US Masters 2025 Cheat Sheet: Betfair golf experts' best bets for Augusta

• Steve Rawlings backs Rory McIlroy to complete Grand Slam at Masters

• Lowry's form and talent makes him an each-way bet at 33/134.00

• Dave Tindall says trends pick Henley is great Masters value at 50/151.00

• Course info, form stats, outsiders to back, first round leader and more

• Free bets for birdies in our Birdie Bonus offer. T&Cs apply. Click here for more.

• Pick your places on each-way bets at the Masters

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Watch Betfair's Golf...Only Bettor Masters preview

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Before checking out our experts' best bets for the Masters make sure you take advantage of the Betfair Birdie Bonus offer.

Simply bet £5 minimum in the special Win Only market and for every birdie your selection scores in the first round you will get a £1 free bet to use on any golf market in the following seven days.

Here's a guide to the best birdie machines - the players you may want to back using Betfair's offer - at Augusta this week.

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US Masters 2025 tips and predictions

The Punter's Preview: McIlroy looks perfectly-primed

Steve Rawlings: "Hideki Matsuyama, who was a 70.0 chance, is the only winner in the last six years that wasn't well fancied so it's a major that tends to go to one of the market leaders but doubts surround many of the main contenders this year.

"Collin Morikawa is in fine form but he's very flaky in-contention nowadays, Ludvig Aberg hasn't impressed in three starts since winning the Genesis at Torrey Pines, missing the cut in the Players and again at the Texas Open, after finishing 22nd in the Arnold Palmer, and Bryson DeChambeau hasn't won since he edged out Rory in the US Open last June.

"Like Ben Hogan (1951-53), Arnold Palmer (1958-60), Jack Nicklaus (1963-65), Phil Mickelson (2004-06), Bubba Watson (2012-14) and last year's winner, Scheffler, Jon Rahm is bidding to win his second Green Jacket two years after his first but he hasn't won in seven months on the LIV Golf circuit and Xander Schauffele is still finding his feet after missing two months with a rib injury.

"Without question, the most in-form player towards the top of the market is Rory McIlroy and it does feel like the stars could be aligning and that the 35-year-old may finally get to don a Green Jacket and complete the career Grand Slam.

"There was a lot to like about his victories at Pebble Beach in February and at the Players last month and he'll drive down Magnolia Lane knowing he's in better shape than ever. This is the first time in his career that he's pitched up at Augusta with two wins in the year already chalked up and I was happy to back him at more than 7/1."

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US Masters Each-Way Tips: Lowry has what it takes for Augusta glory

Dave Tindall: "Shane Lowry has the shots and X factor to win a Masters. The great thing with Lowry is that his iron play has been so good that he won't have to constantly delve into his box of short-game tricks. The Irishman has finished in the top 15 for Approach in each of his last four starts and after ending 2024 with third at the DP World Tour Championship, his form since February reads 2-39-11-7-20-8.

"Lowry has postitive SG: Around The Green numbers in his last six events and on the season-long stats he's 4th Tee to Green, 5th SG: Total, 6th Approach and 25th ATG. Lowry's CV is highlighted by his stunning Open win at Portrush in 2019 and includes a WGC triumph and victories at Abu Dhabi GC and Wentworth.

"Also, he's just very good at Majors. Starting from 2021 he has a third, a fourth, a pair of top sixes last year and, overall, 12 top 25s in his last 16. Four of those top 25s were at Augusta and they include third place in 2022 when he took just one shot more than winner Scheffler over the final 54 holes."

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Find Me a 100 Winner Masters Special: Back former-winner at 99/1

Steve Rawlings: "The 2018 US Masters winner Patrick Reed was trading at 160.0 this time last week, so I've thought hard about putting him up at just 100.0, but I can see why he's shortened up so much.

"Reed, who has finished fourth and 12^th in the last two editions, is in better form this time around and like many a US Masters winner, he has a recent victory to his name, having won the Hong Kong Open on the Asian Tour at the end of November, where he shot 59 in round three.

