Masters betting preview: 3 golfers who can solve the Scheffler problem

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For the first time in over a decade, one name stands alone atop the Masters oddsboard by a substantial margin.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is the largest betting favorite to win the year's first major since Tiger Woods was +350 at the 2013 Masters. Now, Scheffler isn't quite as short as +350, but his +475 odds at theScore Bet - an implied probability of 17.4% - create a problem for bettors: Do we bet or fade Scheffler?

We'll attempt to solve that problem by betting on three players to form our betting card for the 2024 Masters.

Betting on Scheffler

Before we get to the picks, let's address the elephant in the room. Is backing Scheffler at +475 worth it? The simple answer is "yes" if your sole purpose in betting on golf is for entertainment. With a Scheffler outright ticket, you should have a Sunday sweat. His +105 odds (48.8% implied probability) for a top-five finish suggest Scheffler has a great chance of being in the mix during the final round.

You can also take a wait-and-see approach before placing a wager on Scheffler. There will be plenty of time to place a live bet on him once you get a better sense of how he's playing (this goes for every player in the field, too).

But since Scheffler's odds are already so short, even a solid opening round won't change his odds that much. There's a realistic scenario where Scheffler shoots 1-under and is a few shots back of the leader after Thursday but his outright odds are the same, or perhaps longer.

In summary, wanting to back the former Masters champ to claim his second green jacket isn't a terrible idea. There isn't another player in the world hitting the ball better than Scheffler. If his putting is average, there's a good chance he wins. But backing outright winners at +475 isn't a good betting strategy.

Picks

Hideki Matsuyama: To win (+2000)

On Monday, we provided one reason why each of the top 10 favorites won't win the Masters. Surprisingly, the toughest player to come up with a reason for - aside from Scheffler - was Hideki Matsuyama.

That alone makes Matsuyama a worthy selection at +2000. We all know the former Masters champ struggles often with his putter, but that's the risk you take when backing him. There are so many positive signs for Matsuyama that - like Scheffler - all we need from him is to be average on the greens to make this a worthwhile bet.

Matsuyama leads the field in strokes gained: around the green over the past 24 rounds, which comes in handy at Augusta National, and we should all be aware of his world-class ball-striking ability at this point in his career. His track record at the Masters is also incredible with eight top-20 finishes in 12 appearances, including his 2021 victory.

Wyndham Clark: To win (+3000)

There's an argument to be made that Wyndham Clark is the second-best golfer in the world right now. He was the runner-up to Scheffler at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship after winning the shortened signature event at Pebble Beach.

Despite being a major champion and ranked fourth in the Official World Golf Ranking, Clark is making his Masters debut. No first-timer has won the Masters since 1979, but Clark doesn't fit the mold of a typical debutant.

The reigning U.S. Open champ is a big-game hunter, consistently showing up when the fields are the strongest. He's one of the best putters in the field and is long off the tee to take advantage of Augusta's par 5s. If he can stay disciplined and avoid the big mistake, which he did when he won the U.S. Open, there's no reason to think he can't be the one to snap debutants' winless drought.

Will Zalatoris: To win (+3500)

We'll take our final swing in the outright market with Will Zalatoris at +3500. It'd be nice had he not lost seven strokes putting in his last event at the Houston Open, but he'd shown progress with the flatstick in 2024 since he returned from back surgery before whatever happened two weeks ago.

He's still striking the ball brilliantly, as shown by his runner-up result at the Genesis Invitational and T4 at Bay Hill, where he gained over 15 strokes tee to green in those two events combined.

Early reports from the grounds at Augusta suggest the course is playing firm and fast, which may make it the toughest Masters test in recent memory. Zalatoris tends to thrive in these types of tournaments due to his precision with his irons. He finished T2 in his Masters debut and was T6 in 2022 to lead the field in strokes gained total at Augusta over the past eight rounds.

If the outright market isn't your cup of tea, we also have a full breakdown of derivative markets with 11 selections to add to your Masters betting portfolio.