The Champions Dinner has been consumed and today, players will be competing in the friendly par-3 contest, but tomorrow is the big day when The Masters 2023 will start at Augusta National.
In a week which has been big on golf following on from our guide to better golf betting yesterday, today you can out those skills to the test by having a wager on The Masters tournament itself.
Given the divisive split in the world of golf between the USPGA and DP World Tours and the newcomer LIV Golf, The Masters is just one of four tournaments on the roster where all the top players in the world can face each other.
The other three being the other three Majors contested in the season, the USPGA Championship. US Open and The British Open.
So there is going to be plenty of interest in this event from all over the world as the 88 players competing do battle against each other.
The big question on everyone’s lips is who will win of course. And in this article, we are going to take a look at some of the players that are good value options, especially for the each way outright winner market.
Here bet365 Sport are offering payouts on the top eight finishers and ties at 1/5 of the stated odds, which makes this a great value option.
So before we take a look at some contenders, let’s take a look at some of the factors that will play a major influence on who will win the tournament.
Key Factors For The Masters 2023
- Course Changes
There has only been one change to the course since the 2022 Masters, which has been the extension of the 13th hole, Azalea, by moving the tee box back a further 35 yards from the original position.
This famous hole is a big dogleg from right to left, with the green tucked behind Rae’s Creek which guards the front and the added yardage from the tee will certainly make more players think long and hard about trying to hit the green in two.
The remaining holes are unchanged from the 2022 tournament.
- Weather Forecast
Could we be set for a very rare Monday finish at Augusta? Well, the weather forecast doesn’t look great with showers forecast on all four days of play, with heavier downpours expected on Friday and Saturday.
In addition to rain, there is also going to be a plunge in temperatures with the tournament starting Thursday in the 80s, but by the weekend, those temperatures will plummet as the rain moves in to in the mid-50s.
While the rain is not likely to be heavy enough to stop play, there is the threat of isolated thunderstorms especially on Thursday and Friday, which could halt play.
All in all, the 2023 Masters tournament looks set to be one of the wetter ones on record and that can alter the character and difficulty of the course.
Who Will Win The Tournament?
If you have read my guide to golf betting then you will know that I don’t recommend backing a winner for a golf tournament as with so many players and possible winners, it is very tough to land wins with any regularity.
However, three players seem to be dominating the betting with bet365 Sport for this event and they are Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy (both 7/1 joint favourites) and Spaniard Jon Rahm (9/1).
Rahm started the season in exceptional form winning three events before March, the first time any player has achieved that feat since Johnny Miller in 1975. However, since his last win at the Genesis Invitational, Rahm has yet to land another victory.
Rory McIlroy has won the Dubai Desert Classic in January when he beat Patrick Reed in a fantastic final round showdown and his form has generally been very good since, without him landing another trophy to add to his collection.
McIlroy needs The Masters to complete a career grand slam and it would be his first Major win since 2014, when he won The Open and the USPGA Championship back to back in that memorable season.
Scheffler comes into this tournament with a recent win at the unofficial fifth major, The Players Championshio behind him in March and also as the defending champion at Augusta where he landed the Green Jacket for his first Major win.
Now back at World Number 1, Scheffler has been consistent once again this season and the fact he won over pretty much the same course last year has many fans believing he is capable of the first back-to-back win since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002.
If you are going to back a winner, any of these three would be the smart pick with my personal choice being Rory McIlroy.
However, I feel there is better value available in the Each Way market with some longer odds selections.
Each Way Options
Outlined below are some of the golfers I think offer excellent value as an each way bet to win The Masters 2023.
- Jordan Spieth – 16/1
Missed the cut last year but made the cut in his previous eight Masters appearances, finishing inside the top three on five occasions.
- Collin Morikawa – 25/1
Morikawa has won two Major Championships, one in each of the past two years and he has improved his Masters performances in each of the three he has played finishing 44th, 18th and then 5th last year. Another improvement could be on the cards here after a good start to the season.
- Corey Conners – 45/1
Conners is going to be a very popular each way bet for this Masters tournament given that he has finished inside the top ten in each of the last three Masters tournaments, improving each time from tied 10th to 8th to 6th last year.
- Tyrrell Hatton – 55/1
Hatton is in good form and pushed Scottie Scheffler hard in The Players Championship last month. He hasn’t performed at his best in the Masters with a best place finish of 18th, but this could be the year he makes a big improvement on that.
- Patrick Reed – 66/1
A controversial figure on tour, Reed is a former Masters Champion and showed he was up for the fight in the Dubai Desert Classic in January when battling Rory McIlroy for the title. At 66/1, he is a great value each way bet.
- Joaquin Niemann – 70/1
One of the most in form LIV Golf Tour players, Niemann has played in just three Masters but has made the cut in the past two years, improving his position each time. He’s yet to shine in a major but his form is such that he warrants each way consideration here.
The action gets underway tomorrow morning so do tune in for all the action!
*All odds shown are courtesy of bet365 Sport and were correct at the time of writing, but may have changed in the meantime.