"Reed went quiet after a pair of top 10 finishes on the DP World Tour in January - in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah - but he bounced back to form in Macau a couple of weeks ago, leading through the first three rounds before losing out to Carlos Ortiz in round four.

"After a week off, Reed's US Masters price collapsed on Friday when he shot 67 around Doral to lead the LIV Golf Miami event, despite double-bogeying his last hole of the day.

"Reed, who went on to finish seventh in Florida last week, is bidding to become the 19^th man to win multiple US Masters titles and the fact that he's been leading after round one in each of his last two starts bodes well.

"In 11 previous appearances, he's only broken 70 on day one twice - when he won the title in 2018 and when he finished 10^th two years later - so if he can get off to a fast start again this week, we should get a run for our money."

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US Masters 2025: 10-year trends point to...Henley

Dave Tindall: "Is Russell Henley a Masters type? Well, Henley has played all four Majors in a season on eight occasions and his best finish came at the Masters in five of those. As well as his fourth he's posted 11th, 15th and 21st and hasn't finished worse than 38th in his last seven appearances.

"In the various statistical categories he has Masters bests of 14th for Driving Distance, 1st for Driving Accuracy, 7th for GIR, 1st for Scrambling, 6th for Putting Average and 7th for Ball Striking. Henley's last six starts on the PGA Tour read: 10-5-39-6-1-30. He's a form horse and, as a Georgia native and resident, what a story it would be. 

"And just to complete the idea that the stars, trends and numbers are aligned, it's his birthday on Masters Saturday this year. He'll be 36, the outward par on each nine (okay I'm getting carried away now). Henley offers great value at 50/1 on the Sportsbook (1/5 Odds, 6 Places) and he's our trends pick."

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US Masters 2025 Top 5 and Top 10 Tips: Rahm ready to thrive

Dave Tindall: "Jon Rahm, like so many before him, struggled when trying to win back-to-back Masters last year. It was hardly a surprise given that only two defending champions since 2007 have managed a top 10, never mind a win.

"As well as dealing with the extra pressures of the Champions Dinner and extra media commitments, he was also answering questions about joining LIV. For a while in last year's majors he looked a lost soul but seventh in the Open Championship sparked him again.

"With a solid (if winless) season on LIV so far, Rahm looks in good position to add to his tally of big finishes at Augusta. In the last seven years he's had a win, two other top fives and a further two top 10s. This time he's 4.7 for a Top 5 and 2.56 for Top 10. 

Last four events: 9-5-6-6
Masters form: 45-1-27-5-7-9-4-27
Last 50 starts - Win: 14%, Top 5: 46%, Top 10: 72%

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US Masters 2025 Special Bets: Back a hole in one at the 16th

Dave Tindall: "We might be in the realms of 'fun bet' here but it's always good to watch balls trickling down the slope and threatening to go in the hole at the par-3 16th on Sunday.

"Here are the numbers in recent years: 2016 (3), 2017 (1), 2018 (1), 2019 (1), 2020 (0), 2021 (1), 2022 (1), 2023 (0), 2024 (0). So there has been at least one ace at the 16th in six of the last nine years. Getting another there at 1/12.00 is both fun and a decent price."

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US Masters 2025 First-Round Leader Tips: Back fast start for DJ

Dave Tindall: "On one hand, it's hard to know what to make of Dustin Johnson these days.  But, on another, he's actually becoming easy to predict. DJ starts tournaments fast but then fades badly. And that's a great pattern to latch onto in this market.

"Here are his last five 18-hole positions on LIV: 2-1-52-4-9. Here are his final finishing positions in those five events: 27-5-54-31-34.

"At Augusta, he was FRL when winning in 2020, third after day one in 2022 and fourth through 18 holes in 2019. In summary, he's ended the first round in the top four in both three of the last six Masters and three of the last six LIV events. He blasts off from the 1st at 12.11pm."

