Masters Odds 2015: Predictions for Top Favorites Heading into Augusta

The 2015 Masters tournament signals the true beginning of golf season, and while a handful of competitors have been tabbed as the likeliest candidates to don the green jacket, fans have come to expect the unexpected at Augusta National.

Essentially every golfer in the field is capable of getting hot for four rounds and winning it all, but a few of them have much higher expectations than the rest. The Masters can be daunting due to the importance and prestige of the event, so handling the pressure can be equally vital as playing strong golf.

With the highly anticipated Masters right around the corner, here is a look at three golfers who are supposed to contend for the title, along with predictions for how they will ultimately fare.

Predictions for Top Contenders

Rory McIlroy

As the world's top player, there is pressure on Rory McIlroy to perform whenever he steps foot on a golf course. That pressure is magnified in major tournaments—especially the Masters, since it is the only one he needs to win in order to complete the career Grand Slam.

The Northern Irish star has had mixed results on Augusta National over the years—his best finish is a tie for eighth—and he is still figuring out how to conquer the course. The biggest obstacle in doing so may be mental, as he admitted that he views Augusta as a daunting challenge, according to Golf.com:

McIlroy has become a much stronger player mentally in recent years, though, especially down the stretch in 2014 when he won both the Open Championship and PGA Championship. McIlroy enters the Masters in search of his third consecutive major title, and he certainly has the goods to make it happen.

One potential stumbling block, though, could be the return of Tiger Woods. Nobody is exactly sure how Tiger will fare after a couple months away from competition, but three-time Masters champion Nick Faldo doesn't believe it will impact McIlroy, per Sky Sports:

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Everyone knows that he (Woods) is just coming back just to play well. It is amazing that someone who had total domination is now in a position where he just wants that. Rory has been on this mission ever since the PGA (Championship) last year. He's spoken about it in interviews that he wants The Masters to complete the grand slam. So, no, I think he will have prepared well and will be on countdown to the first tee on Thursday now.

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Even if Woods' presence doesn't bother McIlroy, he has a huge group of other quality golfers to worry about. Doing so could be made even more difficult by the fact that McIlroy is expected to win.

He figures to come through with a strong performance as he so often does, but the green jacket will continue to elude McIlroy as he'll have to settle for a top-five finish rather than a victory.

Jordan Spieth

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Jordan Spieth may not be a household name like McIlroy quite yet, but the 21-year-old star can change that by winning his first major and the green jacket this weekend. Based on his recent results, that certainly isn't outside the realm of possibility.

Spieth has been on a roll as of late, and he enters Augusta National having posted three consecutive top-two finishes, as pointed out by ESPN.com's Jason Sobel:

As perhaps the hottest golfer in the sport right now, many are expecting Spieth to have his breakthrough performance. Despite the pressure that comes along with being one of the best players in the world, though, Spieth is unaffected, according to John Strege of GolfDigest.com.

"I feel as prepared as I think I could be [for the Masters]," Spieth said. "I feel more and more comfortable with more and more pressure, and that gives me a lot of confidence going into Augusta where you probably have the most pressure anywhere."

Spieth is also aided by the fact that he felt some of that pressure last year. He finished in a tie for second behind Bubba Watson after being tied for the 54-hole lead. Although Spieth wasn't able to close it out in 2014, he may be better equipped to do so this time around.

As well as Spieth has been playing, the Masters represent a totally different animal. It is tough to envision the talented Texan falling flat, but a top-10 finish may prove to be his ceiling as he continues to inch toward that elusive major championship.

Bubba Watson

Augusta National has been Bubba Watson's own, personal playground over the past few years, so it comes as no surprise that he is viewed as one of the top contenders to triumph this weekend.

Watson has won the Masters in two out of the past three years, including 2014. If he is able to pull off another victory this year, then he will join an exclusive club. Only Woods, Faldo, Phil Mickelson, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Sam Snead and Jimmy Demaret have won the Masters on three or more occasions.

Also, nobody has repeated since Tiger in 2001 and 2002, so Watson has a chance to do something very special. Despite the success that the 36-year-old lefty has had at Augusta, though, he admitted that playing there is still a nerve-wracking experience, according to SportsCenter:

That was clear in 2013 when he struggled to a 50th-place finish sandwiched in between Masters wins. As good as Watson has been in this tournament overall, he is a somewhat volatile player who can go one way or the other in a hurry.

There is no question that Watson has a great chance to win again if he is locked in, but based on the letdown he experienced the last time he was coming off a Masters win, look for him to scuffle a bit and finish around 20th.

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