The Masters Picks, Props, Predictions: Betting Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Ludvig Aberg

The Masters! Betting on the Masters!! I’m not sure which is better.

Everyone’s favorite major (to bet on) is back. Augusta National is in full bloom. The weather looks perfect (no rain). The field is both deep and top-heavy. Anyone can win the green jacket. Hopefully, plenty will cash big with us this week, as SI Golf betting panelist Cody Williams did last year on Rory.

The SI Golf betting panel returns with SI Betting insider Iain MacMillan, Inside Sports Network Tap in Birdie podcast host Brian Kirschner, Betting analyst Brad Thomas, The Model Maniac Byron Lindeque, FanSided content director Cody Williams and me, Minute Media VP of Betting Content Brian Giuffra. Each Wednesday, we post our betting picks for outright and longshot winners, first-round leader, our favorite prop bet and a final score prediction.

The profile of recent Masters winners is clear: top-ranked players, near the top of the oddsboard, par-5 scorers, great OTT and tee-to-green profiles, spike putters, history of success at Augusta. Longshots, depending on how you qualify one, haven’t hit here since Hideki Matsuyama at +4500 five years ago. In the last 10 years, the winner with the longest odds was Danny Willett at +6600 in 2016. Over the last 10 years, the average odds of the winners were +2715.

It could be especially hard for a longshot this year. Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Bryson DeChambeau are atop the oddsboard. Behind them are Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Åberg, Matt Fitzpatrick, Cameron Young, Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa, Min Woo Lee and a host of other top-end talent itching for their first green jacket. History suggests the winner will come from that group of players.

Of course, anything can happen at Augusta. It’s one of the beautiful things about the course and tournament. Let’s get into our betting picks with full write-ups below the picks graphic.

Outright

Iain MacMillan: Xander Schauffele +1800 (DraftKings)

I've bet on Xander Schauffele to win the Masters every year since 2019, and this certainly isn't the year I stop. 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 events, averaging +2.11 true strokes with his irons at the Players and +1.32 true strokes with his approach game at the Valspar.

Brian Kirschner: Hideki Matsuyama +2700 (FanDuel)

I think Hideki can have a Bubba Watson major career after this week: Two majors that are both green jackets. Hideki started the year excellently with four straight top 13 finishes, including a runner-up at WMPO. He also won earlier in the winter at the Hero World Challenge, and I think winning before Augusta is very important. We all know he can win here and I think he is arriving in the best form since he won here in 2021. I like Deki to get a second green jacket this week.

Brad Thomas: Cameron Young +2300 (DraftKings)

There’s a realistic path for Cameron Young to follow the same blueprint Rory McIlroy laid out last season—win The Players Championship and carry that form straight into The Masters Tournament. Young checks just about every box at Augusta. He’s elite on approach, drives it a mile, and his biggest weapon is still the driver. What’s changed is the confidence. He’s starting to prove he can close in big spots. If he stays patient and takes what Augusta gives him, he’ll give himself a chance late on Sunday. The par-5 scoring has to be better, but he should thrive on the par-3s. If you’re going to take down the best in the world, you need a top-tier player—and that’s exactly what Cameron Young is.

Byron Lindeque: Patrick Reed +4300 (DraftKings)

This week’s primary outright is going to need some divine intervention, given the stacked field that is the Masters. But, if Moses could make something of his life from the reeds, we are going to do the same with Patrick Reed’s course history at the hallowed grounds of Augusta. The 2018 Green Jacket wearer has a 3rd, 12th and 4th in his last three Masters appearances, which are fantastic results without mentioning he has won two DPWT events this season, along with a 2nd and 10th place. He has parted the recent form and course history seas, and now just needs to walk over some very dry Augusta fairways to his second Masters win.

Cody Williams: Ludvig Åberg +1700 (DraftKings)

At its core, The Masters is the ultimate test of tee-to-green play. Åberg comes in ranking third in weighted SG: Tee-to-Green over the last 24 rounds and on the heels of three straight Top 5 finishes. Sure, there’s a narrative that he’s not able to close that’s developing, but that’s only a narrative until it's not. After two Top 10 finishes, including a runner-up showing, in two starts at Augusta, Åberg fits the bill of the guy peaking at the right time at a place that obviously suits his game.

