Masters Best Bets Today: Round 1 Bets for Xander Schauffele, Adam Scott, Russell Henley, and Jacob Bridgeman

The first round of the 2026 Masters is finally here!

All week, I've been giving you my best bets for every type of wager you can imagine, but what about a few plays for the opening round? I have four first-round bets that I love for Thursday's action, so let's dive into them.

Masters Round 1 bets

Xander Schauffele -110 vs. Rory McIlroy via FanDuel
Adam Scott Top 20 After First Round (+155) via FanDuel
Jacob Bridgeman +125 vs. Aaron Rai/Sergio Garcia via DraftKings
Russell Henley +205 vs. Hideki Matsuyama/Collin Morikawa via DraftKings

Xander Schauffele -110 vs. Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy has had a busy week with all of the obligations as the defending champion, including hosting the champion's dinner. Some people think he may come out hot on Thursday with little pressure on his shoulders compared to previous years, but I think McIlroy is at his best when he is feeling that pressure and motivation.

Meanwhile, Xander Schauffele is my best bet to win, so that's going to begin with a strong Thursday round. He's peaking at the right time heading into this week, finishing in solo third at the Players Championship and T4 at the Valspar Championship. he gained significant strokes with his approach play in both those games, averaging +2.11 true strokes with his irons at the Players and +1.32 true strokes with his approach game at the Valspar.

Adam Scott Top 20 After First Round (+155)

I'm already betting on Adam Scott to be the first round leader, but I'm going to hedge that bet a bit by also betting on him to be inside the top 20 after the opening round at +155.

The former Masters champion has brought his best stuff in the opening round so far this PGA Tour season, ranking third amongst all golfers in Round 1 scoring average at 68.14. He's coming into this week's edition of the event with a peaking approach play, gaining more than a stroke per round with his irons through his past four starts. If his approach play can be dialed in on Thursday, there's a chance he goes low in the opening round of the Masters.

Jacob Bridgeman +125 vs. Aaron Rai/Sergio Garcia

Sergio Garcia is on record this week admitting that he's not happy with where his game is this week. Aaron Rai, while winning the Par 3 contest, is coming into this event in poor form, missing the cut at both The Players Championship and Valspar Championship.

Meanwhile, the only golfers in the field who have been statistically better than Bridgeman over the past three months are Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler. Let's also remember that he has proven he can beat the best golfers in the world, having already won a signature event, the Genesis Invitational in February. I think he starts his Masters career with a great Thursday round.

Russell Henley +205 vs. Hideki Matsuyama/Collin Morikawa

If you're looking for a way to fade Collin Morikawa, who has been dealing with an injury lately, this could be the best way to do it. Not only is Morikawa dealing with a back injury, but Hideki Matsuyama has finished outside the top 20 in four straight starts, and he lost significant strokes around the green at last week's Valero Texas Open, which has typically been his biggest strength at Augusta.

Russell Henley's strong iron play is always going to fit Augusta National well. He's had some solid results already this season, including a T6 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and a T13 at The Players. I think he's a great bet to win this group at +205.

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