Traditionally the first major of the calendar year, The Masters is back in its rightful place on the golfing calendar. Last year saw an enforced switch to November but the spring scenery surrounding the Augusta National should be far more familiar this time.
Defending champion Dustin Johnson leads the markets and, like all of golf’s majors, there is a strong field in contention. A few points behind the leader, there are no fewer than four joint-second favorites so the sportsbooks are expecting a tight and thrilling four days for The Masters 2021.
Last time out at the Texas Open, we claimed a long odds top 10 finish winner as Charley Hoffman came through for us so let’s see if we can keep the momentum going down in Augusta.
World number one Dustin Johnson has been at the head of the outright betting ever since the 2021 Masters markets were released. DJ cruised to a five shot win last November having finished in a tie for second behind Tiger Woods in 2019. Immediate form isn’t so great but he has won five tournaments in ten months and is justifiably the man to beat.
Johnson is on offer at best odds of 7/1 (+700) while four golfers are available at 11/1 in places. Bryson DeChambeau, Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas can all be claimed at that figure. Of those names, only Spieth is a former Masters champion and he is also our most recent winner on Tour. Victory in his home competition was long overdue on Sunday and he is back into the kind of form that will make him a serious contender.
DeChambeau and Thomas are also recent Tour champions with success in the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship respectively. It is tight at the top for a very good reason and the quality keeps on coming as we move through the field of players.
Rory McIlroy is at a best of 18/1 with the USA bookie sites while Brooks Koepka, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele can all be backed at 22/1 in places. McIlroy only needs the Masters to complete his full set of majors but it has been seven years now since he won any of the big four.
Cantlay is attracting some interest after something of a breakthrough season while Schauffele was one of three players to finish a stroke back from Tiger in 2019. Xander is a tempter at that 22/1 figure and he has the all-round game to convert at Augusta.
Moving through the list of chasers, Collin Morikawa is at a general 25/1 while Viktor Hovland, Patrick Reed and Tony Finau are all available at 28/1. The 2018 Masters champion, Reed has the potential to double up but current form is a concern for all those on the fringes of the chasing pack.
The Masters 2021 Outsiders To Consider in Sportsbooks’ Betting Odds
Another high-quality field features a number of top-class players seeking their first major. Daniel Berger kicks things off at a best of 40/1 while Webb Simpson, Paul Casey, Cameron Smith and Lee Westwood can all be found at that same 40/1 figure in places. Westwood is enjoying a resurgence as he moves to the veteran stages of his career while Smith briefly threatened Dustin Johnson’s Masters dominance in 2020.
Berger will be a tempter for many punters this week and he is another player with decent form and some good, relevant all-round stats.
England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick has been in contention for his first PGA Tour win this season while his compatriot Tyrrell Hatton has already reached this milestone. Both men can be picked up at 50/1 and they offer some value for a Masters top 10 finish at the very least.
The 2017 champion, Sergio Garcia, is on offer at 55/1 while other golfers who could come under the radar include Tommy Fleetwood at 55/1, Louis Oosthuizen at 66/1, Will Zalatoris at 80/1, Corey Conners at 80/1, Bubba Watson at 80/1, Max Homa, Justin Rose and Matthew Wolff (those last three all at 90/1). Among those names is a good mix of former major winners and recent Tour champions. Overall, it is a world class field where any number of players could deliver at long odds.
Our 2021 Masters Preview’s Course & Betting Trends with Picks & Predictions Verdict
The US Masters dates back to 1934 and the Augusta National has played a full part in every tournament since. The course features some iconic holes along its 7,475 yards so there is good length in its par 72. With all fairways mown back to the green, there is little ‘run’ so the distance hitters don’t always prosper. A good mix of power and precision is needed.
Dustin Johnson’s 20-under score in November was a record for this tournament. Along the way he led the field for Greens in Regulation and Par 4 scoring. He also co-led in Par 3 scoring while ranking highly for Scrambling and Par 5 scoring. Many golf pundits viewed it as a freak performance but it should highlight the stats required for success in 2021.
While we are not always impressed with power off the tee, we have to consider Bryson DeChambeau as the main betting prediction for this Masters preview. A tame end to his Players Championship performance is a concern for some but he can match Johnson’s stats from last year if that form returns.
Another player who makes a strong case is Xander Schauffele. Like DeChambeau, he just needs to find some touch and not be bothered by the big occasion. We’re torn between those two but DeChambeau has the shorter odds so it’s The Scientist for the win with Schauffele making up a list of three other top 10 finish picks. So these are our 2021 Masters predictions and betting picks:
- Bryson DeChambeau to win @ best odds of +1100 with Bovada, Bookmaker or BetOnline.
- DeChambeau (best odds +120 BetOnline) Paul Casey (+300 BetOnline, Intertops), Xander Schauffele (+200 BetOnline) and Daniel Berger (+275 BetOnline, Intertops) for top 10 finishes.
Matt Harris is a golf and soccer expert for USA Betting. His other area of specialist knowledge is cricket. He is well known in sports journalism and contributes articles to a plethora of big-name websites and media outlets. Titles that he writes or has written for include: Betfair, BetVictor, Unibet & Just Bookies.