Johnson The Favourite On 2017 Masters Betting Odds

Dustin Johnson is the 2017 Masters betting favourite as the first major tournament of the PGA Tour season takes place this week in Augusta, Georgia.

Canadian sportsbook Sports Interaction lists Johnson at +452 to win the tournament, meaning you could win $452 for every $100 risked on Johnson. Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy both pay between +700 and +800, and Jason Day is listed at +1700.

There are lots of different ways to bet on the Masters golf tournament, but betting on who will win the Green Jacket is always a lot of fun and can result in a nice big payday if you’re right.

In this article, we’ll break down the chances of each of the top 3 favourites, and also look at 3 darkhorses you might want to consider on the Masters betting odds.

2017 Masters Betting Odds (courtesy of Sports Interaction)

2017 Masters odds

The 2017 Masters Betting Favourites


Dustin Johnson comes into the 2017 Masters with plenty of momentum. He’s the top-ranked player in the world, and is the first golfer in more than 40 years to come into the Masters with 3 straight tournament wins under his belt.

Johnson has also finished in the top six at the Masters the last two years, and this time won’t have the pressure of trying to win his first career major (he took care of that at last year’s U.S. Open.)

However, as Kyle Porter pointed out for CBS Sports, the No. 1 player in the world has not won the Masters since Tiger Woods did it in 2002. (For the record, Porter believes Johnson will have his hands full with Jordan Spieth.)

Speaking of Jordan Spieth, there’s no question he’s got the ability to capture the Green Jacket. He already did it once (in 2015, when he tied Woods’ course record with a final score of -18), and he was second in both 2014 and 2016.

Spieth’s biggest challenge at Augusta will be between the ears. Don’t forget, he had a 5-stroke lead going into the back 9 on the final day of last year’s tournament, only to hit 2 consecutive shots into the water on No. 12 and finishing 3 shots behind champion Danny Willett.

At least Spieth has shown an ability to bounce back from disaster. After splashing those 2 balls on 12, he rebounded to make a pair of birdies down the stretch and at least challenge Willett for the title. And 7 weeks after the 2016 Masters, Spieth birdied the final 3 holes of the Dean & Deluca Invitational in Texas to win his hometown tournament.

Rory McIlroy can relate to Spieth’s late collapse at the Masters, having done the same in 2011 – opening the final round with a 4-shot lead, then triple-bogeying the 10th hole and eventually finishing out of the Top 10.

The Masters is the only major that McIlroy has yet to win. He’s finished in the Top 10 for the last 3 years, and has said his life “wouldn’t be fulfilled” without a Green Jacket. He’s also the second-ranked player in the world, has improved his putting since missing the cut at last year’s PGA Championship, and is 4th and 7th at two PGA events this year.

2017 Masters Betting Darkhorses

If you want to take a shot at a better return than those offered on any of the three main 2017 Masters betting favourites, there are plenty of darkhorses in the field that could be worth a wager.

Here’s a look at 3 of them.

Phil Mickelson (+2500) may be 46 years old and in the back 9 of his stellar career, but he’s also a three-time Masters champion, and finished second in 3 of the 22 events he entered last season.

In a tournament that has so much pressure, Mickelson’s experience at Augusta should be a definite asset. (It also doesn’t hurt that 6 of the last 13 Masters champions have been left-handed.)

However, beware – Lefty has missed the cut at the Masters in 2 of the last 3 years.

Hideki Matsuyama (+1900) admits he’s struggled a bit to start the 2017 season, but he’s still ranked fourth in the world and finished last year with wins at the Japan Open, the World Golf Championships, the Taiheiyo Masters and the Hero World Challenge.

Matsuyama was fifth at the Masters 2 years ago and tied for 7th last year. He’s also come close to becoming the first Asian player to win a major, placing fourth at the 2016 PGA Championship.

He’s got the distance to give him an advantage from tee to green, and a hot tournament from his putter (he’s averaged 28.76 putts per round so far this season) could put him right in the mix.

 

Justin Rose (+2700) has finished in the Top 10 four times at Augusta (including tying for second in 2015), placed in the top 14 in 6 of the last 7 years, and has never missed the Masters cut.

In fact, he hasn’t missed a cut since last year’s U.S. Open. And he’s been in contention to win several tournaments already this year, finishing second at the Sony Open and fourth at the Farmers Insurance and the Genesis Open.

Rose has struggled a bit with his short game around the green, but his putting numbers are improved from the past 4 years.