Masters Odds 2018: Breaking Down Best and Worst Selections in Augusta Field
With golf's first major of the season rapidly approaching, the frenzy is all about Tiger Woods.
While the Masters is going to feature a heavy dose of Woods, there are plenty of other golfers primed for a run at the green jacket.
Whether it be established professionals or young stars looking to impress at a major, the amount of players to bet on is plentiful.
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Although picking the winner for any Grand Slam tournament is hard, there are some trends worth following in order to pick out the best and worst selections based on the current odds for the Masters.
Best Selections
Matt Kuchar (+5,000)
Now Sergio Garcia is the owner of a green jacket, an argument can be made that Matt Kuchar is the best golfer not to win a major.
Kuchar excelled in Grand Slam tournaments a year ago, as he placed in the top 16 at each of the four events.
The 39-year-old, who last won on the PGA Tour in 2014, tied for fourth place at the Masters 12 months ago before taking second at the Open and tying for ninth at the PGA Championship. His worst major finish in 2017 was a tie for 16th at the U.S. Open.
While he is usually considered in the list of favorites to win a major, Kuchar has longer odds than most of the experienced players heading into Augusta.
Kuchar comes into the Masters off an eighth-place finish at the Houston Open, where he recorded three rounds in the 60s and a 70 in the final round.
After a collection of middle-of-the-pack finishes in February and March, last week's performance in Houston was exactly what Kuchar needed to spike his confidence going into Augusta.
Kuchar won't be as flashy on course as other players who strike the ball further, but he knows how to put himself in position to contend for a championship.
Tyrrell Hatton (+8,000)
Tyrrell Hatton is a player with whom American fans could become quite familiar by the time 2018 ends.
The 26-year-old Englishman, who took third at the World Golf Championships event in Mexico at the start of March, is a regular on the European Tour, and he could qualify for the European Ryder Cup team.
Unlike Kuchar, we don't have a ton of history to back this claim up since Hatton has only regularly played at the Open.
In 2016, Hatton displayed how well he could play on the sport's biggest stage, as he tied for fifth at the Open and slid into the top 10 at the PGA Championship.
However, 2017 did not treat the Englishman well, as he missed the cut at all four majors.
With few expectations surrounding him due to his poor play at majors last season and lack of notoriety stateside, Hatton could fly under the radar to produce a strong start to what he hopes is a season full of top performances concluding with September's Ryder Cup.
Worst Selections
Tiger Woods (+1,400)
Woods enters the Masters with almost too much fanfare from a betting perspective.
Thanks to his recent uptick in form in March, Woods dropped down to +900 before moving back up to his current +1,400 number, which is still a bit much given how few tournaments he has played.
While the emotional pick is to put money down on Woods this weekend, it is hard to suggest that, given the low odds assigned to him.
If he lingered around +2,000, Woods would be a better value pick, but with so many eyes on him at Augusta, it is best to stay away from the 14-time major winner.
In addition to the loads of action surrounding Woods, there is no guarantee he is going to return to his form of old at Augusta and finish in the top 10.
If you take a step back from getting lost in the moment, Woods has put together a small sample size of performances, albeit impressive, that might not be enough to sway bettors wagering with their mind, not their hearts.
Jon Rahm (+2,200)
Jon Rahm is the No. 3 player in the World Golf Ranking, but he can't be trusted at major tournaments until he delivers on his potential.
The 23-year-old Spaniard, who has two PGA Tour victories, hasn't cracked the top 20 in six Grand Slam starts.
In his only Masters appearance a year ago, Rahm tied for 27th, a placing that turned out to be his best major performance of the season.
Rahm missed the cut at the U.S. Open and finished outside the top 40 in the final two majors of the golf calendar.
While his Grand Slam record is far from immaculate, Rahm intrigues bettors because of what he has done at a young age.
In eight tournaments this season, Rahm has a win, a second-place finish and two additional top-20 finishes.
At +2,200, Rahm will get enough action from bettors who follow golf closely, but since his name hasn't been near the top of major leaderboards on a consistent basis, most people should shy away from him until he proves us wrong.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from PGATour.com.
Odds obtained from OddsShark.
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