2024 Paris Olympics golf picks, predictions, odds, field: Expert high on Sepp Straka at Le Golf National

The 2024 Paris Olympics are underway and the men's golf tournament will begin on Thursday at Le Golf National just outside of Paris. The course has hosted the French Open on the DP World Tour since the early 90s and it also hosted the 2018 Ryder Cup, so plenty of the world's top players have history here. Tommy Fleetwood went 4-1 during Europe's triumph over the United States and now he'll represent Great Britain this week in the 2024 Olympic men's golf tournament.

Fleetwood also won the 2017 HNA Open de France at Le Golf National and he's listed at 20-1 in the 2024 Olympic golf odds. However, it's two Americans at the top of the 2024 Paris Olympics men's golf odds with Scottie Scheffler at 3-1 and Xander Schauffele at 5-1. Before making any 2024 Paris Olympics men's golf picks or bets, you need to see the Paris Olympics 2024 predictions and men's golf best bets from 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 has given out numerous winners already in 2024, including Jake Knapp (50-1) at the Mexico Open and Xander Schauffele (20-1) at the PGA Championship. Anyone who has followed his lead is way up.

Now, McDonald has focused his attention on the 2024 Olympics men's golf field and has locked in his best bets, top sleepers and favorites to avoid. You can only see them here .

Top 2024 Paris Olympics golf expert picks

One shocker from McDonald: The expert is fading Ludvig Aberg (11-1), who is priced too short to back in such a talented field. The 24-year-old has taken the world of professional golf by storm, turning pro only 13 months ago and rising to fourth in the Official World Golf Ranking entering the 2024 Olympics.

Aberg won the Omega European Masters on the DP World Tour just a few months later, made the European Ryder Cup team, and added his first career PGA Tour victory later in the year at the RSM Classic. However, he's been struggling with his driver of late and is coming off a 75-76 to miss the cut at the Open Championship. That's a big reason why McDonald isn't using the Swede at the Olympics. "Still only with one win on the PGA Tour, Aberg is listed at a shorter price than major winners like Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa." See who else to fade here .

On the other hand, McDonald loves the value on Sepp Straka (40-1). The 31-year-old will look to bring Austria glory at Le Golf National this week and the two-time PGA Tour winner is up to 26th in the Official World Golf Ranking. He had a run of four top-10 finishes in five starts earlier this season and he was top 10 at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Now he'll look to get into medal contention this time around in Paris.

"Anytime we can get Straka at this price in a 60-man field where only 30 players have a real chance to medal, you got to jump in. The lone Austrian in the games has been stellar in 2024 with three top fives on the PGA Tour and a top 25 in his last start at The Open where he gained in every facet of the game," McDonald said. "Over the last three months, he ranks fifth in strokes gained approach and second in driving accuracy among those in this field." See who else to back here .

How to make 2024 Olympic golf picks

McDonald has locked in his men's golf best bets for the Paris Olympics 2024 and he is targeting another big longshot. This golfer doesn't have a ton of name recognition in the USA, but has dominated on European soil. You can only see the picks at SportsLine .

So which players should you target or avoid for the 2024 Paris Olympics men's golf tournament, and which longshot should you back? Check out the 2024 Olympics golf odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Patrick McDonald's top picks for Olympic men's golf 2024, all from the expert who has given out numerous winners already this year, including Xander Schauffele at the PGA Championship .

2024 Paris Olympics men's golf odds, field

See full the Paris Olympics men's golf 2024 picks, best bets and predictions here .

Scottie Scheffler (USA) 3-1
Xander Schauffele (USA) 5-1
Rory McIlroy (IRL) 13-2
Ludvig Aberg (SWE) 11-1
Collin Morikawa (USA) 11-1
Jon Rahm (ESP) 12-1
Viktor Hovland (NOR) 17-1
Tommy Fleetwood (GBR) 20-1
Tom Kim (KOR) 20-1
Joaquin Niemann (CHI) 20-1
Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 22-1
Shane Lowry (IRL) 24-1
Corey Conners (CAN) 30-1
Matthew Fitzpatrick (GBR) 30-1
Sepp Straka (AUT) 40-1
Alex Noren (SWE) 50-1
Min Woo Lee (AUS) 50-1
Byeong-Hun An (KOR) 50-1
Carlos Ortiz (MEX) 50-1
Wyndham Clark (USA) 50-1
Matthieu Pavon (FRA) 50-1
Christiaan Bezuidenhout (RSA) 50-1
Abraham Ancer (MEX) 60-1
Jason Day (AUS) 60-1
Guido Migliozzi (ITA) 65-1
Stephan Jaeger (GER) 70-1
Adrian Meronk (POL) 70-1
Thomas Detry (BEL) 70-1
Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN) 75-1
Nicolai Hojgaard (DEN) 75-1
Ryan Fox (NZL) 85-1
Mito Pereira (CHI) 85-1
David Puig (ESP) 90-1
CT Pan (TPE) 100-1
Victor Perez (FRA) 100-1
Keita Nakajima (JPN) 100-1
Erik Van Rooyen (RSA) 100-1
Emiliano Grillo (ARG) 125-1
Nick Taylor (CAN) 125-1
Kevin Yu (TPE) 150-1
Matteo Manassero (ITA) 150-1
Sami Valimaki (FIN) 175-1
Kiradech Aphibarnat (THA) 200-1
Matti Schmid (GER) 200-1
Alejando Tosti (ARG) 200-1
Joel Girrback (SUI) 200-1
Gavin Green (MAS) 250-1
Shubhankar Sharma (IND) 250-1
Adrien De Chassart (BEL) 300-1
Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR) 300-1
Tapio Pulkkanen (FIN) 300-1
Phachara Khongwatmai (THA) 300-1
Daniel Hillier (NZL) 300-1
Nico Echavarria (COL) 300-1
Gaganjeet Bhullar (IND) 400-1
Kris Ventura (NOR) 400-1
Dou Zecheng (CHN) 400-1
Camilo Villegas (COL) 500-1
Carl Yuan (CHN) 500-1
Rafael Campos (PUR) 500-1