2018 Masters Betting Preview: Spieth, McIlroy Lead Odds over Tiger Woods

A strong performance at the Houston Open last week has vaulted Jordan Spieth into the role of favorite for the Masters later this week at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.

The 24-year-old Texas native tied for third at the Houston Open, and he is now listed as the +900 favorite (bet $100 to win $900) on the 2018 Masters odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. Spieth won his first Masters three years ago at the age of 21, becoming the second-youngest ever to win the event behind Tiger Woods.

Speaking of Woods, he is the +1400 co-fifth choice to win his first Masters since 2005 and the biggest story heading into the first major tournament of the year after turning in consecutive top-five finishes over the past month.

Woods placed second at the Valspar Championship and then finished fifth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in his last tournament. The 42-year-old is a four-time Masters winner (1997, 2001, 2002 and 2005) but has not contended for a major in nearly a decade, last winning the U.S. Open in 2008.

In between Spieth and Woods on the betting board are two veterans and another youngster, with 28-year-old Rory McIlroy the +1000 second choice followed by 33-year-old Dustin Johnson and 24-year-old Justin Thomas both at +1100.

Like Woods, 37-year-old Justin Rose is also at +1400 in pursuit of his first green jacket after losing last year in a playoff and tying for second behind Spieth in 2015. Of that group, Thomas may be the most intriguing name as the 2017 PGA Championship winner after finishing in a tie for 22nd at the Masters. He won four PGA Tour events overall a year ago.

Meanwhile, the Masters is the only major McIlroy has yet to win, and he earned a much-needed victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational last month. McIlroy did not win on the PGA Tour last year but finished in the top 10 six times in 14 events.

Johnson is still seeking his first green jacket as well after suffering a back injury the day before last year's Masters, forcing his withdrawal. He was favored leading up to the event, later won for the first time by 38-year-old Sergio Garcia in a playoff over Rose.

Garcia is +2800 to repeat as Masters champion, a feat that has not been accomplished since Woods did it in 2002. Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo previously repeated there.

For more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week's top sports betting news check out the OddsShark podcast with Jon Campbell and Andrew Avery. Subscribe on iTunes or listen to it at OddsShark.libsyn.com.