Bettors are expecting significant history to be made at the 2023 Masters Tournament.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and No. 2 Rory McIlroy are the pre-tournament co-favorites at several sportsbooks.
That includes BetMGM, where they were both being offered at +700 as of Wednesday night. BetRivers had slightly shorter odds at +650 for both, while DraftKings was offering Scheffler at +650 and McIlroy at +700.
So, it stands to reason that they have emerged as the most popular picks at all three sportsbooks.
Scheffler opened at +1200 at BetMGM, but those odds continually shortened as he leads the sportsbook with 8.7 percent of the total bets and 13.5 percent of the money backing him to become only the fourth player in history to successfully defend a Masters title.
Scheffler is now the third-biggest liability at BetMGM, behind only sentimental choice Tiger Woods and 2015 champion Jordan Spieth.
McIlroy isn’t among the book’s biggest liabilities, but he is second to Scheffler with 7.5 percent of the bets and 11.1 percent of the money backing him to complete the career Grand Slam this week. McIlroy, who hasn’t won a major championship since 2014, opened at +1000 at BetMGM.
The story is similar at BetRivers and DraftKings, which both reported Scheffler and McIlroy being the two most popular plays in both total bets and money.
Just behind them at all three is third-ranked Jon Rahm, who is being offered at +850 by DraftKings and +900 by BetMGM and BetRivers. DraftKings reported Rahm has drawn 7 percent of the bets and 8 percent of the handle, while BetRivers reported the Spaniard being backed by 6.6 and 5.1 percent, respectively.
Woods, who opened at +4000 at BetMGM, has seen his odds lengthen to +6600. That is likely tied to reports that his caddie, Joe LaCava, said the five-time Masters champion is “pretty banged up” entering the tournament, and with additional concern about how his body will hold up in the cold and wet conditions predicted throughout the event.
Still, Woods has drawn 4.9 percent of the total winning bets at BetMGM along with 4.2 percent of the handle.
One of the intriguing storylines is whether Woods will tie the all-time record with a 23rd consecutive cut made at Augusta National. DraftKings is offering him at -165 to make the weekend compared to +120 to have his streak broken.
Most wagered-on players in primary markets at BetRivers:
Top 10 Players to Win (By Odds)
1. Rory McIlroy — +650
1. Scottie Scheffler — +650
3. Jon Rahm — +900
4. Patrick Cantlay — +1400
5. Jordan Spieth — +1600
6. Justin Thomas — +2000
T7. Tony Finau — +2200
T7. Xander Schauffele — +2200
T7. Cameron Smith 00 +2200
10. Collin Morikawa — +2500
Top 10 Players to Win (% of outright money)
1. Scottie Scheffler (+650) — 11.3%
2. Rory McIlroy (+650) — 10.2%
3. Jordan Spieth (+1600) — 6.8%
4. Max Homa (+2500) — 5.2%
5. Jon Rahm (+900) — 5.1%
6. Justin Thomas (+2000) — 5.0%
7. Cameron Smith (+2200) — 4.6%
8. Collin Morikawa (+2500) — 3.9%
9. Brooks Koepka (+3300) — 3.6%
10. Tiger Woods (+7000) — 3.4%
Top 10 Players to Win (% of outright tickets)
1. Scottie Scheffler (+650) — 10.0%
2. Rory McIlroy (+650) — 9.1%
3. Jon Rahm (+900) — 6.6%
4. Cameron Smith (+2200) — 4.6%
5. Jordan Spieth (+1600) — 4.4%
6. Max Homa (+2500) — 4.0%
7. Justin Thomas (+2000) — 3.7%
8. Collin Morikawa (+2500) — 3.6%
9. Will Zalatoris (+4000) — 3.5%
10. Tiger Woods (+7000) — 2.9%
Top 5 Players to Lead After 1st Round (% of money)
1. Jordan Spieth (+2500) — 8.3%
2. Justin Thomas (+3300) — 6.7%
3. Brooks Koepka (+4000) — 6.3%
4. Tommy Fleetwood (+5500) — 6.2%
5. Sungjae Im (+4000) — 6.1%
Top 5 Players to Lead After 1st Round (% of tickets)
1. Jordan Spieth (+2500) — 8.6%
2. Min Woo Lee (+5500) — 6.3%
3. Justin Thomas (+3300) — 5.1%
4. Brooks Koepka (+4000) — 4.6%
5. Justin Rose (+4500) — 3.9%
–Field Level Media
