Masters Odds 2015: Examining Betting Lines for Underrated Picks
The Masters is always a good chance to bank on odds offered by Las Vegas.
It's no easy task for oddsmakers to come up with all-encompassing lines to protect the house when it comes to the event at Augusta. Look at last year, when Las Vegas didn't give Bubba Watson much of a chance to take home his second green jacket in three years, listing him at 25-1 at Odds Shark.
This year, things are even more difficult for oddsmakers to project thanks to a mix of talent, both young and old, strong enough to win it all.
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The underrated names are the best way to go thanks to payout. A deep dive into the numbers and trends digs up three quality players to bank on at various points down the list. At the very least, they're worth consideration to cover other more expensive decisions.
2015 Masters Odds
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Phil Mickelson | 22-1 |
| Zach Johnson | 80-1 |
| Brandt Snedeker | 40-1 |
| Tiger Woods | 28-1 |
| Justin Rose | 33-1 |
| Sergio Garcia | 40-1 |
| Lee Westwood | 50-1 |
| Billy Horschel | 50-1 |
| Brooks Koepka | 80-1 |
| Jim Furyk | 60-1 |
| Keegan Bradley | 66-1 |
Note: Odds courtesy of Odds Shark and updated as of April 8.
Underrated Names to Watch
Patrick Reed (28-1)
While just 24 years old, bettors could do much worse than bet on Patrick Reed.
The San Antonio native missed the cut last year at Augusta in his debut, but he's on fire as of late and has improved since being omitted from last year's tournament. He touts four consecutive top-25 and two top-10 finishes in that span, and he won it all this season at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
For proof of his strong current form, look no further than a jaw-dropping display provided by Golf Channel on Twitter:
Reed also checks out from a statistics standpoint. He ranks ninth in strokes gained (1.574), 15th in strokes gained tee-to-green (1.059) and 24th in strokes gained putting (.515), per PGATour.com. The last number is of particular importance at the finesse-based Augusta.
Look for Reed to combine his learning experience last year with strong current form to achieve interesting results.
It all equates to a player bettors should feel comfortable with this week.
Justin Rose (33-1)
Want a dash of more risk and potential payout?
Justin Rose, paired with Watson, is the guy.
Rose hasn't had a great season, missing the cut in three of his last five outings. It sounds horrific, but ponder the 34-year-old's recent form at Augusta before writing him off:
| Masters Tournament | T5 | T36 | T20 | DNP | T11 | T8 | T25 | T14 |
The European Tour offers more context:
Something about the familiar curves and rolls of Augusta meshes quite well with Rose's game, so much so that it's becoming a moot point whether he enters the tournament with established momentum.
Hence why the odds out of Las Vegas are rather favorable for a guy coming into the tournament in poor form.
Rose seems to carry a lot of risk, but naming a more consistent player at Augusta would be quite the task. As far as underrated players go, he offers a strong payout with a leap of faith.
Jonas Blixt (150-1)
Want to go off the deep end with an underrated name most won't consider to land a big payout?
Two words—Jonas Blixt.
A 150-1 payout isn't something to sniff at, and it seems Las Vegas feels that way for a reason, right?
While Blixt doesn't tout a top-10 finish this season, he does have three top-25 placements, including last weekend at the Shell Houston Open. He seems to be rounding into form at the right time.
Above all else, though, keep in mind Blixt made his debut at Augusta last year—and tied for second place. The experience there makes him a strong name to consider, even more so when looking at other names in his odds neighborhood, such as Kevin Na, Luke Donald and Marc Leishman.
While a major risk, perhaps no name is more underrated than Blixt heading into things this year after his stellar debut one season ago. The payout seems well worth the investment.
Stats and info courtesy of PGATour.com unless otherwise specified.
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