Masters Odds 2015 Tips for Golf-Betting Novices and Best Picks in the Field
The Masters is a marquee sports event that reaches more than just serious golf fans.
Like the Kentucky Derby, a massive boxing fight or the Daytona 500, there will be casual observers who don’t follow the sport in question throughout the sports calendar. Some of them may just want to bet on Augusta National Golf Club’s "tradition unlike any other."
With that in mind, here is a look at the latest odds for the Masters, per Odds Shark, as of Tuesday at 11 p.m. ET, and some tips and players to watch for those who missed the Shell Houston Open but plan on tuning in Thursday.
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| Rory McIlroy | 6-1 |
| Jordan Spieth | 8-1 |
| Bubba Watson | 11-1 |
| Dustin Johnson | 14-1 |
| Jason Day | 14-1 |
| Henrik Stenson | 20-1 |
| Adam Scott | 22-1 |
| Jimmy Walker | 22-1 |
| Phil Mickelson | 22-1 |
| Patrick Reed | 28-1 |
| Rickie Fowler | 28-1 |
| Tiger Woods | 28-1 |
| J.B. Holmes | 33-1 |
| Justin Rose | 33-1 |
| Matt Kuchar | 33-1 |
| Brandt Snedeker | 40-1 |
| Louis Oosthuizen | 40-1 |
| Sergio Garcia | 40-1 |
| Billy Horschel | 50-1 |
| Lee Westwood | 50-1 |
Tips
Don’t Ignore Masters History
Picking the golfers who have been hot on the course recently makes sense, but there is something to be said for delivering under the pressure-packed microscope of the Masters.
Be it the famous azaleas, the massive galleries or the realization that one green jacket etches your name forever in golf history, the weekend rounds at Augusta have done in even some of the top players in the game. Look for golfers who have experienced success before at the Masters and understand what it takes to thrive under that pressure.
The ideal pick would be someone who has actually won before, but even competing should count for something when making predictions.
If a golfer finished in the top five at the Masters earlier in his career, that means he experienced the pressure of Sunday with the title on the line. That experience will help when the 2015 championship is hanging in the balance on the back nine Sunday.
Pay Attention to Putting Averages
As mentioned, it is all about succeeding under pressure at the Masters, and nowhere will the players feel that pressure more than the putting green, especially in the later rounds.
That is why putting stats are so important when looking for a Masters pick. You need to back someone who you can trust on those deceptive greens, especially when the competition tightens up during the weekend and every stroke is monumentally important.
A missed 10-footer can be the difference between green jacket glory and heartbreaking disappointment.
Best Picks
Jordan Spieth
Ever since Jordan Spieth won the Australian Open in November with an incredible final-round 63, he has been on an absolute tear.
Since then, he won the Hero World Challenge by 10 shots, claimed the Valspar Championship in a playoff, finished tied for second at the Shell Houston Open and finished in second in the Valero Texas Open.
Spieth commented on his recent play, per John Strege of Golf Digest:
"That round of golf [in Australia] has done more for me than I could have imagined at the time. Since then, it’s been called a run. People ask me, ‘is this a run that you’re on?’ I don’t really like that. I don’t really like calling it that because that would mean that normal would be anything less than where I’m at and I expect myself to be playing like this.
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Spieth also fits both criteria mentioned above.
Per his PGATour.com profile, Spieth is an impressive first on the tour in putts per round at 27.54 and first in putting average at 1.684. That type of putting will be key if the 21-year-old is going to win the Masters this year.
Spieth almost won the green jacket last year and ended up tying for second place. From that experience alone, he should have a level of comfort and understanding of the pressure that Sunday will bring this year as well.
Spieth may be young, but he is one of the safest bets to compete at the 2015 Masters.
If you are looking for someone who has experienced success at the Masters before and knows what it takes to win, look no further than Bubba Watson.
Watson is the defending champ and also won in 2012, and a victory in this year’s edition would make him only the second golfer to win the Masters three times in four years (Jack Nicklaus is the other).
Ryan Ballengee of Yahoo Sports offered a word of warning for those trusting Watson, though, and ranked him as the fourth-best bet heading into the Masters:
"Bubba Watson — The defending champion would rank higher on our countdown were it not for his bizarre Masters pattern of sandwiching his Masters wins between lousy finishes. If the trend continues, he’ll be a non-factor.
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Still, there is plenty of reason to like Watson in 2015, including his ability to bomb drives down the fairway.
He has never finished outside of the top five in driving distance since 2006, and he is second in 2015, per his PGATour.com profile. Watson is also fifth in putts per round at 28.05, so he has capitalized on the favorable positions his drives put him in off the tee.
That is a formula for success at Augusta, which is something Watson knows plenty about.
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