Masters Field 2018: Best Odds, Picks for Augusta Sleepers and Favorites
The Masters is arguably the most exciting of the four major tournaments, and much of that has to do with where it falls on the calendar.
All the preliminary golf tournaments are out of the way, and the best players in the world are itching to make the first bold statement of the golf season on what is clearly one of the most beautiful and classic golf courses in the world.
The beauty of the Augusta, Georgia is often headline material in the days prior to the start of the tournament, but not this year.
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That's because the field is so rich with talented players who are at or near the peak of their game.
Golf fans have no shortage of storylines, including the return to form of Rory McIlroy, a red-hot Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson, who found the winner's circle earlier this year.
But the big story is the return of Tiger Woods, who is playing in the Masters for the first time since 2015. Woods has been troubled by injuries at various points throughout his career, and his back issues have kept him from competing here since 2015.
However, he has played well this year with two top-five finishes, and the oddsmakers have noticed.
Tiger and McIlroy are the co-favorites to win the tournament with odds of +900, according to OddsShark. Justin Thomas is the third choice at +1000, while Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth are both +1200.
Here's a look at the top 20 betting choices in the field, ties included, per OddsShark.
Rory McIlroy +900
Tiger Woods +900
Justin Thomas +1000
Dustin Johnson +1200
Jordan Spieth +1200
Justin Rose +1400
Bubba Watson +1600
Phil Mickelson +1600
Jason Day +1800
Jon Rahm +2000
Rickie Fowler +2000
Paul Casey +2200
Sergio Garcia +2500
Hideki Matsuyama +3500
Tommy Fleetwood +4000
Henrik Stenson +4000
Alexander Noren +4000
Patrick Reed +4500
Matt Kuchar +5000
Marc Leishman +5500
Louis Oosthuizen +5500
Adam Scott +5500
Tyrrell Hatton +5500
While Woods has shown great skill with his short irons and his putter during his comeback, he needs to keep the ball in the fairway in Augusta. He looks better in that area than he did during his abortive comebacks in recent seasons, but it seems like its too much to expect Woods to play dominant golf at this point.
That may not be the case for Johnson, who was the favorite a year ago before suffering a back injury the day before the tournament started, and that ended his hopes of winning. Johnson is healthy this year, and if he can get off to a good start, there may be no stopping him.
Justin Rose may be the best bet of all the favorites at +1400. Rose has been the runner-up at the Masters in two of the last three years, and he is known for his steady game.
Favorites may rule the Masters at the end of 72 holes, but the field is so strong that several of the sleepers who have longer odds may steal the title from Woods, McIlroy, Johnson, Rose and Spieth.
Don't overlook Patrick Reed, who basically joined the tour in 2011 and introduced himself to the golf world by blustering confidence.
Reed has not been able to match Spieth's success on the PGA tour but he has made a name for himself in team golf while playing for Ryder Cup. Reed has all the shots and still has enough of a chip on his shoulder to get the job done on the big stage.
Reed has played in 12 tournaments this year, and he has one second-place finish and three top-10 finishes. He comes in at odds of +4500.
Adam Scott has not gotten much attention as he prepares for the Masters, and that could be a mistake because he is a previous Masters winner. Scott has one of the most picture-perfect swings on the tour, and he can deliver clean shot after clean shot.
However, if Scott is going to come through with his second Masters win, he has to pick it up with the putter. That has been the most inconsistent aspect of his career. Scott averages 30.74 putts per round, and that ranks 210th on the tour. He needs to do better in that area if he is going to come through at odds of +5500.
Kevin Kisner is a true long shot at +9000. However, don't sell him short, because he ranks 32nd in FedEx Cup points, and he has two top-four finishes this year, including a second-place finish in the WGC Match Play championship.
That was the last tournament that Kisner participated in, and he may be able to take that momentum with him to Augusta.
Our recommendation is to look at Johnson and Rose among the favorites and Reed, Scott and Kisner among the sleepers.
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