The primary golf main of the yr begins with the 2025 Masters Event from Thursday by Sunday at Augusta Nationwide in Georgia.
Scottie Scheffler enters the event because the defending champion and the favourite (+475), adopted closed by Rory McIlroy after which Collin Morikawa and Jon Rahm.
Who do our golf specialists assume will win? The place do our betting specialists imagine there may be worth? We break down the favorites and rather more forward of the 2025 Masters.
Soar to a bit:
Experts’ picks to win | Betting roundtable
Consultants’ picks
Matt Barrie
Rory McIlroy: as a result of it is his time.
Tory Barron
Brooks Koepka: Certain, final yr’s Augusta efficiency was uninspired. However that is nonetheless Massive Sport Brooks we’re speaking about. The five-time main champion — who has three top-10 finishes in his previous six Masters begins, together with tying for runner-up in 2019 and 2023 — is at his finest when he is counted out. With all eyes on Scheffler and McIlroy, Koepka lastly provides an elusive inexperienced jacket to his esteemed assortment and is welcomed again to the PGA Tour with open arms (hey, successful is therapeutic).
Jeff Darlington
Justin Thomas: JT received his swagger again in latest months with 4 top-10 finishes in eight begins — and a 62 on the Gamers Championship within the second spherical to make the lower. The timing is true for one in all golf’s finest gamers to say golf’s best prize.
Michael Eaves
Rory McIlroy: He could also be taking part in the perfect golf he is ever performed earlier than attending to Augusta, and his photographs gained stats actually again that up. Golf is about successful although, and along with his victories at Pebble Seashore and the Gamers Championship, he is the one participant with a number of PGA Tour wins this yr. Every of the previous three years, the participant with probably the most wins coming into the Masters gained the inexperienced jacket. In different phrases, the time could not be higher for him to lastly full the profession Grand Slam.
Peter Lawrence-Riddell
Scottie Scheffler: Sure, it hasn’t been the dominant begin to the season we’re used to from Scheffler, however he missed time and was taking part in his method again. Even with a “sluggish” begin, he has nonetheless completed inside the highest 10 in three of his first six tournaments, together with T3 or higher twice. It is solely a matter of time earlier than he wins once more and a spot the place he has achieved it twice previously three years looks as if a great choose.
Andy North
Collin Morikawa: His previous three Masters listed below are his outcomes — T3, T10, Fifth. He is taking part in effectively with a detailed name at Bay Hill. His iron play is nice once more.
Laura Rutledge
McIlroy: I will go Rory!!! He is been taking part in nice golf this season and I imagine the psychological aspect of his recreation is stronger than it is ever been. Good to deliver it dwelling on a Masters Sunday and obtain the profession slam.
Mark Schlabach
McIlroy: In his eleventh strive at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership, Rory will lastly win the Masters and change into solely the sixth golfer to finish the profession Grand Slam. The four-time main champion has waited greater than 10 lengthy years to win one other one, and he’ll get it achieved Sunday. McIlroy comes into the event in nice type, having gained the DP World Tour Championship in November and the AT&T Pebble Seashore Professional-Am and the Gamers on the PGA Tour this season. He drives the ball in addition to anybody on the planet, his iron play has been lights out and his placing is pretty much as good because it has ever been. He’ll should get previous some scar tissue at Augusta Nationwide, however the wait is lastly over.
Marty Smith
McIlroy: It might be argued he is taking part in the perfect golf of his profession, and he instructed me himself that he is probably the most full participant he is ever been. He believes he can depend on each sort of shot with nice confidence, and the momentum with which he enters the Masters — with wins at Pebble and the Gamers — show that out. He instructed me just lately in a sit-down interview that, “That is a really releasing factor to really feel, figuring out that not each single factor needs to be firing to win golf tournaments. I am actually assured, assured in the way in which I’ve began the yr, assured in my capability, and I am as relaxed as I’ve ever been coming into it.” That is the yr. Inexperienced jacket. Profession Grand Slam.
Curtis Unusual
McIlroy and Scheffler in a playoff. After that, all of us win.
Paolo Uggetti
Will Zalatoris: In relation to Augusta Nationwide, few gamers have the early profession monitor report that Zalatoris does. In three begins, Zalatoris’ worst end is a tie for ninth. The primary time he performed the occasion in 2021, he completed in second place and he is additionally received seven top-10 finishes in majors in 15 appearances. His again harm has stunted the arc of his profession, however now that he is wholesome he undoubtedly has the sport to win right here.
Scott Van Pelt
McIlroy: Mixture of type, preparation and timing. Generally it is only a man’s time. I imagine that is his.
