2023 Masters odds, picks, predictions: Back these long shots to put on the Green Jacket this week at Augusta National

A betting tradition unlike any other begins this week with the 2023 Masters at Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Ga.

This year’s hunt for the Green Jacket will feature all of the bells and whistles we always get during the Masters — the beautiful scenery, the iconic music and the over-the-top pageantry — but it will also be unlike any version of this tournament we’ve ever seen. That’s because it is the first time that we’ll see golfers from the PGA Tour compete with players from LIV at a major championship.

The tension should be palpable for casual fans, but the LIV factor makes for a very interesting dilemma for bettors: Should you just ignore them? Or are they going to be undervalued across all formats (betting, DFS, pools) because nobody wants to play them?

And what about the PGA Tour mainstays? This year has been pretty chalky on the main circuit and part of the reason that favorites like Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm keep cashing big checks is because the quality of competition has been watered down some thanks to the defectors. Will the top PGA players find things more difficult with the likes of Cam Smith, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka back in the fold?

While all of this drama makes for great fodder and adds to the fun of handicapping the tournament, the best part of the Masters (and other major championships) is that you’ll find some great prices on top-level players. And it’s not like we haven’t seen some folks from down the board win at Augusta. Sure, star players like Scheffler, Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson have won in recent years, but some big prices have cashed with Danny Willett, Sergio Garcia, Hideki Matusyama and Patrick Reed.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few of them with our best outright bets for the 2023 Masters.

The Masters Picks

Hideki Matsuyama (+4600, FanDuel)

You’ll hear that course history matters more at Augusta National than perhaps anywhere else in golf, so it’s a little peculiar that Matsuyama’s number has drifted this far. Not only did Matsuyama win the Green Jacket in 2021, but he’s been superb at this course for a decade now. The 31-year-old has finished 5-T7-T11-19-T32-T13-1-T14 since 2015 and has missed the cut just once in 11 outings on Magnolia Lane. There’s nothing wrong Matsuyama’s current form either, as he finished fifth at THE PLAYERS and T15 at the Valero Texas Open last week.

Shane Lowry (+6500, FanDuel)

There is some weather forecasted for the 2023 Masters and that could be good news for Shane Lowry. A native of Ireland with a Claret Jug on his mantle, Lowry has proven to be one of the game’s best grinders when conditions get tough. Lowry’s been up and down in 2023, but he’s had a couple of solid showings at Augusta, including a T3 last year.

Patrick Reed (+7000, FanDuel)

Nobody ever wanted to bet Patrick Reed before he left for LIV and doubled down on his role as golf’s biggest heel, so it’s hard to imagine that anyone will be rushing to the window to bet him now, which is good news for shrewd bettors because it means there’s a lot of value on the 32-year-old this week.

The upside with Reed is obvious. He is a former winner here and has two top-10 finishes in his last three outings at Augusta since his victory in 2018. The downside is the same as it is with every LIV player — we just don’t know where their game is at compared to PGA Tour players.

But Reed’s play on the renegade tour has been encouraging. He’s got better with every showing this season going from 38th to 18th to fourth last week in Orlando. Plus, Reed finished second at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic to Rory McIlroy in January.

There are a lot of reasons to doubt Reed this week, but let everyone else pile on while you take advantage of a really strong price on a player who thrives in this role and at this course.

Danny Willett (+21000, FanDuel)

A surprise winner at Augusta National in 2016, Willett is a player to have circled in case conditions truly go off the rails this week. He’s a player who enjoys windy, wet conditions and will be especially dangerous if the winning score is just slightly under par, like it was when he donned the jacket seven years ago. Willett is unlikely to win, but he’s someone you’ll want to have some exposure to at this price.

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