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Odds and predictions on the second leg of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup, the BMW Championship at Cave's Valley near Baltimore.

The FedEx Cup Playoffs return to the Cave.

The Cave's Valley Golf Club near Baltimore is the venue for this week's BMW Championship, the second leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. The top 50 players on the points list comprise the field, with the top 30 at the end of the week moving on to the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta to settle the season-long points race for good.

Cave's Valley, designed by Tom Fazio and built in 1991, hosted the BMW in 2021 and it was epic: Patrick Cantlay beat Bryson DeChambeau on the sixth playoff hole. Rory McIlroy and three players other than DeChambeau who later defected to the LIV Golf League, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm, were in the mix.

Scottie Scheffler retained his lead in the FedEx Cup points race after a tie for third last week in the St. Jude Championship.

Cantlay is back this year, ranked 19th on the points list after his tie for ninth in the St. Jude Championship. It was his first top-10 finish since a tie for fourth at the Truist Championship in May, perhaps a signal that Cantlay is turning his game around.

Since the Truist he's missed the cut in all three majors, the PGA, U.S. Open and British Open, but had a pair of ties for 12th at the Travelers and the Memorial.

BMW Championship favorites, odds

Bet MGM is naturally going with Scottie Scheffler at +225, followed by Rory McIlroy at +700.

It's a long way before the next favorite: Tommy Fleetwood at +1600. Ludvig Åberg and Cantlay are +1800 and Justin Thomas is +2500.

The oddsmakers don't think very highly of the two playoff participants in the St. Jude Championship. Winner Justin Rose is +4000 and J.J. Spaun is +3000.

BMW Championship picks

Rory McIlroy: He might be motivated a bit by the criticism he received for skipping the first leg of the playoffs (something Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson did multiple times, without nearly as much grief) and played well at Cave's Valley in 2021, posting a 22-under score to finish solo fourth.

J.J. Spaun: He's had a solid season, which included bouncing back from a loss to McIlroy in a three-hole playoff at The Players to win the U.S. Open. Spaun lost to Rose in three holes at the St. Jude, soooo ... maybe? Spaun has shot in the 60s in his last seven competition rounds.

Cameron Young: The Wyndham Championship winner threw up a final-round 64 at TPC Southwind to finish solo fifth. He's playing his best golf as a pro and at just the right time.