The Masters Betting Preview: Bodog’s Five to Watch Out For
Has golf ever been this popular? The past two seasons of Full Swing on Netflix have made household names of the top players on the PGA Tour – and on the competing LIV Tour, as the drama between the two continues to unfold. Even Tiger Woods has to take a back seat these days to Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler and Brooks Koepka.
All of these big stars will be at Augusta National this Thursday for the most important tournament in golf, the Masters Tournament. But there’s one name that stands above them all heading into the opening round: Scottie Scheffler, easily the top favourite on the golf odds board at Bodog Sportsbook.
You might remember Scheffler as the 2022 Masters winner after being available at +700 at Bodog Sportsbook heading into last year’s event. But it was second favourite Jon Rahm (+1000) that we singled out as the better value, and sure enough, Rahm beat the field by four strokes to claim his first Green Jacket.
We also had Corey Conners (+4000) on the Masters betting list as our most likely Canadian golfer to leave a big impression on Augusta. Unfortunately, Conners failed to make the cut after finishing top-10 each of the previous three years. He’s back in the field this week, but we’ve got another fast-rising Canadian product for our latest list of golfers to keep an eye on at the Masters.
1. Scottie Scheffler (+450)
He’s still the No. 1 player on the Official World Golf Ranking, but after finishing tied for 10th last year at Augusta, and tied for second at the PGA Championship, Scheffler is still looking for his second career major. It could happen this week; the New Jersey native (now living in Dallas) is coming off victories at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship, becoming the first golfer ever to win the TPC back-to-back.
You can usually count on Scheffler to perform well on the golf course. He finished top-12 in 18 consecutive tournaments last year – only Woods has done better – and any concerns about his putting were eased after Scheffler switched to an updated version of his Titleist “Newport 2” at the 2023 US Open.
Having said all that, is Scheffler worth eating all that chalk at +400? Perhaps; Rahm (+1200) still offers a much higher payout, but he’ll be less prepared for Augusta after making the switch to the LIV Tour this past December, given that LIV doesn’t use the traditional 72-hole format for their events.
2. Rory McIlroy (+1200)
Speaking of LIV, no one has done more to champion the PGA Tour cause than McIlroy, the former World’s No. 1 (and current No. 2) from Northern Ireland. However, of all the accomplishments McIlroy has racked up in his career, the Masters is the one major that has eluded him thus far. McIlroy’s best result: second behind Scheffler in 2022, by three strokes.
It’s easy enough to see why Augusta has been so challenging for McIlroy. As a European golfer, he’s more used to the “links” style courses, like the Royal Liverpool course that McIlroy bossed when he won the 2014 Open Championship (aka the British Open) wire-to-wire.
That links experience has also prepared McIlroy well for the elongated and famously difficult courses at the US Open (which he won in 2011) and PGA Championship (2012, 2014). The Masters is a different animal, although they have gradually increased the driving distances over the years.
Then again, McIlory has been stateside long enough to get used to these courses. Now living in Jupiter, Florida, the biggest star in golf today just has to get over what he himself describes as a mental block to win that first Green Jacket – and McIlroy will have all the motivation in the world after missing the cut last year.
3. Brooks Koepka (+1600)
Of all the golfers who have switched over to LIV, Koepka is the most likely to win at Augusta this week – even if he’s behind Rahm on the Masters odds board at Bodog. Koepka finished tied for second last year, matching his best result at Augusta in 2019 while still on the PGA Tour. Then the Florida native claimed his third PGA Championship, becoming the first LIV golfer to win a major.
You still have to wonder, though, if the move to LIV will make it harder for Koepka to break through at Augusta and finally wear the Green Jacket for the first time. He was the clubhouse leader last year heading into the final round, two strokes ahead of Rahm; maybe playing all of those 54-hole LIV events helps explain why Koepka shot a 75 over the last 18.
Koepka also has yet to win an official event of any kind since the LIV Golf Jeddah tournament last October. Maybe being a new father for the first time has something to do with it; Koepka’s son Crew was born in August. But at least Koepka appears healthy after hip and knee injuries hampered his play in 2020 and 2021.
4. Will Zalatoris (+3000)
If you’re a veteran of golf betting, you know that the best value on the futures market is usually with the second- and third-tier contenders. There isn’t much separating the best golfers in the world; 11 different men have won the past 11 Masters, including everyone from top-ranked players like Scheffler and Dustin Johnson (2020) to relative outsiders like Hideki Matsuyama (2021) and Danny Willett (2016).
Zalatoris could be the next dark horse on the list. Born in San Francisco and now living in Plano, Texas, Zalatoris was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 2020-21 after finishing one stroke behind Matusyama at Augusta. He also tied for second at the 2022 US Open, and took second outright at the 2022 PGA Championship.
Then things went a bit sideways for Zalatoris. He needed back surgery in April 2023, missing the rest of the season as a result. Zalatoris has fallen to No. 31 in the World rankings after soaring as high as seventh. He’s a bit of a reach for the Masters after missing the cut at The Players Championship, but Zalatoris did tie for second at the Genesis Invitational and fourth at the Arnold Palmer, and his putting has improved with the new “broomstick” handles so many players are using these days.
5. Nick Taylor (+15000)
Given how well Taylor has played this year, it seems like a steal to grab the pride of Abbotsford, BC (via Winnipeg) at these odds. Taylor is now the highest ranking Canadian on the PGA Tour at No. 24, after taking down last year’s Canadian Open and winning the Phoenix Open this past February at TPC Scottsdale.
However, there’s no question that Taylor is an unproven commodity at this level – and he’s hardly a young prospect at age 35. Taylor’s best result at Augusta was in 2020, when he finished tied for 29th place. That was also his best result at any major tournament, although this week will be just the second time Taylor has played the Masters.
Taylor’s performance has definitely improved over the past four years. His second career PGA victory was in 2020 at Pebble Beach, which qualified Taylor to play the Masters and helped him get a foothold on the Tour. Getting in all that experience has helped Taylor improve his iron play, and his switch to a “claw” grip in 2022 has done wonders for his putting.
Now Taylor is the most recognizable golfer in his home country after becoming the first Canadian player to win the Canadian Open since Pat Fletcher in 1954. But does he have what it takes to win at Augusta? It may be just his second Masters appearance, but Taylor has been getting valuable tips from Mike Weir, still the only Canadian ever to win a major after taking down the 2003 Masters.
Weir himself will be playing the Masters this week; he spends more of his time on the Champions Tour these days, but Weir is available at +200000 to win his second Green Jacket. The Great White North will also be represented by Adam Hadwin (+25000), Taylor’s good friend from Abbotsford via Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, as well as the aforementioned Conners (+7000).
You can bet on all these golfers and more right now by hitting up the Masters odds board at Bodog Sportsbook and selecting your favourites. We’ve got more ways to bet on the Masters than ever before, including “2 Chances” and “3 Chances” bets where you can put multiple golfers on your ticket, as well as first-round leader odds and a full menu of exotics. It’s a great time to be a fan of golf; enjoy the Masters, and we’ll see you at the 19th hole.
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