Brian Giuffra: Scottie Scheffler +625 (Bet365)

Throw out the stats and trends. I'm vibe betting a fellow father of two! Scheffler wasn’t sharp in the lead up to this year’s Masters, failing to break the Top 10 for three straight tournaments. Then again, his wife was pregnant with their second child. She’s since given birth. When the kid and mother come out healthy, that’s a weight off the shoulders. I’m not saying that’s why Scheffler struggled. I’m saying the distraction is gone. Scheffler has heard the whispers. The competitive juices are flowing. Back in an even year, he’s one step closer to pulling an Arnold Palmer and winning every other year for a third time – he’d need to get to four to catch the King. Scheffler is third in Par 5 scoring on the PGA Tour and should be totally focused on the task at hand.

Longshot

Iain MacMillan: Jacob Bridgeman +8600 (DraftKings)

What if I told you that you can bet on a golfer at 86-1 who's third in the entire field this week in true strokes gained over the past three months? That's exactly what you get with Jacob Bridgeman. 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.

Brian Kirschner: Justin Thomas +7000 (FanDuel)

Look, is Justin Thomas going to win the 2026 Masters after only playing 10 rounds this year? Likely not, but I have seen crazier things happen. JT had an amazing Players Championship, finishing T8 after a poor Bay Hill. He has one of the best short games in the world and isn't that far removed from being one of the best golfers on the PGA Tour last year. I think with fewer expectations this week, JT will have a great finish at Augusta.

Brad Thomas: Adam Scott +7000 (FanDuel)

Scott is a past champion who is playing some really good golf right now. Most golfers in the 60-1 range and up are DOA. Scott at least has the win equity.

Byron Lindeque: Harris English +10000 (DraftKings)

Harris English finished 2nd, T59, 2nd, T12 in the 2025 majors, with his 12th place at Augusta being a career best. Eight of the last nine Masters winners had a second place or win in a prior major, which Harris achieved twice in his last three majors alone, giving us the green light to deploy this underrated major specialist as our longshot this week. He has finished inside the top 30 in all but one of his starts this year, which tells me the major magician has his game under control entering the Masters.

Cody Williams: Corey Conners +10000 (FanDuel)

Corey Conners, who has four Top 10 finishes in his last six starts at Augusta and is coming in off of back-to-back Top 15 finishes on the PGA Tour, is at 100/1 this week? Let’s be clear, I don’t feel great about his chances to win, but I do love putting a bit of visibility on this for a prop or something like that. This feels like a week where one of the players closer to the top of the odds board ends up putting on the Green Jacket, but there are signs that the Canadian could show up well again at The Masters.

Brian Giuffra: Robert MacIntyre +3400 (DraftKings)

First of all, I bet Bobby Mac last week at +4600 odds on DK before the second round of the Texas Open. His odds dropped right after that round. I'm showing you his current odds. Is that a pure longshot? No. Do I think anyone behind him is winning? No. I'm trying to pick winners. Sue me. Getting back to Bobby Mac, this comes down to his approach game, which is spiking at the right time. When his approach game is on, he’s in contention. Last week was a perfect example: he gained over 5.5 strokes on approach and was T2. That’s because his putting, short game, and driving are so consistent. I’m not concerned about nerves (he was nails during his Scottish Open win and dominated at the Ryder Cup). Nor am I concerned about his MC at the Masters last year. He was T12 here in 2021 and T23 in 2022. With drier conditions, as it was in 2021, at Augusta this year, I like MacIntyre to contend again.

First-Round Leader

Iain MacMillan: Min Woo Lee +4000 (BetMGM)

Min Woo Lee is fifth on the PGA Tour in Round 1 scoring average this season at 68.29. His strong iron play lately has been a strong indicator heading into the Masters this year. He averaged +1.52 true strokes with his approach play en route to a T6 finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and then +1.25 true strokes with his iron play in his most recent start, resulting in a T3 finish at the Texas Children's Houston Open.

Brian Kirschner: Si Woo Kim +3500 (FanDuel)

Si Woo has been playing some amazing golf this year and I think he can absolutely get the first-round lead this week at Augusta. He has been one of the best tee-to-green golfers in the world this year and that lends itself well to a spike in round 1. He is now playing in his ninth Masters and I think he has the experience now to start well this year.

