Masters Odds 2019: Early Lines and Predictions for Top Sleepers in the Field

A raft of fancied favourites enter the field as the 2019 Masters opens at Augusta National Golf Club on Thursday, but recent history suggests we'll see a sleeper emerge to take the Green Jacket.

The past three Masters tournaments have been won by distant underdogs, with Jordan Spieth the last pre-competition favourite (or thereabouts) to win in 2015. Since then, Danny Willett, Sergio Garcia and defending champion Patrick Reed have shown, in that order, even the minnows can triumph in Augusta.

The Masters will usher in golf's major season, and the likes of Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose sit among those hot picks ready to shoulder the weight of expectation in their title bids.

However, the relief of playing without that burden has proved to inspire winners in recent years, and there are a number of enticing contenders lower down the rankings who look like better value for money.

Top-20 Odds Leaders

Rory McIlroy: 7-1

Dustin Johnson: 9-1

Justin Rose: 12-1

Tiger Woods: 14-1

Jon Rahm: 16-1

Justin Thomas: 18-1

Jordan Spieth: 20-1

Rickie Fowler: 20-1

Brooks Koepka: 22-1

Francesco Molinari: 22-1

Tommy Fleetwood: 25-1

Bryson DeChambeau: 25-1

Jason Day: 25-1

Paul Casey: 28-1

Bubba Watson: 33-1

Hideki Matsuyama: 33-1

Phil Mickelson: 40-1

Xander Schauffele: 40-1

Patrick Reed: 40-1

Sergio Garcia: 45-1

Via Oddschecker.com.

Cameron Smith, 80-1

Cameron Smith ended his 2018 Masters with a flourish and shot a final-round 66 to clinch a share of fifth place, a huge improvement on his only other involvement at Augusta when he tied 55th in 2016.

The 25-year-old has four top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour this season, including a joint-sixth-place finish at the WGC-Mexico Championship in February.

Smith has showcased some impressive strokes in his short game during his young career, as well as a knack for versatility at the Waste Management Phoenix Open two months ago, via Golf Digest:

The Australian up-and-comer looks underrated at 80-1 despite failing to impress much in recent majors. He missed the cut at last year's U.S. Open before finishing 78th and joint-56th at The Open and the PGA Championship, respectively.

If Smith can translate some of his Tour form onto the Augusta stage and recapture whatever he sussed in his last round here last year, he stands a chance of placing even higher than he did in 2018.

Paul Casey, 28-1

Not the biggest of sleeper odds at 28-1, but English mainstay Paul Casey appears too good to be missed at 28-1 considering his recent run of contending for top finishes.

Casey came second at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am in February, tied for third at the WGC-Mexico Championship, then took his first win of the 2018-19 Tour by winning the Valspar Championship in March:

The 41-year-old has missed the cut at two competitions this season but has finished joint-18th or higher in eight of the nine events he's completed.

Sports Illustrated's Daniel Rapaport ranked Casey seventh among the golf world's elite coming into the 2019 Masters, which backs up the notion he looks lowly priced.

Brandt Snedeker, 80-1

It always serves well to have a strong putting foundation at the Masters, which three-time top-10 finisher Brandt Snedeker has showed those talents to the Augusta audience in numerous editions.

If there were any concerns about his ability to get the lengths of the fairway, Snedeker recently showed at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play that he can drive with the best, via GOLFTV:

The American has never quite reached the heights of his joint-third-place in 2008 since then. However, he's missed the cut in only one of his 14 PGA Tour appearances this season and was tied for fifth at the Players Championship last month.

Snedeker looks like a big punt at 80-1 but has displayed signs in the past that he has the keys to unlock Augusta.