David Wilson
Bryson DeChambeau: Final yr, he posted the bottom spherical of his Masters profession with a first-round 65, the start of a season through which he gained the U.S. Open, was runner-up on the PGA Championship and had three prime 10s in 4 begins. DeChambeau stated he is grown off the course from his notorious “par 67” remark in 2020, primarily saying Augusta was simple; now perhaps he is discovered sufficient on the course to win.
Betting roundtable
Who’s your choose to win?
David Gordon, ESPN Analysis
Winner: Morikawa (+1400)
Morikawa is the proper mixture of present type and previous success at Augusta, which feels similar to Jon Rahm‘s mixture forward of his first Masters win in 2023. Morikawa is the PGA Tour’s chief in strokes gained: method this season, and he is hit probably the most fairways of any participant at Augusta over the previous 5 years. Morikawa has been inside the highest 15 on the leaderboard after every of his previous 11 Masters rounds with final finishes of fifth, T10 and T3 in his previous three Masters.
Tyler Fulghum, ESPN BET Stay host
Winner: McIlroy (+600)
It is time. Rory has been chasing an elusive inexperienced jacket for greater than a decade. He is had quite a lot of shut calls in that point — often by the again door. That is the yr I believe it lastly occurs for the Irishman. He is already gained twice in 2025 at Pebble Seashore and the Gamers. I do not love this worth preflop, so what I might recommend doing is to purchase McIlroy after Spherical 1 or 2 hoping his odds have gotten a bit of longer earlier than a weekend cost. Rory is prepared. It is time.
Pamela Maldonado, betting analyst
Winner: Morikawa (+1400)
He is trending in all the proper methods — seemingly figuring Augusta out yr by yr. Morikawa would not want a scorching putter to win, only a impartial one. His irons are dialed, his confidence is constructing, and the rain-softened greens Friday? Benefit Morikawa. He is received the most important pedigree, the self-discipline, the course historical past and now the shape. You do not want a flashy recreation at Augusta. You want precision. Management. Poise. He has all three. That is the yr the puzzle items fall into place. The jacket matches.
Anita Marks, ESPN betting analyst
Winner: McIlroy (+600)
There are two metrics I am placing quite a lot of religion in to handicap a winner. The final 4 winners at Augusta have been ranked first or second in strokes gained: tee to inexperienced. McIlroy comes into the Masters second in that class and sixth in driving distance. Climate situations are anticipated to be good, sunny, little wind and temperatures within the 70s … excellent to grip and rip! Rory could have a bonus attending to the par 5s in two.
Who’s your favourite guess to make the Prime 10?
Gordon: Sepp Straka (+525)
Straka is one in all two gamers ranked contained in the Prime 10 in each fairways hit and greens in regulation on the PGA Tour this season, and the one different is among the many betting favorites to win (Morikawa). The +525 is a good worth for somebody with a win this season plus two top-10 finishes in signature occasions (T-Seventh at Pebble Seashore, T-Fifth at Bay Hill). His career-best T-Sixteenth got here eventually yr’s Masters and he is now taking part in at Augusta for the 4th time.
Fulghum: Sergio Garcia (+600)
The 2017 Masters champ enters the 2025 event in nice type, although you will not be conscious because it has come on the LIV Tour. Garcia has three top-six finishes in 5 begins this yr, together with a win at LIV Golf Hong Kong. In accordance with Ron Klos (@PGASplits101 on X), Garcia has gained 22.1 strokes tee-to-green in his final 4 occasions.
Maldonado: Corey Conners (+800)
He is arriving in peak type — six-plus strokes gained tee to inexperienced in a number of begins, and the putter is not holding him again as a lot. His Augusta historical past says he can thrive right here: three straight prime 10s earlier than two down years brought on by chilly placing and shaky irons. Now? He is sharper. He is not a significant contender, however for a Prime 10, that is precisely the profile. Friday’s rain softens the greens — benefit ball strikers. The chance is all the time the putter. But when the irons keep scorching and he holds it collectively across the greens, he is a stable threat.
Marks: Russell Henley (+380)
Henley beforehand completed T4 right here in 2023, and sports activities three prime 15s at Augusta. A Georgia native who’s having a implausible yr, he gained Bay Hill and has been ending within the prime 10 continuously. His recreation has no flaws in the meanwhile, and I plan to see him close to the highest of the leaderboard come Sunday.
Fulghum: Prime American golfer (+270)
Scheffler’s pricing is so costly in each market, it is actually arduous to guess him. Right here, nevertheless, we get a good +270 return to be simply the highest American within the event. I am going to chew. We all know he is the most definitely participant of any nationality to win the event, so we get that win fairness, however we additionally eradicate the outcomes of different contenders similar to Rory, Rahm, Ludvig Åberg and Joaquín Niemann. If you wish to take the same method as I’m to Rory and guess Scheffler after Spherical 1 or 2 hoping his odds get longer, I’ve no downside with that both.
