2023 Masters Betting: Picks, Odds, Predictions and Best Bets

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Updated on April 5, 2023 10:32AM EST

The Masters Betting Preview

Finally, Masters Week is here!

All eyes are on the golf world for the first major championship of the year at Augusta National Golf Club. A total of 88 players will make the trip down Magnolia Lane, a group that includes six amateurs and 20 past champions as part of a field that is headlined by defending champion and tournament favorite Scottie Scheffler, who checks in with 13-2 odds to win. In the field are 18 LIV golfers who will tee it up amid their brewing rivalry with the PGA. Last year, Scheffler -- at 16-1 odds -- bested Rory McIlroy by three shots to pick up his fourth PGA Tour victory and first major championship.

Augusta is the course that golf fans seem to know best, but what exactly is the recipe for success on this track? Experience matters more at Augusta than anywhere else due its uneven lies and the importance of ball placement in the fairways. The latter is key to find the right angles into the greens, and golfers also need to learn which pins to attack and where to putt from on the complex greens. While we have seen players like Jordan Spieth and Will Zalatoris nearly win in their first trip, those were elite up-and-comers, and I'll be putting an extra emphasis on those with a good track record here. It also can't be understated that this is one of the longest courses of the year at 7,545 yards. Distance off the tee provides a big advantage. That may be an even larger factor than usual considering Augusta has soaked up rain recently and will take on more during the tournament, leaving the track soft and without much rollout in the fairways. The added 35 yards to the par-5 13th hole is the notable change this year, which will leave some longer approaches into the green and may lead to more players electing to lay up with their second shot.

If you're looking for a similar venue, the Plantation Course at Kapalua -- which hosts the Sentry Tournament of Champions -- has many similar traits to Augusta, including its wide fairways and minimal rough. Many players have found success on both courses.

All odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 2:05 PM ET Tuesday.

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Augusta Aces: Masters Top Performers

The following golfers have the lowest scoring average at Augusta National since 2018.

After a slow start to his Masters career, Johnson has been one of the most dominant golfers at Augusta since 2015, racking up a win and five total top-10s over seven trips. The main question will be, what kind of form are he and the other LIV golfers in considering the lighter schedule and lesser competition? Johnson has finished 37th, 13th and seventh across three 48-man LIV events this year and comes in tied for the eighth choice at 22-1 odds. On the other hand, Zalatoris hasn't needed any time to get used to Augusta, where he's finished runner-up and tied for sixth in his two appearances. So why is he being given somewhat longer odds to win at 45-1? He hasn't shown the form we saw at the end of last season since returning from a four-month layoff due to a back injury, posting just a lone top-10 -- at Torrey Pines -- over seven starts. Nevertheless, Zalatoris' track record here -- and in majors overall -- makes him difficult to overlook.

Current Form: Strokes Gained Leaderboard

These five players, on a per-round basis, gained the most strokes off the tee and on approach combined over their last 20 rounds.

Ball striking will be a key factor this week, and reigning Masters champion Scheffler tops the list. He enters this year's tournament in nearly the same form as last year, when he won three times over an eight-week stretch. Scheffler leads the Tour in both Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and Tee-to-Green as well as greens in regulation. That's not a bad recipe for success at the Masters. Meanwhile, McIlroy is the lone player to appear on both lists, as he is also locked in and finished top-10 here in seven of his last nine trips. McIlroy -- who will be making his ninth attempt at the Career Grand Slam -- has often struggled in the first round and surged late, like he did last year with an eight-under 64 on Sunday. If he's able to get off to a better start, he may be the player to beat heading into the weekend,

Masters Bets: Outright Picks

Jordan Spieth (18-1)

It's difficult to argue with Spieth's Masters track record. In nine appearances he has a win and five total top-3 finishes. He missed his first cut in this event last year when he was struggling with his form, but this year he comes in with three top-10s over his last five stroke play events. I expect to see him in contention over the weekend and have a chance to win.

Justin Thomas (22-1)

Thomas was a popular choice last year as the second favorite and he finished tied for eighth. This time around, he comes in a bit more under the radar. His form has been solid, as he ranks 11th in SG: Tee-to-Green, but he is having his worst season on the greens. If he can find some rhythm on the tricky Augusta putting surfaces, there's little reason to think the two-time major champion can't win.

Viktor Hovland (40-1)

Hovland is a great value as the 15th choice on the board, with the main knock on the three-time PGA Tour winner being that he has not won a marquee event and has often struggled to seal the deal when in contention. However, he was in the final pairing in his most recent major appearance at The Open Championship and is gaining 1.36 strokes per round off the tee and on approach combined.

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Masters Bets: Other Wagers

Cameron Young
Top-5 Finish: 6-1

Young missed the cut in his first appearance at Augusta but that's a common occurrence for rookies. He should be filled with confidence after a runner-up at the Match Play event two weeks ago. Young is also one of the longest hitters on Tour, ranking third in driving distance.

Mito Pereira
Top-10 Finish: 6-1

While many of the LIV golfers have taken a step back since departing the PGA Tour, Pereira is still playing at a high level, posting back-to-back sixth-place finishes. He has proven he can play well in majors, as he could have won last year's PGA Championship if not for a late stumble. This will be Pereira's first trip to Augusta, but his superb ball striking should fit the course well.

Tyrrell Hatton
Top-5 Finish: 10-1

Hatton's lone top-20 in six Masters appearances certainly leaves much to be desired, but his strong play this year makes him tough to look past. He has a solid all-around game, ranking ninth in SG: Tee-to-Green and 36th in putting, and has posted three top-10s already this year -- all which came in designated events.

Masters Bets: Head-to-Head Matchups

Tony Finau (-110) over Xander Schauffele

Fading Schuaffele this week comes with some risk, as he's nearly won here twice. However, he missed the cut last year and his driving play gives me cause for concern, as he has lost strokes off the tee in three straight tournaments and is a lowly 126th in that category. Finau, on the other hand, has three Masters top-10s and has been a model of consistency this season, with just one finish outside the top 25 in 10 starts.

Talor Gooch (-120) over Abraham Ancer

This will be a clash among a couple LIV golfers. Gooch posted a T14 in his debut last year while Ancer missed the cut. Gooch has finished higher than Ancer in all three of their LIV starts this year, and Ancer recorded just one top-25 finish over that span. I also give the course fit edge to Gooch, who is the longer hitter and better iron player of the two.