2026 Masters Best Bets:
Not everyone was happy for Rory McIlroy when he got the proverbial monkey off his back and replaced it with a green jacket last year. McIlroy’s triumph at the Masters marked his first major win in more than 10 years and completed his career grand slam. It was a storybook Sunday at Augusta National.
It was not an ideal day for me at the sportsbook. I was holding a futures bet on Justin Rose at 125-1 odds and had to watch Rose wilt in a playoff loss to McIlroy. Yes, the opportunity was there to hedge prior to the playoff and profit from that, but the thrill of McIlroy’s victory meant the agony of defeat for longshot bettors. Instead of hitting the finest steakhouse in Vegas, I went to Denny’s for a grand slam breakfast.
McIlroy, attempting to become the first back-to-back Masters winner since Tiger Woods in 2001-02, is not on my wagering card this week. I typically play only two players a week for a normal tournament, but with this being the Super Bowl of golf betting, and because the futures board is open for so many months, my card is as long as a grocery list. There will be swings and misses, but hopefully I’ll hit some of these Masters best bets (with odds from Circa, DraftKings and the Westgate SuperBook):
Scottie Scheffler +585 to win and -165 to finish Top 10
In a weird way, betting the favorite seems to be a contrarian play this week. Scheffler is not a popular pick. His last win was on Jan. 25 at La Quinta, California, and his last Top 10 finish came on Feb. 15 at Pebble Beach. Scheffler is a two-time Masters winner (2022, 2024) who tied for 10th in 2023 and finished fourth in 2025. His slow starts have been a troubling trend, so while it might be wiser to look at his adjusted odds after the first round, I’ll pull the trigger now because the price is right.
Jon Rahm 10-1 to win and -120 to finish Top 10
“Rahmbo” is in a great place with his game and mindset following a strong run in the LIV Golf League that included a win in Hong Kong in March. He earned the green jacket in 2023, tied for 14th last year and deserves his status as the second choice on the odds board.
Bryson DeChambeau 12-1 to win and +125 to finish Top 10
A final-round flop caused DeChambeau to fall from the lead to a fifth-place finish last year at Augusta. He’s highly motivated to win after getting outdueled by McIlroy a year ago, and DeChambeau recently won back-to-back LIV tournaments. Long drivers have a significant edge on this course, so he certainly checks that box. DeChambeau and Scheffler were the only two players to be in the top 10 at the end of each round of the past two Masters.
Justin Rose 35-1 to win and -110 to finish Top 20
In 20 starts at Augusta, Rose has been the runner-up three times, and I bet him in two of those bridesmaid finishes. Experience on this course is a major factor. The 45-year-old still has what it takes, and he proved that by winning the third tournament of the year at Torrey Pines. I grabbed Rose’s odds to win the Masters at 60-1 about two months ago.
Chris Gotterup 65-1 to win and +150 to finish Top 20
The upside to Gotterup starts at the tee, where he ranks No. 4 on Tour in driving distance (320 yards). He won two of the first four events this year — Honolulu in January and Phoenix in February. The downside is this will be his first Masters start, so while expecting him to win is a reach, he’s capable of contending with a game to fit this course.
Other long shots …
Robert MacIntyre (35-1), Akshay Bhatia (55-1), Maverick McNealy (78-1), Jason Day (88-1), Harris English (100-1), Gary Woodland (125-1), Marco Penge (135-1).
I always end up betting too many players on the Masters futures board due to prices that are irresistible and for fear of missing out if a long shot gets hot. These are half-unit bets or even smaller plays, so the wagers on these seven players are for a total of about two units.
McIntyre is off a blown Sunday lead in San Antonio, so I’ll take a shot with Bobby Mac to bounce back. Bhatia won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando in early March and fits in several statistical categories. McNealy is an accurate putter who’s trending in the right direction. Day tied for eighth last year and has more than enough experience on this course. English is a former Georgia Bulldog who’s steady and has a positive track record at Augusta. Woodland and Penge are long bombers — Woodland (No. 2 on Tour in driving distance at 324.6 yards) won two weeks ago in Houston, and Penge is a rising star who should win on Tour soon.
Tournament matchup: Justin Rose (-122) over Collin Morikawa
In a weak moment, after his win at Pebble Beach in February, I took Morikawa at 28-1 to win the Masters, but that’s a bet to regret. Morikawa has three Top 10s in his past four Augusta starts, yet he has been sidelined by a back injury and sounds less than confident in his ability to play through the pain this week. Rose has a history of fast starts and could be worth a shot at 35-1 to be the first-round leader.
