The first Major of the year is upon us and for golf fans this year’s Masters is definitely one to look forward to. Tiger Woods is on fire, Rory McIlroy is ramping up and parity on the PGA TOUR has become tangible.<\/p>\n
2013 The Masters<\/strong> Defending Champion<\/strong>: Bubba Watson ($1,440,000)<\/p>\n Augusta National proved typically difficult last year when Bubba and the Pink Driver broke through. Patience, experience and an ability to seize the few opportunities one gets at Augusta is key – you simply can’t depend on winning the tournament on the par 4s – scoring on the par 5s is essential. A hot putter is also absolutely crucial.<\/p>\n So let’s take a look at the names to watch in the stellar field at Augusta.<\/p>\n The Favorites:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Tiger Woods 3\/1<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s pretty hard to bet against Mr. Woods right now he is a four times a winner at Augusta National but not since 2005 with 15 top 25s, 10 of which are top fives. He has won three times on TOUR already this year and is the #1 ranked golfer in the world. He\u2019s swinging better, his short game is better, his putting is as good as ever thanks to Steve Stricker and his swagger is back. He will at very least contend this weekend for sure.<\/p>\n Rory McIlroy 8\/1<\/strong><\/p>\n Finally had a good performance with his new clubs – a solo second at the Valero Texas Open where he co-led the field in both greens in regulation and par breakers. He\u2019s had a lot of changes since he played here last year and may be finally adjusting. He is certainly trending upward but is a tad difficult to trust at this point in time \u2013 don\u2019t you think?<\/p>\n Phil Mickelson 10\/1<\/strong><\/p>\n Has three wins here and seven top fives and he already has a win on TOUR this year. His iron play will keep him in contention again, that much is almost assured but he is still working on a new putting grip \u2013 Augusta is no place to be tinkering. While I like Phil\u2019s game, I am not sure it is at where it needs to be to get himself another Green Jacket this weekend.<\/p>\n The Contenders:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Justin Rose 20\/1<\/strong><\/p>\n Hasn\u2019t played since a solo second three weeks ago at Bay Hill. He has twelve straight top 25s worldwide and has five top 25s in seven starts at the Masters. He is a premier ball striker and his putting is the most improved part of his game \u2013 good signs going into the Masters. If he can play as well on the weekend at Augusta as he does on the weekdays, Rose could emerge victorious this week.<\/p>\n Charl Schwartzel 22\/1<\/strong><\/p>\n Won the Masters in 2011 and has 12 straight top 25s worldwide heading into the weekend. The dude has the all around game and the demeanor to get it done again this week. He is currently 17th on TOUR in strokes gained-putting and second in adjusted scoring and enters this week as one of the hottest golfers on the planet. Leaving Schwartzel off of your short-list would certainly be a mistake!<\/p>\n Lee Westwood 25\/1<\/strong><\/p>\n Westy has to win a major sometime! In his last three trips to Augusta National, he’s placed second (2010), T11 (2011) and T3 (2012) \u2013 close but no cigar! He is coming off a T10 at the Shell Houston Open in his tune-up for the Masters and will certainly be among the hungriest golfers in the field.<\/p>\n Louis Oosthuizen 25\/1<\/strong><\/p>\n Lost last year`s Masters in a playoff after leading the field in both total driving and par-4 scoring average. He will be out for revenge and he looks good after a T10 at the Shell Houston Open where he was 10 under on the par 5s – that\u2019s where you have to excel at Augusta! Remember the double eagle at the second hole in the final round last year? Incredible! He`s already got one Major under his belt and is a good bet to win a Masters one day \u2013 just maybe not this year!