Masters bets: Targeting 3 players searching for their 1st green jacket

The Masters is a tradition unlike any other, and so is betting on it. The season's first major is the most bet on tournament by a wide margin, and we have you covered if you're looking to get in on the action.

Though two-time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler is the favorite at +600 on theScore Bet, there are questions about this game. Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau - two LIV golfers who have yet to play a competitive tournament in the United States this year - are the next two on the betting board. Defending champion Rory McIlroy sits as the fourth favorite, but no one has won back-to-back green jackets since Tiger Woods in 2002.

Simply put, this is the most wide-open Masters Tournament in recent memory, which creates betting opportunities when trying to find a winner. Let's get to it.

Jump to: The favorites | The bets

🏆 Tournament winner odds

⛳️ Bet on the Masters Tournament with theScore Bet here

🏌️ The favorites

Breaking down the favorites is a crucial step before getting to our picks. Determining if we're betting or fading the top dogs at their prices helps build a betting card with the most upside.

First, Scheffler's odds have moved from the +300 range to +600 due to his recent struggles (by his standards) and time off for the birth of his second child. Scheffler ranks 82nd on the PGA TOUR in strokes gained: approach, a stat he's dominated for the last three years. He also hasn't played since The Players in mid-March, and spending time at home welcoming a new child isn't the ideal way to sharpen an area that needs work. This version of Scheffler isn't the same as the one who deserved to be priced below +400 for most of the season, and I'm not sure his odds have drifted enough to factor in the uncertainties.

I'll group Rahm and DeChambeau since my stance toward them is the same. I don't believe LIV Golf's world schedule best prepares its players for the Masters, and given this will be Rahm's and DeChambeau's first start of the season in the U.S., they become riskier options at their prices. One of them could win, but I'd rather see them get some pressure-packed reps in marquee events before backing either in a major.

Finally, McIlroy needed 16 attempts to claim his first green jacket, so I'm not eager to back him to win two straight. Defending the Masters is very difficult with all the added attention, pressure, and commitments the reigning champ navigates during the week, part of the reason only three players in the event's history have successfully defended their title. McIlroy also isn't in ideal lead-in form, with a withdrawal from the Arnold Palmer Invitational and a T46 at The Players in his last two starts.

💵 The bets

Bet: Matt Fitzpatrick to win (+2000)

There's no better metric than recent form when picking a Masters winner. The last four champions each ranked No. 1 in the FedEx Cup standings before winning the green jacket. While Jacob Bridgeman currently leads the points list, he's making his first Masters start, and debutants rarely win.

Instead, I'm targeting the next two on the FedEx Cup list who recently battled at The Players. Matthew Fitzpatrick may not have won at TPC Sawgrass, but he took down the Valspar Championship the next week with another exceptional four-day stretch of tee-to-green play. The Englishman ranks second in strokes gained: tee-to-green for the season, backed by a wicked short game that'll come in handy at Augusta.

Fitzpatrick is a former U.S. Open winner, which will only help him handle the pressure of closing a major on a Sunday. He's played the Masters 11 times in his career, with one missed cut and two top-10 finishes.

Bet: Cameron Young to win (+1800)

Young beat Fitzpatrick in a playoff at The Players, capping a three-tournament stretch that vaulted him to third on the FedEx Cup points list. With a driver that's among the world's best and long-iron play that gives him a huge edge, Young has the ball-striking ability you'd expect from a Masters champion.

The 28-year-old has played in four Masters in his career, recording two top-10 finishes to go along with two missed cuts. Young failed to make the weekend in his first start at Augusta, and he had four missed cuts in his six lead-in events last year, so he wasn't in nearly as good a form as he's in now.

Young proved himself in the best field of the season at TPC Sawgrass, winning by far the biggest tournament of his career (notably, the last two Masters winners won The Players that same year). A major championship feels inevitable for him, and this week would be striking while the iron's hot.

Bet: Min Woo Lee to win (+3500)

I would've liked Min Woo Lee's odds to be a tad longer, but odds don't impact a player's ability to win. Although Lee hasn't secured a victory this year, he's playing well and trending toward his first major win.

The Aussie ranks fifth on the PGA TOUR in strokes gained: total this season, bolstered by three top-six results in his last five tournaments. Two of those performances came at signature events, where Lee gained over four strokes through approach shots. While he's never been known for elite iron play, his recent results suggest he's figured something out in that area.

There also aren't any concerns with Lee's off-the-tee game or chipping, and he's gained strokes putting in five straight events. Lee's played the Masters four times in his career, finishing 14th in his debut and placing T22 two years ago. Australians have also found success at the iconic Georgia layout, with Adam Scott, Jason Day, and Cameron Smith all contending - or winning - at some point in their careers.

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