2023 The Masters Odds, Player Matchups, and Predictions

The best golfers in the world will descend on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National this week. On Sunday, April 9, the 87th winner of the Masters will be crowned following four rounds of gripping championship golf.

The field at the Masters includes LIV Golf defectors and Tiger Woods, the all-time biggest draw in golf. This will be Tiger’s second entry in a PGA Tour event this year.

Tiger struggled at The Genesis Invitational, but does he have any magic left to tie Jack Nicklaus with his sixth Masters’ title? Much has changed since he won his fifth Masters and last major championship in 2019.

What hasn’t changed, is that you can bet on Tiger Woods and any other Masters players (Rory, Scottie, John Rahm), odds or prop bets at the best Masters betting sites.

The Masters Betting Odds

The following odds to win the Masters are courtesy of Bovada:

According to Bovada, Scheffler is favored to win the 2023 Masters as he sits alone atop the Masters betting odds at +700.

Rory McIlroy, who won the FedEx Cup Championship in 2022, is the second favorite at +800 odds. McIlroy is currently in the midst of a lengthy major drought.

Jon Rahm, at +900, rounds out the Top 3 Masters betting favorites for most golf betting sites. The great Tiger Woods enters this major at +6600 odds.

The Masters Best Bets

Spreading your bankroll across a few different golfers, including a long-shot bet, will keep things more interesting than a single pick on the Masters.

The Best Masters Favorite: Rory McIlroy (+800)

Rory McIlroy has won it all in his career except an illustrious Masters green jacket.

If McIlroy wins on Sunday, he will join Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, and Gene Sarazen as the only golfers to complete the Career Grand Slam¹.

McIlroy has a win at the U.S. Open, The Open, and PGA Championship. However, he has not won a major championship since capturing the 2014 PGA Championship².

That being said, it is not like McIlroy hasn’t tasted success. He’s enjoyed a lot of it. McIlroy is coming off a FedEx Cup Championship as the best player on the PGA Tour in 2022.

Since 2016, McIlroy has won three FedEx Cup titles. No other golfer has had this much success³.

One of the greatest drives you will EVER see 🤯@McIlroyRory drives the ball to 3 FEET at the 375-yard par-4 18th with a 349-yard carry to the green! pic.twitter.com/HzhMBtyKkr

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 23, 2023

While McIlroy has failed to finish strong down the stretch to win at the Masters, he has played Augusta National well in the past. McIlroy owns seven Top 10 performances in his previous nine attempts at the Masters⁴.

McIlroy’s recent form suggests he is ready for another big run at the Masters. The 33-year-old has a win and three Top 10 finishes in six events played this season⁵.

In six tournaments, McIlroy is eighth in scoring average with an average score of 69.701 per event⁶. Additionally, he is first in driving distance with 326.6 yards per drive off the tee⁷.

For our Masters best bets among the favorites, McIlroy is the highest on our shortlist of potential winners.

The Best Masters Value Bet: Xander Schauffele (+2800)

Xander Schauffele is our best value bet to win the 2023 Masters. We were expecting +2200 odds on Schauffele to win the Masters, so he has to be on your shortlist.

This will be Schauffele’s sixth appearance in The Masters. The native of La Jolla, California, has finished in the Top 3 in three of his previous four outings. He was one stroke back of Tiger Woods at the 2019 Masters and two strokes behind Hideki Matsuyama in 2021⁸.

Fist pump with a touch of class 💪@McIlroyRory showed respect after his round with Xander Schauffele @DellMatchPlay. pic.twitter.com/hsdRfvNuFW

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 26, 2023

In nine events this season, Schauffele has four Top 10 outings. He is coming off a strong showing at the Dell Technologies Match Play for a T5 finish two weeks ago⁹.

He is 12th on the PGA Tour in 2022-23 with a scoring average of 69.938¹⁰. Despite not being rated with the top players, Schauffele is a serious bargain at +2800 odds.

If you are looking for a solid value bet this week, don’t look past Schauffele at Augusta National.