<\/p>\n Dustin Johnson 25\/1<\/strong><\/p>\n His power will definitely be an asset at Augusta but his putting still leaves a little to be desired. He hasn`t quite emerged like many thought he would this year despite having all the tools.<\/p>\n Adam Scott 28\/1<\/strong><\/p>\n He finished T2 here in 2011 and T8 last year and will certainly be motivated in the first Major of this year after melting down in the last Major of last year. He has been OK this year but not at the level most think necessary in order to contend here at this point in time.<\/p>\n Keegan Bradley 28\/1<\/strong><\/p>\n Has four straight top 10s heading into the Masters and is a sexy pick to win it all this week. He is sixth on TOUR in adjusted scoring and 11th in the all-around and he led the field in distance off the tee in his debut at last year’s Masters on his way to a 27th place finish. He can hit it high, he can hit it long and he is one of the better putters in the game \u2013 perfect for this track. Add in the fact that he has succeeded already in a Major in winning the PGA and he has to be in the conversation. He`s had the benefit of being tutored by Phil Mickelson to make up for the lack of experience on this track. I, like many like Bradley`s chances this week for a good finish.<\/p>\n Matt Kuchar 33\/1<\/strong><\/p>\n Led last year’s Masters and co-led the field in both greens hit and par-4 scoring average and is coming off a T22 in the Valero Texas Open. This man has ice in his veins and the all around game to make some noise this weekend.<\/p>\n Bubba Watson 33\/1<\/strong><\/p>\n Is the defending champion here but hasn`t quite found the form that made him a force last year. He has recorded 14 top 20s since his Masters win and is coming off a T14 at Bay Hill. He is sixth on TOUR in greens hit and second in par-4 scoring. If you think that he can turn on the switch this week take a shot \u2013 I don`t trust him to repeat!<\/p>\n Luke Donald 33\/1<\/strong><\/p>\n Mr. Donald certainly has been quiet this year but he does have three top 10s among six cuts made in eight appearances at Augusta National. His short game puts him on the radar but the fact that he hasn`t won on TOUR in over a year makes me steer away from him this week.<\/p>\n Hunter Mahan 40\/1<\/strong><\/p>\n Has three top 12 finishes in the last four Masters but is coming off a rare missed cut at the Shell Houston Open \u2013 a course similar to Augusta. He is 17th on TOUR in greens in regulation, 18th in strokes gained-putting and 42nd in adjusted scoring but isn`t exactly lighting it up at the moment.<\/p>\n Ian Poulter 40\/1<\/strong><\/p>\n We all know about his putter and how he responds to pressure so we can`t count Poulter out this week! This guy hasn`t missed a cut since 2011 outside of the FedEx playoffs and seems to raise the level of his game the bigger the stage. [soliloquy id=”82219″]<\/p>\n The Sleepers:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Jason Day 50\/1<\/strong><\/p>\n Has played very well this year – 7-for-7 to start 2013 with a trio of top 10s and he did finish T2 at this event in 2011. He was forced to withdraw last year with an injury but enters this year with a ton of confidence and the game to challenge the favorites.<\/p>\n Graeme McDowell 50\/1<\/strong><\/p>\n Has three top 10s in five starts already this season and he finished T-12 or better in every major last year, including at T-2 at the U.S. Open. He had top 20 finishes at the Masters in 2009 and 2012 and like Lee Westwood is overdue for a Majors Championship win.<\/p>\n Jim Furyk 50\/1<\/strong><\/p>\n Finished T3 at the Valero Texas Open and ranked T5 in fairways hit and third in greens in regulation in that event. In 16 appearances at Augusta he has 10 top 25s but has yet to break through with a win.<\/p>\n Bill Haas 75\/1<\/strong><\/p>\n Has finished 26th, 42nd and 37th in three appearances here but comes into this year`s Masters with five top-10s in nine starts this year, including in his past two starts. He is third in greens in regulation on TOUR and 14th in scrambling \u2013 perfect attributes for this track.