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US Masters betting data

US Masters Player Guide: Scheffler the favourite

Matt Cooper says:

Scottie Scheffler

Masters record (most recent result on the right): 19-18-1-10-1

Cuts feature significantly in the recent history of the World No. 1. On the one hand, and even taking into account the modern PGA Tour schedule, it is remarkable that he last missed a cut in August 2022. On the other hand (literally), he sliced his right mitt on a wine glass at Christmas. The injury delayed his return to action and his form has been down on the last three years ever since. That said, a top 20, at the very least, would be no surprise because he's not only 5-for-5 at gaining them in the event, he's also 12-for-14 in the majors since the start of 2020, and he looked more himself when second last time out in the Houston Open at the end of March.

Angle? He's bettered par in 10 of his last 12 circuits of Augusta National and fans of ridiculous quirks might like to note that seven of his 10 weekend laps have required exactly 71 strokes.

First round/birdie record? He's only 91st for Birdie Average in 2025 but has ranked top four in the last three full campaigns and his last three Augusta Thursdays reaped 69-68-66.

Back Scheffler on the Sportsbook
Back Scheffler on the Exchange

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US Masters: Major championship stats

Andy Swales says:

Champions' Positions after Round One at Augusta

Year...Pos @ 18...(Champion)
`24: 2nd (Scotti Scheffler)
`23: 1st (Jon Rahm)
`22: 3rd (Scotti Scheffler)
`21: 2nd (Hideki Matsuyama)
`20: 1st (Dustin Johnson)
`19: 11th (Tiger Woods)
`18: 4th (Patrick Reed)
`17: 4th (Sergio Garcia)
`16: 9th (Danny Willett)
`15: 1st (Jordan Spieth)
`14: 2nd (Bubba Watson)
`13: 10th (Adam Scott)
`12: 4th (Bubba Watson)
`11: 7th (Charl Schwartzel)
`10: 2nd (Phil Mickelson)
`09: 6th (Angel Cabrera)
`08: 1st (Trevor Immelman)
`07: 5th (Zach Johnson)
`06: 4th (Phil Mickelson)

• For those waiting until after round one to place a bet, it's worth noting that only one of the last 19 Masters' champions was outside the top 10 thru 18 holes.
• And 15 of these 19 winners were inside the top six and ties.
• Only two of the 19 opened with a round worse than 70 and, since 2000, only one eventual winner has fired a first round that was over par.
• Since 2006, only one champion was more than four shots adrift after 18 holes.

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US Masters 2025: Form guide

Andy Swales says:

Xander Schauffele 18/1: A double Major champion from last year, he has made a sluggish start to 2025, not helped by a nagging rib injury. However, his Augusta record is strong thanks to a brace of podiums and four top-10s in all.

Bryson DeChambeau 20/1: The reigning US Open champion who tied-sixth in the US Masters last year. His form on the LIV Tour has been mixed, having not won on the Saudi-backed circuit since September 2023. However, he warmed up for Augusta by finishing fifth in Miami on Sunday.

Hideki Matsuyama 25/1: An 11-time winner on the PGA Tour, including the 2021 Masters. Has a solid all-round game and his strong scrambling stats for 2025 will hold him in good stead for tackling Augusta's infamously treacherous putting surfaces.

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US Masters 2025: Speith is one of five to watch in Betfair's Birdie Bonus

Dave Tindall: "Jordan Spieth has an amazing record at Augusta National and his tally of 28 birdies in 2015 is a record for a single Masters. He's actually surpassed 20 for the week four times, the most recent when finishing fourth in 2023. That's one of six top-fours on his CV at the Masters by the way.

"As for round one prowess, Spieth has had a piece of the 18-hole lead at Augusta on three separate occasions.  His form this year is patchy but he racked up 23 birdies when ninth at the Cognizant Classic at the start of March."

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Read The Punter's in-play Masters blog across all four days of the action at Augusta

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