Gordon: To complete the primary spherical Inside the highest 10 (+162)
I agree with Tyler — it is arduous to search out methods to guess Scheffer. I believe that is one in all them, as Scheffler’s completed inside the highest 10 in 10 of his previous 12 Masters rounds (83%). Plus, he is been sixth or higher after the opening spherical in every of the previous three Masters. I perceive this worth given he is completed the opening spherical contained in the Prime 10 simply as soon as in six begins on Tour this season, however he is additionally been very near this threshold quite a few occasions — tied for eleventh by 18 holes at Bay Hill, tied for 14th by 18 holes in his final begin in Houston.
Maldonado: To complete the primary spherical Inside the highest 10 (+162)
I believed I used to be being intelligent with this wager after which I noticed Gordon. Scheffler’s ballstriking is outrageous. He is doing all of the heavy lifting along with his irons, and even when the putter disappears, he finds a technique to hold round. That is the story with him — risky quick recreation, however a flooring that is nonetheless prime 10. Gentle greens Friday assist take stress off the putter, and when you’re betting on something, it is probably the most dependable tee-to-green recreation in golf. He is in type. He is gained right here. And he would not want a scorching putter to contend — simply the remainder of his recreation, which exhibits up each single week.
Who’re your favourite lengthy photographs/worth bets (to illustrate 50-1 or longer)
Gordon: Cameron Young (+17500)
Maybe the primary main on the calendar will get Younger to get up from this nightmare of a begin to the season. Whereas 175-1 is warranted for somebody with Younger’s profile — 156th in strokes gained: tee to inexperienced this season, and 4 missed cuts in his previous six begins — Younger was 50-1 to win the Masters only a yr in the past and has the power to show it on, or snap out of it, in a heartbeat. He completed T18th on the Valero Texas Open this previous week.
Fulghum: Phil Mickelson (+10000)
I’m all the time keen to provide Mickelson an opportunity to contend at this course. He is aware of it higher than anybody else within the discipline. Lefty’s recreation is unquestionably not as persistently sharp because it was when he was on the Tour, however that issues little for a participant along with his expertise. He completed T2 at The Masters simply two years in the past! His +10000 odds implies a 1% probability that Lefty can win it. I believe that is shorting his true likelihood which is giving anybody who bets him at 100-to-1 some worth on the ticket.
Maldonado: Robert MacIntyre (+5500)
Bobby Mac is trending on the proper time. The Augusta pattern measurement is small, nevertheless it’s stable with two Prime 25 finishes. Since his again harm in late 2024, he is seemed sharper with every begin, gaining on method, and ballstriking up, with confidence returning. He would not should be excellent — simply regular. And for a participant who would not flinch, this course, on this setup, fits him simply high quality. Prime 20 (+150) is how I’d really wager on Mac, however +5500 is a great dart.
Are there some other bets that stand out to you?
Gordon: Russell Henley over Patrick Cantlay (Full event matchup: +100)
Henley might be amongst my outright alternatives, and was almost my favourite guess to complete within the Prime 10, however I really like this matchup as one other technique to play the 35-year previous with three Prime-15 finishes in his final 5 Masters appearances. Henley is within the midst of the perfect season of his profession with 4 Prime-10 finishes already (tied for probably the most on Tour) together with his win at Bay Hill. Cantlay is understandably a brief favourite on this matchup however has only one Prime-15 end within the final 5 Masters.
Fulghum: Max Homa to overlook the lower (-115)
Even on this smaller discipline, I am undecided how anybody can have a lot confidence in Homa proper now. He actually would not seem to have a lot confidence in his personal recreation. Homa has did not get to the weekend in 5 straight occasions, together with two signature occasions which have related lower guidelines to the Masters — the Arnold Palmer Invite and the Genesis Invitational. I am fading Homa each method doable this week.
Maldonado: Tyrell Hatton to make the lower: No (+240)
Augusta would not reward fireplace — it punishes it. Hatton is a stress cooker: risky and infrequently strolling the tightrope between brilliance and blowup. He would not simply play golf — he reacts to it. And that is exactly the place Augusta Nationwide tightens the screws. This course would not care about your fireplace — it calls for persistence. Hatton has the expertise to contend however Augusta would not all the time care about expertise. He is misplaced strokes off the tee in seven consecutive tournaments, whereas his quick recreation has been inconsistent. If he begins sluggish this week, do not count on a rally. Anticipate fireworks – the flawed variety.
Marks: Prime American golfer — Collin Morikawa (+800)
Morikawa ranks first on tour in strokes gained: tee to inexperienced — once more, a very powerful metric to win at Augusta. He has completed within the prime 10 his previous three journeys, and now has the course information to deliver dwelling a inexperienced jacket.
