The 2018 Masters

Masters - Early Odds
March 29, 2018
By BetOnline.ag

A whole decade. That’s how long it’s been since Tiger Woods has won a major. Beyond that, it’s been 13 years since he last won one of his four Masters Tournaments. So why have the oddsmakers inserted Tiger as the favorite for the 2018 Masters?

Part of it is excitement. Tiger is playing at a resurgent level of golf recently, nearly winning a tournament a week ago as he prepares for a hopeful comeback season for the ages. Along with Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods is the +800 favorite to win the Masters during next weekend. There’s no doubting the gravity that Tiger represents; he’s as much of a public bet as there is in golf. So that gets factored in when trying to pin down these numbers.

The other element is that Tiger has been obnoxiously efficient at the Masters overall. Since winning in 1997, Tiger has finished 8th, 18th, 5th, 1st, 1st, 15th, 22nd, 1st, 3rd, 2nd, 2nd, 6th, 4th, 4th, 40th and 4th. He skipped in 2014 and then finished 17th in 2015 and hasn’t played in a Masters Tournament since. So his return is going to be absolutely thrilling to watch.

Obviously, Tiger has plenty of company in 2018 Masters betting. Universally scolded potato and defending champion Sergio Garcia comes in at +2200 after an out-of-nowhere win last year. He finished the year in a downward spiral so there’s no sense in exploring Garcia as an option. I’d rather take Tiger Woods at +800.

The other usual suspects are up at the top with Woods as well. Dustin Johnson arrives at +1000 and is always a great bet given that he’s – ya know – the best golfer in the world these days. Johnson has yet to win this tournament as Augusta has routinely confounded him. His best finish came in 2016 where he finished 4th, and though he’s trending in the right direction overall, it’s hard to trust him after an injury riddled 2017 campaign.

Jordan Spieth is a virtually irresistible +1200 shot given how aggressively he’s played at Augusta historically. Though he finished 11th in 2017, he is by far the best favorite to back in terms of early investments. Augusta and Spieth get along famously. He finished 2nd in 2014, 1st in 2015 and 2nd in 2016 again.

As for McIlroy, anything’s possible but he has never produced a consistency solid performance in the Masters. His best finish came in 2014 when he placed 4th, and while he does very well overall, he’s no lock to succeed. He’s often played at the Masters as if he’s chasing ghosts, and his reaction to pressure isn’t where I’d like it to be overall.

Joining the favorites this year is Justin Thomas at +1000. The 24 year old is a curious and intriguing bet given that he’s the reigning PGA Tour Player of the Year. He ended the season with a PGA Championship victory but was erratic in the majors, finishing 22nd in the 2017 Masters, 9th in the U.S. Open and was cut from the Open Championship.

Everyone has their automatic chip that they slide across the table in golf futures. This year you either love Dustin’s swagger, McIlory’s potential, Spieth’s incredible resilience or Justin’s emerging talent. It’s hard not to cheer for Tiger Woods at the same time, even if you’re not going to bet on him.

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