Brad Thomas: Bryson DeChambeau +2000 (FanDuel)

Bryson DeChambeau is one of the best first-round golfers at Augusta in Masters history, and he already has two first-round leads. He’ll have my full attention this week. It’s not just the fast starts. He’s one of the best players in the world, and he’s in elite form right now, coming off back-to-back wins on LIV. What stands out even more is how he’s handled Augusta recently. He was the first-round leader in 2024 and followed it with a T5 through 18 holes in 2025. Hard not to back that kind of success.

Byron Lindeque: Justin Rose +3600 (DraftKings)

Rose has cashed this ticket twice at Augusta in his career. Given his spike potential on the greens, it is not surprising he has some of the lowest rounds at Augusta all time. He is a seasoned veteran who can get laser-focused when the biggest moments arrive. In addition to his win at the Farmers earlier this year, Rose has shown us he can level up his game when the lights get brightest at Bethpage Black, sinking putt after putt to bury the Americans’ dreams one perfect stroke at a time.

Cody Williams: Jordan Spieth +4100 (DraftKings)

There hasn’t been remotely enough consistency from Jordan Spieth in recent memory (and I’m talking even round-to-round) to have any kind of investment in him tournament-long. At the same time, his history at Augusta remains impressive, and he’s been playing solidly overall from tee-to-green. It’s not out of the question to see him have an early surge and then get chased down. Either way, let’s feel something and ride the rollercoaster for at least 18 holes on Thursday.

Brian Giuffra: Nicolai Hojgaard +5500 (DraftKings)

People forget Hojgaard held the back nine Sunday lead for a millisecond in 2024. That same year, he opened with 67. He’s in excellent form heading into this year, gaining over 6 strokes on approach and nearly four OTT in a 2nd place finish at the Houston Open. I’m sure some people will bet him as a dark horse. I’ve bet him too many times in the outright market to back him to win it all this week, but I could absolutely see him getting off to a strong start this week on a course where he’s had success in the past.

Prop Bet

Iain MacMillan: Mason Howell Top Amateur +245 (Caesars)

Mason Howell may be the betting favorite, but I still think there’s value on him at +245. He’s already had experience playing in a pro event, missing the cut by a single stroke at the Houston Open. He hasn’t played a ton this year, but the 2025 U.S. Amateur Champion finished third at the Junior Invitational. He’ll be no stranger to pressure, having competed in the Walker Cup and Eisenhower Trophy in 2025.

Brian Kirschner: Jon Rahm Top 10 +140 (Fanatics)

If Jon Rahm is truly the second-best golfer in the world, then he needs to show it this week and contend. He's a past champion, finally won again on LIV and is playing some great golf. Rahm needs to contend in majors again. This is a perfect week for it.

Brad Thomas: Bryson First Round Top 20 -125 (DraftKings)

If I like Bryson DeChambeau to be the first-round leader, it only makes sense to look at his first-round top 20 as well. This is a guy who produces some of the most spike rounds at Augusta National. He starts fast and can go low.

Byron Lindeque: Patrick Reed Top 20 incl. ties +125 (FanDuel)

We are getting plus money with ties on a golfer with five top 20s in his last six Masters appearances. He has two wins, a 2nd and a 10th in his five DPWT tour starts this year. That is all there is to this bet.

Cody Williams: Rory McIlroy Top 10 incl. ties +105 (BetMGM)

Because it’s been 20+ years since we had a back-to-back winner, I certainly don’t feel comfortable backing Rory to put on the Green Jacket again. But let’s also not kid ourselves — there’s a reason why everyone was so shocked that it took him as long as it did to win The Masters, which is that he’s been consistently impressive at Augusta. Since 2014, he’s made 12 starts in this major and has finished inside the Top 10 eight times. If there’s a 2/3 chance, essentially, that we’re betting on and with Rory also still in strong tee-to-green form, getting plus money is too good to pass up.

Brian Giuffra: Gary Woodland to Miss Cut +180 (FanDuel)

Hate to be that guy, and very happy for Woodland to have won the Houston Open, but it feels like that was an apparition and not the new norm. Woodland has missed the cut in four of eight events this year. He missed the cut the last time he played the Masters in 2024. He missed the cut here three of his last five times playing Augusta and six of 11 times overall (not including a WD in 2012. I know he won his last time teeing it up, but this feels like a value bet on someone with a recent and historical trend of missing cuts.

Winning Score Prediction

Iain MacMillan: -8
Brian Kirschner: -13
Brad Thomas: -10
Byron Lindeque: -15
Cody Williams: -9
Brian Giuffra: -10

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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