<\/p>\n The Pick:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n The pick this week ain\u2019t sexy \u2013 it\u2019s smart! Tiger Woods at 3\/1<\/strong> enters red hot \u2013 his putter, his short game and his driver are all looking great. When Tiger has his mojo he is a scary man!<\/p>\n My sleeper is Jason Day at 50\/1<\/strong>. He has been one of the more consistent golfers on TOUR and he has a good history at Augusta.<\/p>\n TIGER WOODS 3\/1 PGA Betting \u2013 Masters Predictions The first Major of the year is upon us and for golf fans this year’s Masters is definitely one to look forward to. Tiger Woods is on fire, Rory McIlroy is ramping up and parity on the PGA TOUR has become tangible. 2013 The Masters Location: Augusta, Georgia, United States […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":36560,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[58807,58808,58809,58810,16692,528,28024,1676,534,10988,6794,980,10989,27320,11245,11246,27034,47938,27318,47940,27319],"class_list":["post-61582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pga-golf","tag-2013-the-masters-betting-odds","tag-2013-the-masters-picks","tag-2013-the-masters-tee-times","tag-augusta","tag-free-golf-picks","tag-golf-betting-picks","tag-golf-handicapping","tag-golf-odds","tag-golf-predictions","tag-pga-betting-picks","tag-pga-odds","tag-pga-picks","tag-pga-predictions","tag-pga-the-masters-picks","tag-pga-tour-golf-preview","tag-pga-tournament-picks","tag-the-masters","tag-the-masters-odds","tag-the-masters-pga-odds","tag-the-masters-predictions","tag-the-masters-preview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61582","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61582"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61582\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61595,"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61582\/revisions\/61595"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n Location: Augusta, Georgia, United States<\/strong>
\n Course: Augusta National<\/strong>
\n Date: Apr 11-14, 2013<\/strong>
\n Total Purse: US $ 8,000,000<\/strong>
\n Winner’s Share: US $ 1,440,000 (18% of total purse)<\/strong>
\n Odds: Bovada<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nOur Updated FULL Field Masters Open odds (Click to bet today)<\/h3>\n
\nRORY McILROY 8\/1
\nPHIL MICKELSON 10\/1
\nLUKE DONALD 30\/1
\nLEE WESTWOOD 25\/1
\nADAM SCOTT 25\/1
\nJUSTIN ROSE 20\/1
\nBUBBA WATSON 35\/1
\nDUSTIN JOHNSON 25\/1
\nJASON DUFNER 40\/1
\nRICKIE FOWLER 50\/1
\nHUNTER MAHAN 35\/1
\nMATT KUCHAR 30\/1
\nKEEGAN BRADLEY 25\/1
\nLOUIS OOSTHUIZEN 25\/1
\nCHARL SCHWARTZEL 25\/1
\nJASON DAY 50\/1
\nWEBB SIMPSON 50\/1
\nNICK WATNEY 50\/1
\nSTEVE STRICKER 40\/1
\nGRAEME McDOWELL 40\/1
\nERNIE ELS 125\/1
\nPADRAIG HARRINGTON 60\/1
\nSERGIO GARCIA 40\/1
\nIAN POULTER 40\/1
\nBO VAN PELT 80\/1
\nPETER HANSON 80\/1
\nZACH JOHNSON 100\/1
\nJIM FURYK 60\/1
\nMARTIN KAYMER 80\/1
\nBRANDT SNEDEKER 25\/1
\nBILL HAAS 60\/1
\nFRANCESCO MOLINARI 150\/1
\nNICOLAS COLSAERTS 100\/1
\nK.J. CHOI 60\/1
\nMARTIN LAIRD 80\/1
\nCARL PETTERSSON 200\/1
\nHENRIK STENSON 50\/1
\nMATTEO MANASSERO 150\/1
\nFRED COUPLES 150\/1
\nJOHN SENDEN 200\/1
\nFREDRIK JACOBSON 100\/1
\nDAVID TOMS 200\/1
\nBEN CURTIS 250\/1
\nPAUL LAWRIE 250\/1
\nTHOMAS BJORN 250\/1
\nROBERT GARRIGUS 125\/1
\nSCOTT PIERCY 150\/1
\nVIJAY SINGH 150\/1
\nANGEL CABRERA 80\/1
\nTREVOR IMMELMAN 200\/1
\nTIM CLARK 200\/1
\nRYO ISHIKAWA 250\/1
\nTHORBJORN OLESEN 150\/1
\nRYAN MOORE 125\/1
\nY.E. YANG 200\/1
\nKEVIN NA 250\/1
\nBRANDEN GRACE 150\/1
\nSTEWART CINK 150\/1
\nMARC LEISHMAN 300\/1
\nLUCAS GLOVER 150\/1
\nTED POTTER, JR 500\/1
\nDARREN CLARKE 300\/1
\nMICHAEL THOMPSON 250\/1
\nJOHN PETERSON 500\/1
\nDAVID LYNN 300\/1
\nJOSE MARIA OLAZABAL 500\/1
\nBERNHARD LANGER 500\/1
\nMIKE WEIR 500\/1
\nTOM WATSON 1000\/1
\nALAN DUNBAR 2000\/1
\nFIELD (all others) 20\/1<\/p>\nVIEW OUR TOP CAPPERS PICKS FOR ALL SPORTS – EVERY SINGLE DAY 24\/7 \u2014\u2013><\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"