Masters Odds 2016 Tips for Golf-Betting Novices and Best Picks in the Field
The 2016 Masters will feature a star-studded field at Augusta National Golf Club this week, and there will be no shortage of legitimate contenders who could potentially don the green jacket.
While the big names, such as Jason Day, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, are receiving much of the attention ahead of the tournament, those interested in betting on the tournament can find value throughout the rest of the field as well.
Due to the sheer amount of options involved in golf betting, there usually isn't a particularly bad option on the board, and that appears to be the case with the 2016 Masters, as well, since every golfer has value to some degree.
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Ahead of the season's first major tournament, here is a look at the betting odds, courtesy of Odds Shark, and a rundown of some of the top options to win.
Masters Betting Odds
| Jason Day | 7-1 | +700 |
| Rory McIlroy | 19-2 | +950 |
| Jordan Spieth | 10-1 | +1000 |
| Bubba Watson | 12-1 | +1200 |
| Adam Scott | 12-1 | +1200 |
| Rickie Fowler | 16-1 | +1600 |
| Phil Mickelson | 18-1 | +1800 |
| Dustin Johnson | 20-1 | +2000 |
| Justin Rose | 25-1 | +2500 |
| Henrik Stenson | 25-1 | +2500 |
| Louis Oosthuizen | 28-1 | +2800 |
| Charl Schwartzel | 33-1 | +3300 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | 40-1 | +4000 |
| Patrick Reed | 40-1 | +4000 |
| Brandt Snedeker | 40-1 | +4000 |
| Sergio Garcia | 40-1 | +4000 |
| Zach Johnson | 40-1 | +4000 |
| Brooks Koepka | 50-1 | +5000 |
| Marc Leishman | 66-1 | +6600 |
| Branden Grace | 66-1 | +6600 |
| Matt Kuchar | 66-1 | +6600 |
| Jimmy Walker | 66-1 | +6600 |
| Danny Willett | 66-1 | +6600 |
| Paul Casey | 66-1 | +6600 |
Jason Day (7-1)
Some bettors tend to shy away from favorites when wagering on sports, but that isn't necessarily always a good idea when it comes to golf since good money can usually be made even when betting on the top guy.
Day is the unquestioned favorite at 7-1 over McIlroy, which means a $10 bet would still yield a $60 profit. That isn't a bad return for betting on a golfer who has been absolutely dominant dating back to the latter portion of last season.
As seen in this graphic courtesy of Sky Sports News HQ, the talented Aussie has won nearly half of his past 13 outings on the PGA Tour:
Day has won each of his past two tournaments in the Arnold Palmer Invitational and WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, and the 28-year-old has come agonizingly close to winning the Masters in the past, with both a second- and third-place finish to his credit.
He is undoubtedly playing better than anyone in the sport of golf currently, which is a fact that was acknowledged by Spieth recently, per the PGA Tour's official Twitter account:
Day won the PGA Championship to close out last season, and he has a chance to take two majors in a row at Augusta.
All it takes is one hot hand to prevent him from doing so, but it is difficult to envision Day not at least being in the mix come Sunday. At 7-1 and considering the type of form he is in, that makes him well worth gambling on at the Masters.
Adam Scott (12-1)
Adam Scott seemingly checks all the boxes entering the 2016 Masters, as he is a former winner of the green jacket and happens to be playing some of the best golf of anyone in the sport currently.
The Aussie has two wins under his belt in 2016 at the Honda Classic and WGC-Cadillac Championship, and he is the leading money-earner so far this season at over $4 million, according to PGATour.com.
Scott's last win came in early March, and while he has looked solid in two tournaments since then, he realizes that he can't afford to rest on his laurels and assume that his previous good form will carry him through the Masters, per Jay Coffin of GolfChannel.com: "Look, I've played some good golf certainly over the Florida stretch, but that’s nearly a month ago. I can't rely on that to get to where I want to be this week. So for me starting here this week, it's a new week and a new challenge."
At the same time, Scott has a great deal of confidence in his ability to win the second green jacket of his career after doing so previously in 2013, according to 7 News Sydney:
Scott has been installed as the No. 4 choice at the Masters along with two-time winner Bubba Watson, which makes him a strong value play.
He has everything a potential Masters winner needs at a price of 12-1, which could pay huge dividends with a fairly sizable wager.
While Scott hasn't been great in either of the past two Masters, he finished eighth or better each year from 2011-2013, which suggests that he has a very good chance of being in the running during the latter stages.
Charl Schwartzel (33-1)
While Day and Scott are among the names most are mentioning as potential Masters winners, a golfer further down the list with a legitimate shot to shake things up is Charl Schwartzel.
The 31-year-old native of South Africa is enjoying a solid 2016, which includes a win at the Valspar Championship last month. Although he only has one other top-10 result in seven PGA events this year, he had a good showing last week at the Shell Houston Open.
On the heels of a 13th-place finish in that event, at which he played quite consistently throughout all four rounds, Schwartzel revealed that he was pleased with his form entering the Masters:
In addition to that, Schwartzel was a surprising Masters winner in 2011, so he knows what it takes to get the job done at Augusta National.
That winning experience can go a long way in pressure-packed moments, and it could give him an advantage over his opponents if he is in the mix at some point in the final round.
Schwartzel is often an all-or-nothing golfer in terms of where he finishes, but at 33-1, he is undoubtedly worth a flier at a tournament he has already won before.
Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.
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