Heading into the 2017 Masters, it feels like there are three favorites who are head-and-shoulders above the rest of the contenders. World No. 1 Dustin Johnson has probably forgot what it's like to lose, as he heads into Augusta with three consecutive victories. Jordan Spieth--no matter what happened on the 12th hole on Sunday last year--is a perfect fit for Augusta, as his ludicrous second-first-second track record would suggest. And Rory McIlroy, who doesn't have a win this season but has been piling up the Top-10's, is arguably better than both of them when his putter is locked in.
The oddsmakers agree, as DJ, Spieth and Rory have the shortest odds in the field--and it's not really close. You can find the complete odds list for the 2017 field right here.
When betting on the Masters, there are two ways to evaluate this situation. On one hand, you can ignore the long-shot picks because there's such a good chance of one of those three donning the Green Jacket. On the other, that trio being regarded as such strong favorites gives everyone else in the field more favorable odds. And let's be honest, if you're looking for any sort of profitable return, betting on the guys deeper down the odds list is the way to make that happen.
Danny Willett got it done last year at 50-to-1, and there are a handful of players in a position to provide a similar return in 2017. You can click through the gallery for my favorite value bets and sleeper picks, or you can head here for an in-depth look at my Top 10 contenders for Augusta. (Getty)
Hideki Matsuyama
Odds: 20/1
20-to-1 isn't a hugely profitable bet, but it still seems like pretty favorable odds for a guy who has two wins, two runner-up finishes and was looking like the most dominant player on Tour not long ago. He has slowed down a bit lately, but he has the tee-to-green game you're looking for (seventh in strokes gained), he has two consecutive Top-10 Masters finishes and he clearly has the tools to go toe-to-toe with the trio of favorites. If Matsuyama gets it going with his putter--an admittedly large "if" considering how he has looked with the flatstick lately--he's going to be right in the thick of contention on Sunday afternoon. (Getty)
Sergio Garcia
Odds: 40/1
In six 72-hole tournaments (not counting the WGC-Match Play, in which he finished 30th) this year, Sergio has a win, three Top-12's and five Top-20's. He ranks fourth in strokes gained tee to green, he crushes Par 4's and 5's (13th in scoring average on each), and he has oodles of experience at Augusta with 18 career starts and three Top-10's.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. He hasn't won a major, and many fans' favorite narrative is that he "can't win the big one," but 40-to-1 for a player of his quality-especially at a time when he appears to be in such a good groove--is fantastic value. (Getty)
Tyrrell Hatton
Odds: 55/1
Augusta is undoubtedly a track where course history plays a major role, so Hatton coming in with zero career Masters starts is concerning. But everything else about him is really appealing. The World No. 15 comes in sweltering hot with Top-10's in his last six tournaments (the only exception being a T17 at the WGC-Match Play), he has the lights-out short game needed to conquer Augusta (sixth in strokes gained approaching the green, first in strokes gained putting), he's fourth on Tour in scoring average, and he's not scared of the bright lights, having bagged Top-10's at the last two majors.
Again, winning as a debutante is a steep task, but for everything the 25-year-old star brings to the table, 55-to-1 is a number you can't pass up. (Getty)
Louis Oosthuizen
Odds: 55/1
It's easy to forget that Oosthuizen, who won the 2010 Open Championship, is remarkably close to being a four-time major winner. One of those near misses was the 2012 Masters, when it took a seemingly once-in-a-lifetime shot from Bubba Watson to beat him, and he has since followed it up with three Top-25's in his last three trips to Augusta.
That kind of tremendous course history, coupled with the fact that he's playing well right now, makes him a nice under-the-radar sleeper pick. (Getty)
Marc Leishman
Odds: 66/1
The last three winners of the Masters had won at least one tournament previously that year, so Leishman getting a victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational a couple weeks ago was big for his outlook. Not only that, but he has been remarkably consistent this season (seven Top-25's in nine events), he has the putting game needed to win (second in strokes gained), he loves Augusta, and he has contended here before, finishing fourth in 2013. That's a really good profile for 66-to-1. (Getty)
Thomas Pieters
Odds: 70/1
A true boom-or-bust pick, Pieters could miss the cut, as he did at the Honda Classic and Arnold Palmer Invitational, or he could be in contention on Sunday, as he was at the Genesis Open and the WGC-Mexico Championship.
Nevertheless, while he brings inconsistency, this is the kind of high-upside player you're looking for when you're making long-shot bets in this range. He's big enough off the tee, he has the necessary short game (ninth in strokes gained approaching the green and 24th in strokes gained putting), and when he's in form, he can go really low.
He's another one making his Masters debut, so I would tread lightly, but the potential he brings is enough to invoke at least a small bet. (Getty)
Daniel Berger
Odds: 80/1
Berger is similar to Pieters in the fact that he's a boom-or-bust player. Here are his results in his last five 72-hole tournaments (not counting WGC-Match Play): Cut, T7, Cut, T16, Cut. And at the time of writing this, he's in contention for another Top-10 at the Shell Houston Open. Also like Pieters, Berger has an intriguing short game (18th in strokes gained putting) and has the propensity to go low, ranking ninth in birdie-or-better percentage.
The key difference between Pieters and Berger? The latter finished 10th at last year's Masters and has longer odds. As such, while both are compelling, I would go with the American if I had to choose one. (Getty)
Gary Woodland
Odds: 100/1
A lot of the players I've been focusing on have been ones who thrive in the short game, which makes sense considering Augusta's ridiculously difficult greens (both in terms of hitting and putting on), but Bubba Watson has (twice) shown that bombers can win at Augusta, so we don't want to completely ignore the big hitters.
Enter Woodland, who ranks 17th on Tour in driving distance. But not only that, he's pretty strong with his irons (30th in strokes gained approaching the green), he avoids mistakes well for a bomber (36th in bogey avoidance), and he's playing good golf this season with two runner-up finishes and four Top-10's.
It's unlikely his first win since 2013 comes at the Masters, but at 100-to-1, this is a risk worth gambling on. (Getty)
Masters Odds 2017: Best Bets & Sleeper Picks at Augusta