2024 masters Tee-off will take place on Thursday, but this year’s hunt for the green jacket may play out differently than previous years for a variety of reasons.
First, Scottie Scheffler (+400) will tee off as the shortest favorite to win the Masters since Tiger Woods started at +350 in 2014.
Additionally, you should also consider that some of the best players in the field are active on the LIV Tour. So this is his first opportunity to play against PGA Tour players this year.
And perhaps most importantly, we need to keep in mind that this was a big year on the PGA Tour.
Already 11 winners have won at 50/1 or higher, with eight of them listed at 100/1 or higher.
With all of that in mind, here are some of the athletes taking laps at Augusta this week.
Best bets for Masters on Augusta National
top of the board
Brooks Koepka (22/1, FanDuel)
One thing to keep in mind when betting on the Masters is that it’s usually a struggle all the way to the end.
The winning score is usually around 10 under, and 36 of the 37 past winners were in the top 10 after two rounds.
According to Justin Ray of 21st Club, the average 36-hole difference for Masters winners over the past 20 years is 1.9 strokes.
In other words, you need a player who can keep his nerves in check until the end, and there are few golfers in this field who fit that profile better than Koepka.
Koepka, a five-time major champion, has finished runner-up twice at Augusta and there is no cause for concern about his current form.
Best chance to buy at a low price
Viktor Hovland (40/1, DraftKings)
If we had offered this price to participants in January, there would have been a line outside the store.
Big things were expected of Hovland in 2024 after winning the Tour Championship in August, but things rarely progress in a straight line in golf, and the Norwegian was unable to continue his form into the new season. Not yet.
Hovland has only finished in the top 20 once in four full-field tournaments this year and hasn’t looked like a threat in any of his starts.
And while some punters see the lack of form as a red flag, I’m going to take this as an opportunity to buy cheap on a player who was priced as one of the favorites to win this event in January. .
best sleeper
Shane Lowry (60/1, DraftKings)
Lowry is always in this price range in the majors, and it seems as if he always attracts a lot of support. There’s a good reason for that.
The Irishman may not have the most wins on his resume, but he is one of the most underrated big game hunters in the sport.
Lowry has already donned the Claret Jag and finished in the top five in every major tournament.
Lowry’s career at Augusta didn’t get off to a great start, but he has finished inside the top 20 in each of his past two trips down Magnolia Lane and tied for third in 2023.
Add in the fact that Lowry has two top-five finishes (and one inside the top 20) in his last three PGA Tour events, and you have a pretty good case for betting on this number.
Do you want to bet on golf?
best 3 digit long shot
Sergio Garcia (125/1, Caesars)
It usually takes a lot of effort to claim a fighter in this range, but it’s actually not that far-fetched to suggest that Garcia could fight here.
Of course, he’s unlikely to beat a star-studded field, but the former Masters winner is showing flashes of form at just the right time.
Garcia has finished runner-up at LIV twice this season, including last week in Miami.
