If you want the best Dubai Invitational betting tips, why would you look anywhere else? Our panel of expert tipsters backed a total of 17 winners last season, with plenty of other close calls at big prices, and finished the year with six winners in eight events.
Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy headline the Dubai Invitational field this year, but our expert panel have decided to dig a littler deeper into the odds board in order to find some great value betting tips.
With some great betting tips at the PGA Tour curtain-raiser in Hawaii, this week could be a great start to the new year for golf fans (and those who like a flutter).
So, with the data analysed and the trends followed, who are our expert panel tipping for success in Dubai? Let's find out...
Dubai Invitational Betting Tips 2026
Pick One: Ewen Ferguson (+5500) @ BetMGM
Ewen Ferguson is a great price in this event and has been on my radar for a while now. He has played some impressive golf in this part of the world, winning the Qatar Masters in 2022 and finishing tied for 10th in this event in 2024.
Ferguson also hit 80% of greens in regulation when finishing tied for 10th at the Nedbank on his last start, which is a very important statistic for success here, so there is a lot to like about his chances at a big price.
Pick Two: Daniel Hillier (+3000) @ BetMGM
Daniel Hillier is another flusher who hits plenty of greens in regulation. In fact, over two consecutive starts in Australia at the back end of 2025, Hillier averaged 77% of greens in regulation - finishing 5th and 6th.
That form will give him confidence, but when you consider he also finished 5th in Abu Dhabi, 16th at the DP World Tour Championship and 2nd at the Dubai Desert Classic last year, there is suddenly plenty of weight to his claim.
Pick One: Nicolai Hojgaard (+1600) @ BetMGM
The big-hitting and talented Dane struggled on the PGA Tour last season and went winless for the second successive year, but he did throw in plenty of good results on the DP World Tour including a T2 at the British Masters and a T3 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
He ended his year with a T11 at the DP World Tour Championship so could soon be back to winning ways. He is one of the classiest players in this limited field of 60, so I’m betting on him going low and contending near the top of the leaderboard.
Pick Two: Francesco Molinari (+6600) @ BetMGM
The former Open champion has fallen outside of the world’s top 400 but he ended 2025 with four consecutive made cuts, which remarkably is his longest streak in three years, so he could well be coming out of his lull.
His final start of the season was a T10 at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, so I’m hoping he can build on that this week in Dubai.
The tipping point for me in picking Molinari is that he returns to Dubai Creek Yacht and Golf Club, where he was 5th two years ago in this tournament’s inaugural staging. He looks a good each-way or top-10 shout.
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Pick One: Thriston Lawrence (+3300) @ BetMGM
Returning to the DP World Tour for the final third of 2025, Lawrence re-found his form on his favored circuit, registering a win at the Omega European Masters and a T3rd at the DP World India Championship.
In his last event, he finished T14th at the Alfred Dunhill Championship, with the South African possessing strong course form at this week's Dubai Invitational, finishing in a share of second alongside Rory McIlroy in 2024.
Carding a seven-under-par final round at Dubai Creek Resort, Lawrence isn't afraid to go low and, with his form seemingly back, I think he offers good odds at the season opener.
Pick Two: Marcus Armitage (+8000) @ BetMGM
Like Lawrence, Armitage found a good run of form towards the end of 2025, earning a T5th at the FedEx Open de France and a top 25 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
A T15th in his final outing at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open should bring confidence and, although the Englishman didn't perform at his best last time this event took place, he produced consistent rounds and had no blow ups.
If he can shave a few shots off, which he has been doing recently, the Bullet could well scrape a top 10 at a decent price.
Pick One: David Puig (+2000) @ BetMGM
Puig was in pretty good form towards the end of last year, so - hopefully - with a few minor tweaks, he will begin 2026 as one of this week's contenders.
And, as a LIV golfer, he knows how important OWGR points are at this stage and he will be looking to take advantage.
Although Puig hasn't played this event before, he held an excellent record in the Middle East last year with a third in Dubai, a fourth in Bahrain and a sixth in Riyadh before a T16th at the PIF Saudi International most recently.
The young Spaniard hits it miles and is a clutch putter - the key ingredients to be successful in Dubai.
Pick Two: Tom McKibbin (+2000) @ BetMGM
Like Puig, McKibbin was also producing a string of good finishes at the end of 2025 and claimed his latest pro win at the Hong Kong Open in November.
The Northern Irish talent is equally capable on desert golf courses, highlighted by a T6th at the Dubai Desert Classic and a T15th in Riyadh after starting so well.
While McIlroy is the most likely Northern Irish winner this weekend (especially after his new driver comes into play), I believe he could be rivalled by his compatriot, McKibbin.
Golf Monthly Expert Betting Panel Winning Picks (Since Start Of 2025)
Player |
Event |
Price |
GM Staff Member |
Richard Mansell |
Porsche Singapore Classic 2025 |
+6000 |
Matt Cradock |
Sami Valimaki |
RSM Classic 2025 |
+5500 |
Jonny Leighfield |
Eugenio Chacarra |
Hero Indian Open 2025 |
+3500 |
Elliott Heath |
Sergio Garcia |
LIV Golf Hong Kong 2025 |
+2200 |
Jonny Leighfield |
Ludvig Aberg |
Genesis Invitational 2025 |
+2200 |
Matt Cradock |
Laurie Canter |
Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship 2025 |
+2200 |
Jonny Leighfield/Matt Cradock |
Matt Fitzpatrick |
DP World Tour Championship 2025 |
+1600 |
Matt Cradock |
David Puig |
BMW Australian PGA Championship 2025 |
+1400 |
Jonny Leighfield |
Tommy Fleetwood |
Tour Championship 2025 |
+1200 |
Jonny Leighfield |
Ben Griffin |
World Wide Technology Championship 2025 |
+1200 |
Baz Plummer/Jonny Leighfield |
Joaquin Niemann |
LIV Golf UK 2025 |
+900 |
Matt Cradock |
Tyrrell Hatton |
Hero Dubai Desert Classic 2025 |
+900 |
Jonny Leighfield |
Joaquin Niemann |
LIV Golf Virginia 2025 |
+750 |
Jonny Leighfield |
Rory McIlroy |
The Masters 2025 |
+650 |
Baz Plummer |
Tommy Fleetwood |
DP World India Championship 2025 |
+650 |
Baz Plummer/Jonny Leighfield |
Scottie Scheffler |
PGA Championship 2025 |
+400 |
Matt Cradock/Elliott Heath |
Rory McIlroy |
Amgen Irish Open 2025 |
+400 |
Jonny Leighfield |
