This article is part of our Golf Picks series.
Masters Betting Preview
It's Masters Week!
The first of the four majors is finally upon us, and 89 golfers will head down Magnolia Lane as they look to capture a green jacket at the Masters.
The storylines are plentiful, with overwhelming tournament favorite Scottie Scheffler -- listed at 9-2 odds -- looking to pick up his second Masters title and third win in four events, Rory McIlroy making his 10th attempt at the career Grand Slam and whether or not one of the 13 LIV golfers can wind up in the winner's circle.
Last year, Jon Rahm -- at 11-1 -- picked up his second major championship with a four-shot victory over Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson.
All odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 6:00 PM ET Tuesday
Check out the best sports betting websites for other odds, offers and promotions.
Course Overview
Par 72, 7,555 yards
Average Strokes Gained Rankings: Masters Winners since 2021
- SG: Off-the-Tee: 9.3
- SG: Approach: 5.3
- SG: Around-the-Green: 4.0
- SG: Putting: 19.3
- SG: Tee-to-Green: 1.7
- Driving Distance: 13.3
- Driving Accuracy: 17.7
Augusta National is the course that golf fans know best, but what exactly does it take to find success here? While the setup does a great job of testing all facets of your game, it's difficult to contend here unless you're an excellent ball striker. Off the tee, players are faced with some of the widest landing areas they will see all year, as the fairways average over 50 yards wide with minimal rough surrounding them. As such, there will be a premium on distance over accuracy. Iron play is also a key statistic, as the winner has ranked sixth or better in SG: Approach since Strokes Gained data was implemented at Augusta three years ago. Plus, there will be an emphasis on those who approach it well from 200+ yards. Playing the par-5s well is also incredibly important, as these provide the primary scoring opportunities. For what it's worth Rahm played them at 10-under last year.
Augusta All-Stars
The following players have the lowest scoring average at Augusta National over the last five years.
- Jon Rahm: 70.2
- Will Zalatoris: 70.5
- Scottie Scheffler: 70.7
- Xander Schauffele: 70.7
- Brooks Koepka: 70.8
Rahm's success in this event goes back farther than just 2023, as he tops the list thanks to four top-10s over the last five years. His level has not dropped at all since joining LIV Golf, as he's posted a top-10 in all five of his appearances. Rahm checks in as the third choice on the board at 11-1 odds. One of two players on this list looking for his first green jacket is Schauffele, who came close with a T2 result in 2019 and held the lead late in the final round two years ago before finishing T3. He's looking to break a stretch of 36 consecutive tournaments without a win, and he's been close many times this year alone, with four top-5 finishes. Schauffele is right behind Rahm on the betting board at 14-1 odds.
Flushers Only
These five players, on a per-round basis, gained the most strokes off the tee and on approach combined over their last 20 rounds.
- Scottie Scheffler: 2.50
- Corey Conners: 1.69
- Cameron Young: 1.61
- Ludvig Aberg: 1.57
- Austin Eckroat: 1.52
Scheffler is the lone player to appear on both lists and is gaining a whopping 2.5 shots per round with his ball striking -- 0.81 strokes more than anyone else. It's easy to see why he's such a big favorite, as he's leading the Tour in Birdie or Better Percentage (31.4 percent) and bogey avoidance (8.2 percent). Scheffler's weakness on the greens appears to be no more, as he's now gaining strokes putting on the year. Meanwhile, Aberg will be making his first major appearance, and his game certainly looks like it will translate to golf's biggest stages. There's not much he does wrong, as he ranks 15th in SG: Off-the-Tee, 26th in approach and 19th in driving distance. With top-25 finishes in six straight tournaments, Aberg is playing well consistently. Even as a first-timer, he is worth consideration at 30-1 odds.
The Masters: Outright Bets
Brooks Koepka (18-1)
Koepka is coming off a T45 finish at LIV Miami, but does it really matter? No player turns it on better than Koepka when the lights are the brightest, as evidenced by his five major trophies. He held the 54-hole lead here last year, and I'll take him at this price every time.
Jordan Spieth (25-1)
Prior success is more important at Augusta than anywhere else, and there aren't many players who have stepped up their game more on this course than Spieth. The 2015 champion has a top-5 finish in six of his 10 career appearances, and he was fourth in SG: Off-the-Tee last week.
Shane Lowry (60-1)
Lowry has been excellent in majors, having made 16 of his last 18 cuts with three top-5s during that stretch -- including his 2019 Open Championship win. His best finish here came in 2022 with a T3 result, and he posted a top-5 in two of his last three PGA Tour starts.
The Masters: Other Wagers
Will Zalatoris
Top-5 Finish: 15-2
Zalatoris had an excellent stretch earlier this year with a T13 finish at Torrey Pines followed by back-to-back top-5 finishes in Signature Events, showing that he still has his pre-back-injury form. With three runner-up finishes in majors, including one at Augusta, he should find himself in contention over the weekend.
Tommy Fleetwood
Top-5 Finish: 8-1
Fleetwood is coming off a strong showing at the Valero Texas Open in which he finished T7 despite losing strokes with the putter. That was Fleetwood's second top-10 over his last four starts. With three top-5s over his last seven majors, this seems like excellent value at these odds.
Gary Woodland
Top-10 Finish: 16-1
Although Woodland has not had a lot of success this year, he's coming off his best finish, one in which he led the field in SG: Approach at the the Houston Open. His T14 finish at last year's Masters was his best career finish in this event.
The Masters: Head-to-Head Matchups
Min Woo Lee (-110) over Brian Harman
I went a perfect 2-0 week in matchups at the Valero Texas Open, and I'll try to keep the momentum going with Lee, who finished T14 in his Masters debut two years ago. The 25-year-old has shown up well in majors, with a top-5 at last year's U.S. Open. Obviously we know that Harman can play well in majors after winning last year's Open Championship, but he has missed the cut in three of his five trips to Augusta, and Lee's length advantage makes him the better fit.
Byeong Hun An (-130) over Adam Hadwin
If you're looking for a sleeper, don't overlook An, who has three top-10s this year -- including two in Signature Events. He's 11th in driving distance this season and 25th in SG: Tee-to-Green, both important metrics for success here. I'll take him over the shorter-hitting Hadwin, who is losing strokes from tee to green this season.
Be sure to stay on top of everything going on in golf with RotoWire's latest PGA odds, the most up-to-date PGA injury report, our expansive PGA stats database and much more!