Fourteen of the top 15 players in the world will be in the field when play begins on Thursday in the 2022 Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in East Lothian. World No. 3 Jon Rahm is the +2500 favorite to lead after the first round. World No. 1 and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler isn't far behind at +2800. Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas and Cameron Smith (all +3500) round out the top five choices.

Before you consider your Scottish Open picks and who will lead the tournament after the first round, you NEED to see what Sia Nejad has to say. Nejad is a PGA and NFL betting and DFS expert who has had incredible success in the first-round leader market. While those markets tend to be highly volatile, Nejad managed to hit six first-round leaders in a 12-week span earlier this year. He utilizes the inherent volatility in the market to identify value with golfers more likely to spike in one round versus a full tournament. He maintains that proper bankroll management is centered upon head-to-head matchups and the top 20 and top 40 markets but has been exceptional in spiking bankrolls via first-round leader cashes.

In 2022, his first-round leader hits include Danny Lee (150-1 at the American Express), Kevin Na (40-1, Sony), Tom Hoge (80-1, Players), KH Lee (85-1, Phoenix), Jhonattan Vegas and Adam Hadwin (70-1 and 100-1, Valspar). He has also hit a handful of outrights and live outrights this year, including Cameron Smith (28-1, Tournament of Champions) and Sam Burns (80-1 after Round 1, Charles Schwab Challenge).

Now Nejad has released his first-round leader picks for the 2022 Scottish Open.

One shocker: Nejad is high on the chances of Joaquin Niemann, who is +4500 to lead after the first round. "He's not someone I'm super interested in over four rounds, but he can absolutely spike with the putter and has been incredible off the tee," Nejad says.

However, Nejad also likes five other players, including two at even longer odds than Niemann's. One of these players is "excellent off the tee and with the putter," Nejad says. You ABSOLUTELY need to see who it is before entering any Scottish Open 2022 picks!

What players offer the best value to lead after the first round of the 2022 Scottish Open? And what massive long shots are must-backs? ... Join SportsLine now to see Sia Nejad's top predictions and analysis for the 2022 Scottish Open, all from the golf expert who hit six first-round leaders in a 12-week span earlier this year!