replenishing their limited amount of future draft capital.

For the Magic, adding a star player like Fox would only increase their odds of coming out of the East this season once Banchero and Wagner return from injury. Fox has had one of the best seasons of his career this year as he is averaging 26.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He is also shooting 48.9% from the field and 33.1% from three.

With Orlando desperately needing offensive help, they would get that in both Fox and Huerter. Fox has averaged 20 or more points per game in all but two seasons of his eight-year career while Huerter has been one of the most underrated outside shooters since entering the NBA in 2018.

By adding Fox to a lineup that consists of Suggs, Wagner, Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr. as well as Huerter and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope off the bench, Orlando would be in a good position to win the franchise’s first title this season.

For OKC, Chet Holmgren (hip), Ousmane Dieng (finger), Adam Flager (finger) and Nikola Topic (ACL) are all out for Saturday’s game. For the first time this season, power forward/center Jaylin Williams is listed as day-to-day as he has been recovering from a hamstring injury.

As for Houston, they have no one on their roster listed as out, but have a variety of guys day-to-day. Alperen Sengun (knee), Cam Whitmore (wrist), Jae’Sean Tate (back) and Steven Adams (knee) are all on that list.

What to know
Last night, Dec. 11, the Houston Rockets defeated the Golden State Warriors 91-90. Headed by Sengun who put up 26 points and 11 rebounds, it was an overall poor performance from the Rockets on their home court.

Shooting 22% from three and giving up 16 total turnovers, the Rockets were able to sneak by the Warriors with some ‘questionable’ calls and an equally poor shooting performance from Curry and Hield.

For the Thunder, they have faced the Rockets twice this season and have split the series 1-1. The first game OKC dominated Houston 126-107 and only lost by three in their second meeting due to an all-time performance from VanVleet and 40 free throw attempts.

The third official meeting is sure to be electric as there is much more on the line during this game in Vegas. For the Thunder to secure a spot in the title game, relying on their historic defense and recognizing how the game is being called is vital. Houston has an assortment of young stars who are able to put the ball in the basket, so minimizing their touches and forcing others to score will be key.

Throughout the entirety of the NBA Cup games, officials have been allowing more physical play. If that trend continues, OKC guards should have a field day against Houston.

While the Bitar proposal is approximately $900,000 away from working financially, the Lakers and Nuggets could surely tinker with the deal or add a third team to get a similar exchange to Bitar’s idea in motion.

“The Denver Nuggets making a move for LeBron James would be a statement of their championship ambitions, taking their already stacked roster to another level,” Bitar said.

“Pairing LeBron with reigning three-time MVP Nikola Jokic would give Denver an all-time duo capable of dominating both ends of the court.”

“Michael Porter Jr. brings elite shooting and length … offering immediate scoring alongside Anthony Davis. Christian Braun, a swingman with defensive potential and energy, could develop into a useful rotational piece for the Lakers, while Zeke Nnaji provides solid depth in the frontcourt.”

“The 2031 first-round pick may seem far off, but it offers future value as the Nuggets’ championship window could begin to close as key players age. From a Lakers perspective, this package has some solid young talent, but it’s likely a tough sell without a more immediate star in return for LeBron.”

“Still, the Nuggets would essentially be guaranteeing themselves a spot in the West’s elite, and the opportunity to run with a LeBron-Jokic combo would be too tempting to pass up. For the Lakers, this is a long-term play with a solid mix of youth and future assets.”

LeBron and Jokić have a combined seven NBA MVP trophies. This union would be historic, but would the trade that makes it happen be a wise endeavor for both teams?

Now sitting at 12-11 and holding sole possession of the No. 10 seed in a loaded Western Conference, it’s been heavily rumored that Phoenix may enter trade discussions to potentially land a star.

With recent developments regarding his impending unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2025, the Miami Heat’s six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler has looked to be a possible fit with the superstar core of Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

Butler is averaging 19.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals paired with a career-best 58.1% effective field goal percentage for Miami this season, sparking plenty of interest from contending teams.

On a one-year rental, it’s plausible that Butler could contribute to a star-studded roster with a championship victory being the franchise’s only goal. Butler’s reported status on the trade market has led to plenty of discussion surrounding his preferred destinations, with Phoenix being one of the top suitors named.

Soon after reports were released, individuals close to the situation, like Butler’s agent Bernie Lee, refuted any claims of Butler’s availability. Specifically, Lee called out ESPN’s Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania for spreading alleged false information.

After Lee’s response, most had assumed that trade discussions surrounding Butler-to-Phoenix had been dismantled. Instead, Charania stood by his information and sources during a recent appearance on ESPN’s NBA Countdown show, as shared by Forbes’ Evan Sidery via Twitter/X.

“Another team that Butler’s agent Bernie Lee has indicated recently, that Butler is open to the Phoenix Suns, sources told me today,” Charania shared Wednesday night.

“And you think about what Jimmy Butler wants. A win-now, contending situation. There’s been no other win-now team more than these Phoenix Suns.”

“You think about their salary cap bill, what they’ve done with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal going all-in. So, keep a very close eye on the Phoenix Suns.”

While salary in the form of Beal would likely have to be shipped out to Miami to complete the deal financially, the arrival of Butler in Phoenix would supply one of the league’s best perimeter defenders to a team with a lackluster No. 20 ranked defensive rating of 114.4.

As the NBA season moves closer to the trade deadline in February, trade rumors have begun to run wild.

One player who has been at the forefront of those rumors is the Miami Heat’s superstar, Jimmy Butler. Butler is signed through the 2025-26 season, but many executives around the league believe that he will opt out of his contract after this season and test the waters in free agency.

Because of this, the Heat are open to listening to offers for Butler according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Charania also reported that Butler’s top destinations are the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns.

While these teams are currently the front runners to land the six-time All-Star, a former Boston Celtics’ legend believes that a different Western Conference team is the best fit for him

“If I had to guess, if I had to put my GM cap on, the best fit for Jimmy Butler would probably be the Denver Nuggets,” said Celtics’ great, Paul Pierce, on a recent episode of Fox Sports 1’s “Speak”. “I think they need another go-to guy to help (Nikola Jokić) out.”

While the Denver Nuggets do need to give Jokić help like Pierce said, it would be difficult for Denver to pull off a trade for Butler, but it can be done.

Denver has had a down season this year as they sit seventh in the Western Conference standings with a 12-10 record. Jokić is once again playing like the MVP frontrunner, but he can only take the Nuggets so far if the supporting cast continues to let him down.

Butler would be a good fit in Denver thanks to his defensive play and scoring abilities. The Nuggets have one of the NBA’s worst defenses, so adding a defensive-minded player in Butler to their roster would only improve it.

The 35-year-old would also take the pressure off Jokić offensively. Butler is averaging 19 points per game this season in Miami, which would be tied with Michael Porter Jr. for second on Denver’s roster behind Jokić.

With the Nuggets interested in making a move to retool their lineup, do not be surprised if they contact Pat Riley and Miami to try and work out a deal for the veteran superstar.