It’s a great time of year to be a sports fan.
Not only does Major League Baseball’s regular season get into full swing Thursday (don’t you hate how some teams have already played games, spoiling the tradition of Opening Day?), but the Masters championship – a sure sign of spring if there ever was one – also gets underway in Augusta, Georgia.
Here’s Sports Interaction betting analyst Frank Doyle’s breakdown of this year’s tournament:
Masters betting preview
This is the most anticipated Masters since Tiger Woods turned pro in 1997. Tiger’s returned to form three years after the shipwreck of his personal life has galvanised interest in the first major of the season, as proven by Tiger’s status as the ante-post favorite for the competition.
Even if Tiger hadn’t come back, Rory McIlroy’s return to Augusta after his nightmare meltdown last year would be big news. McIlroy just had to hold his nerve to win his first major when he teed up on the final day – instead, he collapsed at the 10th and his world fell apart.
What makes the McIlroy story so appealing is how he responded – by winning the US Open by a huge margin at Congressional, one of the least forgiving courses on the PGA Tour. McIlroy is Tiger’s heir apparent, and this is the first time that they will face each other when each man is in form.
And if that weren’t enough, there’s Phil Mickelson too. Mickelson defied predictions that arthritis and age would slow him down to have three top ten finishes already on tour, including a win at Pebble Beach. Mickelson’s won three green jackets already and he loves Augusta. He’s a very real contender.
A betting strategy for the Masters depends on what sort of price you’d like. If you’re looking for wins ahead of thrills, one of the leading trio is the only place to look. Out of those three, McIlroy is the best value at +500 with Sports Interaction.
If Tiger hadn’t returned, McIlroy would be a miniscule price, so the +500 represents value on ability alone. McIlroy showed enormous mental strength to recover from the Augusta meltdown by triumphing at Congressional, and you can bet your bottom dollar he dearly wants to make up for last year.
Outside of the big three, whomever you pick will have a big price. Mickelson would have been a great bet if his price were bigger; unfortunately, Sports Interaction is all too aware of Mickelson’s ability and has priced him appropriately.
Lee Westwood and the current World No 1 Luke Donald are light in majors relative to their consistently high world rankings, and that makes them hard to trust with your money. Justin Rose, winner of the Cadillac Championship, is worth thinking about at +3000, but if you’re going to go long, you might as well go all the way.
Therefore, while the majority of the weekly golf stake goes on McIlroy at +500, a small interest bet each way on Angel Cabrera is a good, fun bet with the potential of a big payoff.
Cabrera is the most low-profile major winner in golf, but he’s won the US Open and the Masters. Not only that, but he’s got five top ten finishes at Augusta since 2000 and he clearly loves the course. Angel Cabrera is a solid long shot bet at +8000 for the US Masters with Sports Interaction.