Masters 2016: Updated Odds, Betting Tips for Golf's 1st Major of the Year
The golfers aren't the only ones who are bound to cash in following the 2016 Masters.
With the Shell Houston Open completed, the best players on the PGA Tour are beginning the journey to the Augusta National Golf Club. Jordan Spieth enters as the defending champion, his 2015 win making him the second-youngest ever to collect a green jacket.
Spieth will be one of the top contenders to win again this year. Here's a look at some of the favorites to win the green jacket, courtesy of Odds Shark, and a few tips for the tournament ahead.
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Updated Masters Odds
| Jordan Spieth | 7-1 |
| Rory McIlroy | 7-1 |
| Jason Day | 7-1 |
| Bubba Watson | 10-1 |
| Adam Scott | 10-1 |
| Rickie Fowler | 12-1 |
| Phil Mickelson | 18-1 |
| Dustin Johnson | 20-1 |
| Justin Rose | 22-1 |
| Henrik Stenson | 25-1 |
| Louis Oosthuizen | 25-1 |
Masters Betting Tips
Don't Bank on a Repeat Win for Jordan Spieth
History isn't on Spieth's side as he looks to defend his Masters title. Tiger Woods is the last golfer to win back-to-back green jackets. Before that, only two other players—Jack Nicklaus (1965 and '66) and Nick Faldo (1989 and '90)—have repeated the feat since the tournament's inception in 1934.
Of course, it would be foolish to make a determination based solely on past results that happened years before the golfer in question joined the PGA Tour.
More concerning with Spieth is his performance on the course this year. While the 22-year-old isn't looking completely abject, he's also not playing at his best, a point he acknowledged after the Valspar Championship last month, per ESPN.com's Bob Harig:
"Really poor from both me and [caddie Michael Greller] today. Our decisions cost us a few shots early and all the momentum. We both get the credit when things are going good and we're going to take the fall today.
I hit the shots, but we made a couple decisions that make me look back and think, 'Wow, we got some stuff to talk about before we get ready to go to a major.' Bit of a bummer. But it's OK. We got plenty of time.
"
He closed well at the Shell Houston Open. ESPN.com's Jason Sobel observed that the two-time major winner is starting to look more like himself:
Spieth is by no means an underdog at the Masters, but he also isn't quite the favorite the odds would lead you to believe. Consider all of your options before making your pick.
Look at Golfers Who Haven't Won a Major Title
Some might find comfort and security betting on Spieth, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson or Adam Scott—stars who have already conquered Augusta before; however, a number of golfers collected their first major tournament at the Masters:
| 2003 | Mike Weir |
| 2004 | Phil Mickelson |
| 2007 | Zach Johnson |
| 2008 | Trevor Immelman |
| 2011 | Charl Schwartzel |
| 2012 | Bubba Watson |
| 2013 | Adam Scott |
| 2015 | Jordan Spieth |
As the names in the table would attest to, first-time major winner isn't synonymous with a relatively obscure champion. Spieth finished second the year before his win. Adam Scott tied for second and eighth in the years prior to his victory. And little needs to be said of Phil Mickelson's major record leading up to his triumph.
Rickie Fowler could join the club this year. He finished tied for fifth at the 2014 Masters, which sparked a historic run of four major top-five results. The 27-year-old is also playing well in 2016, picking up his sixth top-10 of the season at the Shell Houston Open.
"This is a good week for me to kind of check some boxes and make sure we’re ready to go for next week," said Fowler on April 1, per GolfChannel.com's Will Gray. "I want to be in position to win this week, and I’m a little ways back but a good solid round will get me back in the mix."
If the first-time winner trend continues this year, Fowler is as good a bet as any as the guy to make it happen.
Age is Only a Number—To a Certain Extent
Mark O'Meara in 1998 is the last golfer 40 years old or over to earn a green jacket:
| 1998 | Mark O'Meara | 41 |
| 1999 | Jose Maria Olazabal | 33 |
| 2000 | Vijay Singh | 37 |
| 2001 | Tiger Woods | 25 |
| 2002 | Tiger Woods | 26 |
| 2003 | Mike Weir | 32 |
| 2004 | Phil Mickelson | 33 |
| 2005 | Tiger Woods | 29 |
| 2006 | Phil Mickelson | 35 |
| 2007 | Zach Johnson | 31 |
| 2008 | Trevor Immelman | 28 |
| 2009 | Angel Cabrera | 39 |
| 2010 | Phil Mickelson | 39 |
| 2011 | Charl Schwartzel | 26 |
| 2012 | Bubba Watson | 33 |
| 2013 | Adam Scott | 32 |
| 2014 | Bubba Watson | 35 |
| 2015 | Jordan Spieth | 21 |
Still, the Masters skews a bit older in comparison to the other three majors. Since 1999, 31 is the average age of the tournament champion, and even after excluding Spieth—who is a bit of an outlier—the average age only climbs to 32.
To put that into perspective, here are the average ages of the last 17 U.S. Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship winners:
| U.S. Open | 30 |
| Open Championship | 33 |
| PGA Championship | 30 |
One or two years isn't a significant difference, though, so it's not as if Augusta has become a haven for aging stars.
With that said, Mickelson's chances of winning aren't looking too good. Not only has his form been inconsistent over the last couple of years, Jack Nicklaus is the last Masters winner of Mickelson's age (45) or older.
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