The Top Masters Longshot: Chris Kirk (+12500)

You will need to go all the way down the Masters odds board to find Chris Kirk. He is our best long-shot bet to win the Masters in 2023.

According to his Masters betting odds, the public is not giving him much of a chance. That is great to see because it allows us to get significant value on him as a long-shot bet.

At +12500 odds, he is a much better option than Tiger Woods’ Masters odds at +6600. He may not be as sexy of a pick, but Kirk might make some noise in Georgia.

PGA Tour victory No. 5.

Chris Kirk wins the Honda Classic on the first playoff hole. 💯 pic.twitter.com/qIlYlWFKWz

— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) February 26, 2023

At the 2023 Honda Classic, Kirk won his first PGA Tour event since the 2014-15 season. With his victory in a playoff, Kirk gained an automatic entry into the Masters¹¹.

The 37-year-old was having success leading up to the Honda Classic. It was far from a fluke win in Palm Beach Gardens. In January, he finished 3rd at the Sony Open and T3 at The American Express a week later¹².

There are a few key metrics that point to Kirk having some success in the Masters this weekend. He is second in three-putt avoidance and first in approaches to the green from 125 to 150 yards away¹³.

If Kirk hits well off the tee, he should set himself up for success. With an SG: Total of 1.149, Kirk is 16th on the PGA Tour in this respect. For a player that is 23rd with a scoring average of 69.55 in 2022-23, his +12500 odds look like a true value¹⁴.

Along with his success earlier in the season, Kirk is coming off a decent showing at the Valero Texas Open. Kirk is worth a long-shot bet at these generous odds.

Tiger Woods Masters Odds and Prop Bet

Tiger Woods has nothing else to prove in his Hall of Fame career. However, if there is one thing that keeps him going, it has to be matching Jack Nicklaus’ records.

Nicklaus won 18 major championships from 1962 to 1986. Along the journey, he captured six Masters at Augusta National. Conversely, Tiger has won 15 major championships with five Masters titles.

Catching Nicklaus’ 18 majors appears to be out of reach. However, Tiger only needs one more Masters championship to tie The Golden Bear at Augusta National.

Never mind winning, what about just making the cut at the 2023 Masters?

Tiger Woods Arrives at Augusta National for His 25th Masters https://t.co/QxOgQIIlw1 via @SInow

— Bob Harig (@BobHarig) April 2, 2023

Tiger Woods Make Or Miss The Cut?

The following prop bet is courtesy of BetOnline:

Tiger made his 2023 season debut at The Genesis Invitational at The Riviera Country Club in February. He played well enough to make the cut, but settled for T45 after a tough weekend.

At the 2022 Masters, Tiger made his return to golf after going through a long and grueling rehab from a car accident. He was not a threat in Round 4, but managed to make the cut.

Tiger did not fare as well at the PGA Championship and the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews. He withdrew from the PGA Championship and missed the cut in Scotland.

Wagering on his +6600 odds to win the Masters does not yield much value. However, he should at least make the cut at Augusta National.

The problem for Tiger at this point in his career is his physical condition. He can be mentally fit and in good form, but his body can betray him in the later rounds.

Let’s back Tiger to make the cut at the 2023 Masters. Unfortunately, do not expect Tiger to go much further than that.

The 2023 Masters Prediction: Who Puts on the Green Jacket?

Rory McIlroy could retire happily right now at 33 years old. However, there would always be a hole in his legacy without a green jacket.

With several big runs at the Masters in the past, the native of Northern Ireland has come so close. After finishing as the runner-up at the 2022 Masters, we are siding with McIlroy to improve one spot on the leaderboard.

This time, McIlroy comes up clutch on the green with his putter to complete only the sixth Career Grand Slam of all time. Not only is McIlroy our first pick in any Masters tournament betting game, but he’s also our choice to win the 2023 Masters.

Masters Matchups Predictions

The following Masters players matchups offer solid value and are worthy of your consideration:

Jordan Spieth vs. Cameron Smith

Cameron Smith is taking a break from the LIV Golf grind to play the Masters this week. He hasn’t participated in a PGA event since the TOUR Championship in August 2022.

