-
Seven Sportsbook bets between 1/12.00 and 25/126.00
-
-
Bet 1 - Back Scheffler to win wire-to-wire
As the year's first major draws closer, and as I dig deeper and deeper into the form and the various markets, I'm even more convinced that the favourite, Scottie Scheffler, is a great price to win on the exchange at 6.05/1.
He's only 4/15.00 on the Sportsbook and I wouldn't want to lay him at that price. His form is head and shoulders above anyone else's in the field and in addition to having a lumpy bet to win outright, I've backed him in three different side markets.
Scheffler is yet to win an event wire-to-wire, but he was five clear here at halfway two years ago (third after round one) before eventually winning by three and he's worth a small interest at 25/126.00 to be leading after every round.
Bet 2 - Back Scheffler to win by 3 shots or more
What price will he be on Thursday night if he's in front or tied for the lead? A very short one is the answer.
Augusta is not a catch-up course and two of the last nine winners have won wire-to-wire (Jordan Spieth 2015 and Dustin Johnson in 2020) so whether you're a Scheffler fan or not, it's a market worth exploring.
In the Will History Repeat Itself? section, the 13/27.50 about Scheffler winning by 3 shots or more looks a very fair price.
Tight finishes aren't the norm here. We've had just one playoff in the last 10 years and five of the last nine winners have won by at least three. Including Scheffler two years ago.
Listen to our Masters podcast here
Bet 3 - Back Rory to flop
In that same section, the 25/126.00 about Scheffler and Rory McIlroy to finish 1st and 2nd in any order will tempt Rory fans.
McIlroy finished strongly to finish second to Scheffler two years ago and his third-place finish in Texas on Sunday will give them encouragement, but I'm not convinced.
Year after year he's understandably considered one of the men to beat but he missed the cut last year when going off favourite and that was the second tine in three years that he'd failed to make the weekend.
His bogey-free 66 at TPC San Antonio on Sunday was an encouraging knock but he hasn't been at his best since winning in Dubai in January and with the weight of expectation likely to hinder his chances once again, the 15/28.50 about him missing the cut is a reasonable price.
Bet 4 - Back Lowry to be King of Ireland
Looking at the various Top Region markets, Rory looks worth taking on in the two-man Top Irish market too, where he's the 2/51.40 favourite over 7/42.75 chance, Shane Lowry, and I also like Viktor Hovland at 9/25.50 in the Top Continental European Player market.
Bet 5 - Back Hovland to be King of Continental Europe
As highlighted in the preview, defending champions and debutants have a dreadful record at Augusta so Hovland may not need to be at his best to finish ahead of the first two in the betting - last year's winner, Jon Rahm, and first-time visitor, Ludvig Aberg.
It's a weak enough market after that with the Spanish veteran, Sergio Garcia, who was beaten in a playoff on the LIV Tour on Sunday, the fourth favourite at 9/110.00.
Bet 6 - Back Top 10 trio @ 14/115.00
In the #OddsOnThat - Featured section, the 14/115.00 available about Xander Schauffele, Brooks Koepka & Hideki Matsuyama all to Finish in the Top 10 (Incl. Ties) looks fair and there are plenty of Tournament Match Bets to choose from but the one I like best is the even money about Schauffele finishing ahead of Rahm.
Bet 7 - Back Xander to beat Jon
If I could trust his temperament, Schauffele would be of interest in the outright market, but he hasn't won in nearly two years and he's often flaky in-contention.
With 2024 form figures reading 10-3-9-54-4-25-2-5 and an Augusta record that reads 50-2-17-3-MC-10, he's likely to be a factor and if Rahm plays like the majority of defending champions, I suspect Xander will finish in front of the Spaniard.
Scheffler finished tied for 10th when defending the title 12 months ago but he was only the second defending champion to finish inside the top-12 since Tiger Woods finished third way back in 2006.
Golf... Only Bettor. Listen to our US Masters special now.