Masters 2026 Betting Preview: Favorites, Predictions, & Best Bets

Scottie Scheffler (+650)

Scheffler has been on a special run over the last three years. Since the 2024 season, he’s won 14 tournaments in three majors: Masters, PGA Championship, and Open Championship. His red-hot run includes an Olympic gold medal and 183 weeks atop the OWGR rankings.

Although Scheffler’s recent results haven’t quite met his usual standards, he did win The American Express earlier this year. The 29-year-old finished inside the top 10 in 18 consecutive tournaments before that streak ended at Riviera Country Club in The Genesis Invitational.

That said, it’s no surprise that Scheffler remains the betting favorite to win the Masters.

Recent Form

Scheffler will look to get back to his usual dominant form after back-to-back finishes outside the top 20 — arguably the most surprising development of his season so far.

Even so, he opened the year in elite fashion, posting finishes of 1st, T3, and T4. The key question now is whether this brief downturn will carry over to Augusta National.

Given his outstanding history there, I don’t expect it to. Scheffler has won two of the last four Masters and recorded four straight top-10 finishes at Augusta, so it would be no surprise to see him right back in the thick of contention.

Scottie Scheffler Stats: 2025 vs. 2026

In 2025, Scheffler’s metrics jumped off the page. He dominated three key categories, leading the PGA TOUR in SG: Total, SG: Tee-to-Green, and SG: Off-the-Tee. It translated into an incredible season that included 12 top-5 finishes.

Through his first six starts this year, Scheffler’s numbers have cooled slightly, but they’re still among the best on TOUR. The one area that stands out as a concern is his iron play. After leading the TOUR in SG: Approach-the-Green last season, he now sits just 80th in that category, a notable drop-off in one of his traditional strengths.

Ball-striking machine 😮‍💨

Scottie Scheffler's seventh birdie of the day gives him a three-shot lead @TheAmExGolf.

📺 Golf Channel pic.twitter.com/R4vtgUkc90

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 25, 2026

Note that he doesn’t have a total SG: Tee-to-Green score of 18+ in his last four tournaments, so he doesn’t satisfy the trend of 13 straight winners reaching that mark. In any event, everyone knows how dangerous Scheffler can be and he is certainly capable of flipping a switch and catching fire at the right moment.

Bryson DeChambeau (+1200)

With DeChambeau now in LIV Golf, he still returns to the PGA Tour for the major championships. He spoiled the party for Tour players at the 2024 U.S. Open, capturing the title by one stroke over Rory McIlroy.

At the 2025 Masters, DeChambeau again put himself in contention, turning in a strong performance that earned him a T5 finish. He came even closer in the next major, finishing T2 at the PGA Championship.

In other words, DeChambeau has shown he can handle the pressure and sky‑high expectations that come with facing his former PGA Tour peers. If his recent form in LIV is any indication, he looks ready to make a serious run at Augusta National.

Recent Form

DeChambeau is about as hot as a golfer can get right now. He’s coming off back-to-back wins and has finished inside the top three in three of his last four LIV Golf starts.

Yes, the competition in LIV isn’t as deep as on the PGA Tour, but this run is impressive regardless. DeChambeau has repeatedly shown he’s one of the best players in the world and that he can step away from the LIV schedule and immediately contend in PGA Tour events.

THAT WINNING FEELING 😍@brysondech is in tears after a dramatic victory in South Africa 🇿🇦#LIVGolfSouthAfrica | @Crushers_GC pic.twitter.com/QOALzDMuuE

— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) March 22, 2026

In 2025, the now 32-year-old went T10, MC, T2, and T5 in his four majors, just a year after winning the U.S. Open as a LIV member. With no starts scheduled between his March 22 win in South Africa and Augusta, DeChambeau should arrive at the Masters both fresh and fully prepared.

Bryson DeChambeau Stats: 2025 vs. 2026

Bryson DeChambeau has maintained a steady level of play over the past two years in LIV Golf events, but he’s taken a notable step forward in key areas this season. His greens in regulation (GIR%) have jumped from 69.19% to 76.94%, giving him far more birdie looks and allowing his putter to shine.

In 2026, DeChambeau ranks T4 with an average of 1.55 putts per green in regulation, a slight improvement over last year’s 1.57. As mentioned earlier, SG: Tee-to-Green is one of the most important indicators when trying to identify a Masters champion. While LIV doesn’t publish this metric, his 76.94% GIR strongly suggests a robust tee-to-green profile.

Backing that up, DeChambeau recorded a cumulative SG: Tee-to-Green of 26.88 over his last four PGA Tour starts, the second-best mark among all players in majors last season. In my view, that’s a significant edge and should carry considerable weight when evaluating the Masters 2026 betting odds.

Rory McIlroy (+1400)

The Northern Irishman has dropped from +1100 to win the 2026 Masters. Oddsmakers don’t expect him to defend his title, but they still view him as one of the favorites.

Rory McIlroy finally claimed a green jacket, ending a majors drought that lasted more than a decade after multiple close calls. The victory was a much-needed addition to his Hall of Fame resume as McIlroy completed the Grand Slam, becoming the sixth player in history to capture all four majors.

Everything led to this moment. Rory McIlroy: The Masters Wait is now streaming. pic.twitter.com/jac091zDOh

— Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) March 30, 2026

However, McIlroy is currently dealing with a back injury. He played through it at THE PLAYERS Championship a week before he struggled and withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational before the third round. It remains to be seen whether a brief break will be enough for him to return to full health in time.

Recent Form

Before the injury, McIlroy was in top form and playing excellent golf. He followed a solid T14 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am with a runner-up T2 finish at The Genesis Invitational, where he and Kurt Kitayama ended up just one stroke behind Jacob Bridgeman.

His week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational was also on track until a back injury hampered him ahead of the third round. The 2025 Masters winner was able to find his stroke in a tough T46 showing in his latest start in THE PLAYERS Championship.

McIlroy maintains that he’s now 100% healthy, but the concern is that the injury could linger and potentially resurface at Augusta National. Still, if he shows no ill effects, he remains a formidable contender.

Rory McIlroy Stats: 2025 vs. 2026

McIlroy has improved in nearly all major stats from last season. Despite dealing with an injury and a poor finish in his most recent start, he leads the PGA Tour in SG: Tee-to-Green and ranks 2nd in SG: Off-the-Tee.

On top of that, he’s 4th in SG: Total and 10th in SG: Approach the Green, putting him inside the top 10 in four key categories. The one glaring weakness? His putting. With a mark of -0.148, McIlroy sits below the PGA Tour average in SG: Putting.

Last season, a big reason he won the Masters was that he solved his putting and came through with clutch strokes on the greens. After struggling with the flat stick in recent years, he finally turned it into a strength in 2025. This season, that edge has disappeared.

Still, leading the field in SG: Tee-to-Green is an excellent sign given Augusta’s demands. If McIlroy is going to capture back-to-back green jackets, he’ll need to be at least an above-average putter.