1 reason why each of the top 10 favorites will - and won't - win the Masters
Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.
Masters week is finally here.
The first major championship of 2024 brings the best men's professional golfers together for the first time since July.
Before the action starts and the talking heads give out their Masters picks, let's look at the 10 players on theScore Bet's oddsboard and give one reason why each will - and won't - win the 2024 Masters.
10. Viktor Hovland (+2800)
Why he will: He's never missed the cut at the Masters, dating back to when he earned low-amateur honors in 2019, and he was tied for seventh last year. He also ranks eighth in the field in total strokes gained over the past 100 rounds.
Why he won't: Hovland's short-game struggles have returned, leading to an underwhelming start on the PGA TOUR this year. He only has one top-20 finish and lost strokes around the green in his five starts.
9. Ludvig Aberg (+2800)
Why he will: Aberg carried his incredible play from his rookie season into 2024, resulting in three top-10 finishes this year, including a recent T8 at The Players. He ranks 10th in strokes gained: tee to green over the past 50 rounds in this field.
Why he won't: This will be Aberg's first start in a major championship. The last time a first-timer won at Augusta was Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.
8. Joaquin Niemann (+2500)
Why he will: You can argue only Scottie Scheffler is playing better golf than Niemann entering the Masters. The Chilean boasts two victories in five starts on LIV and won the Australian Open last year.
Why he won't: He only has one career top-20 finish in 19 major starts.
7. Jordan Spieth (+2200)
Why he will: It's Spieth at the Masters - a combination that mixes perfectly regardless of his form. In 10 career starts at Augusta, he has five top-five showings and a victory.
Why he won't: He's playing too inconsistently to stare down Scheffler on Sunday. He missed the cut in two of his past three starts and only gained strokes through approach shots in four of his last 10 outings.
6. Hideki Matsuyama (+1800)
Why he will: The former Masters champion knows how to answer the questions Augusta asks of players and is in great form. He has a win and three other top-12 results in his last four starts.
Why he won't: He's the second-worst putter to Scheffler out of the top 10 favorites over the past 100 rounds.
5. Brooks Koepka (+1800)
Why he will: Koepka is the best major championship golfer since Tiger Woods and you should never count out a five-time major winner.
Why he won't: In five starts on LIV this year, Koepka only has one top-10 finish. He came T46 last week in Miami and closed the week with back-to-back rounds of 77.
4. Xander Schauffele (+1400)
Why he will: Few players have played as consistently as Schauffele in 2024, as he has already recorded six top-10 finishes in eight starts. He's also finished inside the top 10 in 11 of his 26 starts at majors, including three at the Masters.
Why he won't: Schauffele's had multiple chances to win a major but continues to find ways to come up short - most notably when he inexcusably hit it into the water on No. 16 while in striking distance of his playing partner and eventual winner, Matsuyama.
3. Rory McIlroy (+1200)
Why he will: McIlroy's mediocre play in 2024 has, to an extent, taken some of the pressure off of him. He's not being hyped up in the media as much as in recent years, which could help him fly under the radar ... if that's even possible.
Why he won't: At this point in his career, McIlroy seems destined to join the likes of Ernie Els and Greg Norman as one of the game's greats who couldn't figure out a way to win at Augusta.
2. Jon Rahm (+1200)
Why he will: Regardless of which tour he's on, Rahm is still undoubtedly one of the best players in the game. He knows he has to prove he can still compete with Scheffler and McIlroy, and defending his title at the Masters is the best way to do it.
Why he won't: Only three golfers in Masters history have successfully defended their green jacket - Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and Nick Faldo. Not only will Rahm have to outperform the hottest player on the planet (Scheffler), but he will have to do so with only 15 rounds of professional golf under his belt this year, 13 fewer than last year.
1. Scottie Scheffler (+475)
Why he will: Scheffler is playing the best golf of his career with two marquee wins already in 2024. His ball-striking stats are out of this world and are drawing comparisons to the numbers Tiger put together during dominant stretches. It would be shocking if Scheffler isn't in contention on Sunday.
Why he won't: There are still concerns with his putter, especially after his putting woes reared their ugly head on the 72nd hole of the Houston Open. Scheffler's stroke looked nervy as he tried to force a playoff, and if those nerves show up on Sunday, a couple of short misses could derail his chances.