The 2019 PGA season begins for earnest this weekend with the first major of the year: the Masters, from Augusta National. No golf tournament in the world draws in the sports betting action that the Masters does; the tournament comes just as the buzz of March Madness has faded, and the return of Tiger Woods not just to pro golf but to contender status makes this an exciting tournament. If you do some research before the event, not just about the players entering but about the course, you can make some betting money off the weekend. We’ve put together a preview for you to check out before you lock in your wagers. Check out our Golf betting preview before you lock in your tournament wagers.
2019 PGA Masters Betting Preview
Contender OddsWatch live, 18-hole coverage of the @TigerWoods, @JonRahmpga and @haotong_li group: https://t.co/1fUTOEDX5Z#themasters pic.twitter.com/MB3wKAHooV
— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) 11 de abril de 2019
- Rory McIlroy +700
- Dustin Johnson +1000
- Justin Rose +1200
- Tiger Woods +1400
- Rickie Fowler +1600
- Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm +1800
- Jordan Spieth, Francesco Molinari +2200
- Brooks Koepka, Paul Casey, Tommy Fleetwood +2500
- Jason Day +2800
- Bryson DeChambeau, Bubba Watson, Hideki Matsuyama +3300
- Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen, Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele +4000
- Marc Leishman, Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia +5000
- Henrik Stenson +6000
- Kevin Kisner, Patrick Cantlay +6600
- Cameron Smith, Charley Hoffman, Gary Woodland, Ian Poulter, Webb Simpson +8000
- Brandt Snedeker, Rafael Cabrera Bello, Si Woo Kim +10000
Rory McIlroy comes in as the favorite and rightly so, because no player is on a roll bigger than he is. In 2019, he has finished no worse than sixth in any stroke play event. He won THE PLAYERS Championship and only needs the Masters to finish a career Grand Slam. He is tops in the PGA Tour as far as total Strokes Gained, Strokes Gained Tee to Green and Strokes Gained Off the Tee. His short game has finally returned to the form that brought him two majors in 2014. It’s worth noting that the favorite hasn’t won the Masters in 14 years, but McIlroy is playing well enough to end that streak.
Tiger Woods will always draw action, even if he isn’t contending. He won the 2018 Tour Championship and nearly took the PGA Championship last year, so the expectations are roaring for him again. His iron play is a strength that will help him at Augusta National, but his problems come with his putter, as he ranks 203rd on the PGA Tour in avoiding three-putts, and you just can’t three-putt and expect to win this tournament.
Jordan Spieth continues to search for the form that helped him torch the Tour in his debut years, but he does have four top-three finishes at the Masters in five appearances. However, the putting problems that struck him the last two years are now influencing his ball contact, and he’s not worth the risk that the moneyline value that he offers. Yes, he went nuts in the first two rounds at the Valero Texas Open, but then reality set in somewhat on Saturday. Is he worth the wager at Augusta National? There’s nothing to suggest that he’s ready for that crucible of pressure once again.
Paul Casey brings solid form to the Masters, winning the Valspar Championship and cracking the top ten in the WGC Match Play. He finished third in Mexico and second at Pebble Beach. He is still looking for his first major, but he has four straight top-15 finishes at the Masters and has seven top-20 finishes in his last eight appearances here in which he has made the cut.
Tony Finau was dreadful at the Valero Texas Open and at the WGC Match Play. So now he’s offering a lot of value on that moneyline. However, going into those two events, he was one of the most consistent golfers on the Tour. He also had three top-10 finishes in the four majors a year ago. He has only played the Masters once, but he finished -7 on the tournament and finished tenth. Given the big value on his moneyline, he’s worth considering.