Smith has the best Masters odds out of the LIV golfers in the field at Augusta National. The Aussie returns to a golf course where he has played exceptionally well at past Masters.

In 2020, Smith was the closest he has ever come to winning the Masters. He finished T2 with Sungjae Im, just five strokes back of Dustin Johnson¹⁵.

Smith has Top 10 performances in four of his previous five attempts at the Masters. Last year, he finished T3 following another productive outing at Augusta National. His 2021-22 campaign included wins at The Players Championship and 150th Open at St. Andrews¹⁶.

Jordan Spieth won the 2015 Masters and is among the favorites to win his second jacket in 2023. Spieth had a rough go of it last year, as he failed to make the cut.

Smith doesn’t need much motivation on a course that he has consistently played well at, but he will be highly inspired after all of the conflict between the PGA and LIV Golf. 

The better value bet is with Smith at +105 odds.

Justin Thomas vs. Dustin Johnson

Dustin Johnson was one of the original linchpins in the push to promote LIV Golf. He returns to the sight of his 2020 Masters win at Augusta National this week.

Historically, this has been a course that Johnson has had success at in Georgia. He is making his 12th appearance at the Masters after Top 12 finishes in six of his previous seven starts¹⁷.

Major Venue. Major Moments.

Justin Thomas won his first Major Championship in 2017 at Quail Hollow. #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/NxIVaiih8r

— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) March 29, 2023

Johnson fell off in 2021 to finish T60, but responded nicely with a T12 effort at the 2022 Masters¹⁸. Back at Augusta National with something to prove, Johnson should be in the mix on Sunday.

Thomas is looking for his first Masters’ title in his career. His best finish was 4th at the 2020 Masters. Last season, Thomas finished T8 to notch his second Top 10 finish in seven career attempts¹⁹.

Following a T10 performance at the Valspar Championship, Thomas appears prepared for The Masters. We give the slight edge to Thomas over DJ at the 2023 Masters.

2023 Masters Prop Bets

The following Masters prop bets are courtesy of BetOnline:

Will Any LIV Golf Tour Player Win The Masters?

Dustin Johnson is the last LIV Golf player to win the Masters. He won in 2020 for the first time in his career. That said, Cameron Smith has had the most recent success out of the LIV Golf field.

Out of the 18 LIV Golf members at The Masters, Smith is our most likely to win. The 29-year-old enjoyed immense success in 2022 before defecting to LIV Golf.

He won three tournaments last year, including the Sentry Tournament of Champions, The Players Championship, and The Open at St. Andrews.

The PGA Tour does not want Smith to bring the Masters championship with him back to LIV Golf. Fortunately for the PGA, we likely won’t see Smith or any of his LIV coworkers win the 2023 Masters.

This is a stacked field at Augusta National. Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and even Xander Schauffele should be in contention before Smith.

The odds at -550 are steep for this Masters prop bet. If you want to take a chance on Yes at +400 odds, it might be worth a small flier. However, we do not foresee a LIV Golf player winning the 2023 Masters.

Scheffler/McIlroy/Rahm vs. The Field

This is a prop bet where we spot some solid value. If you like Scheffler, McIlroy, or Rahm, but would like some insurance, this is a quality prop offering.

McIlroy is our top pick to win the 2023 Masters. Scheffler winning consecutive Masters wouldn’t be a surprise, either.

Since winning the 2022 Masters, Scheffler has been maintaining strong form. He is favored to win for good reason.

With these three golfers, you are getting the leader in scoring average (Rahm), birdie average (Rahm), SG: Total (Rahm), driving distance (McIlroy), and greens in regulation (Scheffler) in 2022-23. Scheffler is right behind Rahm in scoring average and SG: Total this season.

Rahm won the 2021 U.S. Open, while Scheffler grabbed the 2022 Masters. Additionally, McIlroy is the defending 2021-22 FedEx Cup champ. This is a power team.

At +250 odds, this is a Masters prop bet worth giving strong consideration.