What are the best bets in the 2018 Masters?
It won’t be long now until the world’s best players are lining up at Augusta for the 2018 Masters, the opening Major Championship of the year. In 2017 Sergio Garcia ended his long drought without success in one of golf’s four biggest tournaments. Here is a look at who are the best bets for the Green Jacket in 2018.
2018 Masters betting: Top tip
World No. 1 Dustin Johnson (13/2) tops the betting to win the second major of his career at Augusta and by the time the event takes place, his price could be much shorter as he has started 2018 in style with victory in the Tournament on Champion in Hawaii where his margin of victory was eight shots in a high-quality field.
Johnson went into the Masters last year in red-hot form as he had won three times on the PGA tour in the space of just two months. He looked like he was going to take the world of beating on a course which has suited his game in recent years. The 33-year-old suffered a massive stroke of bad luck, though, as the night before the opening round, he fell down some stairs, injuring his back and forcing his withdrawal from the event.
The unfortunate incident will surely only add extra motivation for Johnson in 2018. Although he has 17 PGA Tour victories to his name now, he will be desperate to add more Major Championships to the US Open trophy he picked up in 2016.
Johnson appears to be driving the ball very well again which is a good sign ahead of Augusta. If he continues to find the fairways, there are lots of scoring opportunities for him in Georgia. DJ has yet to land one of the famous Green Jackets but he did finish in a tie for sixth in 2015, while in 2016 he ended the weekend in a tie for fourth so his recent form is very solid at the course.
Sometimes the obvious cannot be ignored in these big tournaments and Johnson stands out like a sore thumb as the most likely winner of the Masters this year. If you are having a bet on the Masters, it may be prudent to look out for the sign-up offers ahead of the event, the best of which have been reviewed and rated by Oddschecker, who give a detailed breakdown of the requirements.
2018 Masters betting: Best each-way selections
Adam Scott (33/1) has one of the best records at Augusta of any player on the PGA Tour. Not only is the Australian a former winner of the Masters, he has four top 10 finishes in the last seven years.
Scott’s form over the last 12 months has not been great but a return to a happy hunting ground could see the 37-year-old challenging on the final Sunday once again. The 2013 champion has the perfect game for Augusta as he drives the ball very well off the tee.
The former world number one’s last success was in the WGC Cadillac Championship in 2016 where he finished the tournament one shot ahead of Bubba Watson. He has had a few near misses since then, including a top ten finish in the 2017 Masters.
2018 could be the year where Scott bridges the gap between himself and the world’s top five again. He is set to appoint a full-time caddie after parting ways with Steve Williams last September. That decision should help him to have more stability across the whole year.
Marc Leishman (40/1) is another Australian who really enjoys playing at Augusta in the Masters. The three-time PGA Tour winner came close to victory there in 2013 when he finished the tournament in a tie for fourth place.
In 2015, Leishman went even closer to Major glory as he was involved in a three-way playoff in the Open Championship at St Andrews, which was won by Louis Oosthuizen. Unfortunately for the Victoria man, he could only shoot two over par in his four extra holes.
At 40/1 Leishman looks an excellent each-way proposition if you want to take on the market leaders. He should give you a good run for your money at the very least and if he is at the top of his game, he is capable of breaking his maiden in the Major Championship.
The opening day of 2018 Masters takes place on April 5 and the new champion will be crowned on April 8 following the completion of the 72 holes.
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