International players have ruled in recent years at Bay Hill, and the contenders this year will be a mix of elite foreign players and some top Americans when the 2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational tees off Thursday outside Orlando. Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy is the 8-1 favorite in the latest 2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational odds from William Hill Sportsbook, while American Bryson DeChambeau and Norwegian Viktor Hovland are the 12-1 co-second favorites. Before locking in any 2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational picks, you MUST see who Sal Johnson is backing.

A media legend and consummate golf insider, Johnson has a strong feel for the players and their strengths and weaknesses. Before last year's event at Bay Hill, he pegged Tyrrell Hatton as one of his top contenders after the Englishman tied for sixth in Mexico in his first event after wrist surgery. The result? Hatton stood strong in the blustery conditions to shoot 4 under, one of only four players to break par for the week, to grab his first PGA Tour victory!    

Johnson also was spot-on in his picks all last season. He was all over Dustin Johnson at the 2020 Masters, calling him a "man with a purpose" and proclaiming he would be nearly impossible to beat. Johnson simply went out and shot the lowest score in event history at 20 under to win by five strokes.

Earlier in the season, he pegged Sungjae Im as a top contender before his first Tour win at the Honda Classic in March before touting Hatton the following week. Anyone who has followed Johnson's advice has cashed in HUGE.

Now Johnson, the first producer of "Inside the PGA Tour," a longtime ABC Sports golf producer who worked with Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Greg Norman, and the founder of the world's top golf stats database, has released his highly confident 2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational picks, and they will surprise you.

We can tell you Johnson is slightly fading McIlroy, even though he is the favorite of bookmakers! Johnson has watched for more than a year as the 31-year-old has faltered again and again. He knows the four-time major champion is close, but he did it again last week when he shot 71 in the final round to fall to a tie for sixth. It's best to let him work things out before you back him again!    

Instead, Johnson is pushing a HUGE triple-digit long shot who has a surprisingly solid history at Bay Hill. This veteran player has had an up-and-down season and his stats aren't near the best in the game, but the track record in Florida can't be overlooked. This golfer has won on tour before, and this could be the week he finally does it again. Anyone who backs this underdog could cash in BIG!

Who wins the 2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational? Where do Viktor Hovland and Jordan Spieth finish? And which HUGE long shot is a MUST-BACK? ... Join SportsLine now to see Sal Johnson's full leaderboard and picks for the 2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational, all from the insider who knows what it takes to win at Bay Hill!