The first major of the golf season is upon us as the PGA Tour players are in Augusta, Ga., this week for the 2019 Masters.
Although Tiger Woods opened up as a favorite at NJ online sports betting sites, he’s since ceded the top spot to a red-hot Rory McIlroy.
McIlroy is looking to become the sixth player ever to complete the career Grand Slam (winning all four majors).
Let’s take a closer look at the top five favorites for The Masters, as per the odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, DraftKings NJ app, and BetStars NJ.
Who is offering good value on the board?
The heavy favorite: Rory McIlroy
| Rory McIlroy | DraftKings | BetStars | FanDuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outright Winner | +700 | +700 | +650 |
| Top 5 | +175 | +160 | +135 |
| Top 10 | -167 | -162 | -165 |
McIlroy ranks third in the Official World Golf Ranking and is our favorite heading into The Masters.
He’s coming off a win at The Players Championship and has now placed in the top six in six straight events. If you include how he ended the 2018 campaign, he’s now finished in the Top 10 in 11 of his last 14 outings.
He’s the hottest golfer on the Tour right now, which is why he’s favored at all three top NJ online sportsbooks.
History at Augusta
McIlroy has a strong history at The Masters, including five straight top 10 results.
He finished in a tie for fifth in 2018. He’s been close many times and could break through this weekend. If you’re hesitant to bet him to win it outright, a Top 10 prop bet seems to make sense.
The runner-up: Dustin Johnson
| Dustin Johnson | DraftKings | BetStars | FanDuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outright Winner | +900 | +1100 | +1100 |
| Top 5 | +200 | +200 | +220 |
| Top 10 | +110 | -105 | +100 |
As impressive as McIlroy has been, Johnson has been nearly right there with him step-in-step.
DJ has four straight Top 10 results and six in his last seven starts. The lone outlier is a 45th-place result at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
He’s fallen short of expectations at recent majors, finishing 13th or worse in five of the last seven.
History at Augusta
Johnson’s game – especially the huge drives off the tee – suits Augusta well, but he’s never won a green jacket.
In eight starts, he has just one Top 5.
However, he has posted Top 10’s in each of the last three times he’s teed off at The Masters, so he’s getting close. He needs to do better in the opening rounds as he has shot 73’s both in 2018 and 2016. That put him behind early.
A good start will go a long way for him.
The world’s No. 1: Justin Rose
| Justin Rose | DraftKings | BetStars | FanDuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outright Winner | +1200 | +1400 | +1200 |
| Top 5 | +200 | +275 | +230 |
| Top 10 | +125 | +120 | +105 |
Justin Rose is No. 1 in the World Golf Rankings and is in the midst of what might be a career year. That’s why the 38-year-old is third in line, according to the odds.
He’s had two shaky performances this season – a 63rd at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and a 34th at the Desert Classic – but he’s placed in the Top 8 in his four other events. That includes a win at the Farmers Insurance Open.
He’s frequently been among the leaders at Augusta but can he finally seal the deal?
A lot of New Jersey bettors will feel that he’s a much better option for a Top 10 prop rather than to win outright.
History at Augusta
Rose’s history at Augusta suggests that he’ll be in contention.
He hasn’t finished worse than 25th in nine straight appearances at The Masters with an average finish of 11.6, which is quite impressive. That’s among the best of anyone on the PGA Tour.
That includes a pair of runner-up finishes in 2017 and 2015. He should be in the running, but the question is can he execute down the stretch to finally earn the win.
The chance bet: Jordan Spieth
| Jordan Spieth | DraftKings | BetStars | FanDuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outright Winner | +2200 | +2500 | +1800 |
| Top 5 | +450 | +400 | +310 |
| Top 10 | +225 | +175 | +140 |
Spieth opened up as a virtual co-favorite with Woods for this event last fall, but he’s faded back to 16/1 at FanDuel.
That’s because he’s in the midst of what might be his worst season yet. Spieth hasn’t finished better than 30th in any of his 10 starts this season and has already missed three cuts.
His current form suggests that you might want to avoid him.
History at Augusta
Spieth, who is currently 33rd in the World Golf Rankings, has been incredible at Augusta. That is why we see him with 18/1 odds in spite of his current form.
In five appearances at Augusta, his worst finish is a tie for 11th. In his other three starts, he’s won (2015), placed second twice (2014 and 2016), and placed third (2018).
That’s something to think about for sure.
The popular ticket: Tiger Woods
| Tiger Woods | DraftKings | BetStars | FanDuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outright Winner | +1400 | +1700 | +1800 |
| Top 5 | +350 | +300 | +270 |
| Top 10 | +164 | +150 | +125 |
Woods finished the 2018 season with a win at the Tour Championship, which came on the heels of a slew of good outings. That included a sixth-place finish at The Open and second at the PGA Championship.
So at the end of the season, he was posted as the early favorite to win The Masters at about 10/1.
However, he’s tumbled back down as he hasn’t finished better than 10th in any event this year. He’s coming off a 30th at The Players Championship and hasn’t really threatened for a win at any point.
Of course, we know he can put it all together at any point, but he hasn’t been in good form of late. Hence, most NJ sportsbooks give him harsher odds this time around.
History at Augusta
There was a time when Woods was unstoppable at The Masters. He finished sixth or better every single year from 2005 to 2010.
However, he tied for 32nd last year, missed the 2017 and 2016 events, and tied for 17th in 2005. His recent history at Augusta is not encouraging.
Even so, according to DraftKings NJ sportsbook, Woods is the hottest ticket for both The Masters and golf betting in general. Why? He’s just that popular.
Most golf bets to win The Masters at DraftKings
| By Money | Rank | By Ticket |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan Spieth | 1 | Tiger Woods |
| Tiger Woods | 2 | Rickie Fowler |
| Rory McIlroy | 3 | Brooks Koepka |
| Rickie Fowler | 4 | Rory McIlroy |
| Brooks Koepka | 5 | Jordan Spieth |