Sam Panayotovich
FOX sports betting analyst
We’re hours from the crown jewel of golf.
The 87th edition of the Masters begins Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club as the world’s greatest players compete for the opportunity to don the famous green jacket after Sunday’s final round.
As you can imagine, American sportsbooks love to get involved in this event. It is the most popular in the whole country in terms of dollars bet on golf, and there are so many markets to bet on.
“The Masters far outperforms any other golf tournament that we host,” Jeff Sherman, vice president of risk management at Westgate SuperBook, told FOX Sports. “It will double the grip of the US Open. They’re putting so much money into that pool, and it’s really starting to shape things. And there’s less grip than other majors because there’s a lot more grip.”
Rory McIlroy (+700) is the current SuperBook favorite, closely followed by defending champion Scottie Scheffler (+750) and Jon Rahm (+900). McIlroy and Scheffler are co-favorites at FOX bet (+700, wager $10 for a total win of $80).
Every other golfer on the SuperBook board has double digit odds.
[RELATED: Masters odds, predictions, picks]
“Scheffler was built for Augusta,” said Sherman. “He’s one of the best in terms of shots from tee to green and he excelled in the lead up to the Masters like last year. He has the all-around game to be in the mix every time.
“But I wouldn’t bet single digits on any of these guys right now. I need double digits to get involved. Six months ago you could have put Scheffler at (+1200) and McIlroy at (+1500). That was the time to strike.”
Not only does Sherman place odds and manage risk in the SuperBook, he also bets on golf around the city in Las Vegas. And he does it very well.
He’s built a Masters portfolio over the past eight months that’s packed with golfers like Rahm, McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Tony Finau, Brooks Koepka, Tom Kim, Jason Day and Harold Varner III.
“It’s a strategy of building a portfolio over time,” Sherman said. “That’s how I’ve been doing it for years. The number is sometimes more important than the player.”
Speaking of players, nobody moves the meter quite like Tiger Woods. Even as his career comes to an end at the age of 47, Woods is still a magnet for action. And bookmakers like Sherman are digging hard against his sixth Masters title.
“I’ll be chased off the property if he wins,” Sherman snapped. “It’s a mid-six-figure burden for us at the moment. Even so, the odds are slim that Tiger will win four grueling days on a hilly course if he can’t run well.
“We’ve seen him start well in the last few Majors but the progression of the four days is taking its toll on him. I understand people betting on him ‘below’ his first round result and making the cut. Those are realistic expectations.
“He can come out and say he expects to win but I think his hope is to make the cut and see what happens. to outlast Scheffler and Rahm and McIlroy [and everybody else] over four days is another story.”
It’s also going to be expensive to bet on Woods to make the cut.
“We opened it at -150 on the ‘yes’ and actually got an instant play on the ‘no’ in New Jersey that took it to -140/+120. However, it’s been all pro Tiger money since that point. We are at -180 on him to make the cut.”
If you are still looking for a bet, you should circle Sungjae Im. The 25-year-old tied for second at the 2020 Masters and tied for eighth last year. And if current form is important to you, Im has three top-10 finishes in his last seven events.
You can find me under +3300 to win (bet $10 to win a total of $340), +650 for Top 5 (bet $10 to win $75 total) and +275 for top 10 (bet $10 to win $37.50 total) at FOX bet.
“It’s hard to find value at this point with all the saturation, but I’m tempted when you don’t have any bets in your pocket,” Sherman said. “His current form is very strong and he played really well at Augusta.”
The best gambling stories
- 2023 Masters Predictions, Expert Tips from Chris ‘The Bear’ Fallica
- 2024 NCAA Championship Odds: Kentucky, not UConn, opens as betting favorite
- 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Odds: Expert Tips and Playoff Winning Predictions
- 2023 NFL Draft Odds: The best early bets, from Jalen Carter to Quentin Johnston
- 2023 Men’s NCAA Championship Game: UConn-San Diego State Betting Results
- 2023 Masters Odds: Updated favorites and odds for Tiger Woods
- MLB Odds 2023: Best Overall, Division Betting, Long Shot, Title Futures, Expert Picks
- Mattress Mack bets big again on Houston Astros to win MLB World Series
- NFL odds for Lamar Jackson’s next team including Colts, Patriots, Falcons
- 2023 MLB MVP odds, sleepers, long shot bets, expert tips
Sam Panayotovich is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and NESN. He previously worked for WGN Radio, NBC Sports and VSiN. He will probably decide against your favorite team. Follow him on Twitter @spshoot.
Play FOX Super 6 every week for your chance to win thousands of dollars every week. Just download the Super 6 app and start making your choice today!
Get more out of the PGA Tour Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
