2024 Masters Matchups Picks: Best Player Matchups To Wager
The 2024 Masters is finally upon us with Thursday’s opening round at Augusta National Golf Club, so we’re featuring The Masters matchup picks based on the odds from our best golf betting sites to identify high-value bets to wager.
The 2024 Masters is the first major of the season, bringing together the world’s best golfers for four days at scenic Augusta National Golf Club. With dogwood tree-lined fairways and blooming azaleas, the course is a sight to behold - but it's also among the most challenging any player will compete in this season.
Undulating doglegged fairways and sloped greens create inconsistent speeds when putting, forcing the top players in the world to utilize a variety of clubs to succeed. Recent winners at this course, including 2023 defending champion Jon Rahm, all had great ball-striking ability to maneuver the angles and tight lies that Augusta presents.
There are a lot of different player matchup markets to target ahead of Round 1 at The Masters, so we’ll focus on three of our favorite bets in several different markets across our best sportsbooks in search for the best values ahead of golf's most storied tournament.
Here are our best Masters matchups picks for Augusta National Golf Club based on the odds from our best sports betting sites (confidence rating based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Masters matchups
- Shane Lowry vs. Akshay Bhatia vs. J.T. Poston 3-Ball Matchup (+125 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Russell Henley vs. Tyrrell Hatton Tournament Matchup (-130 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐
- Will Zalatoris vs. Viktor Hovland vs. Patrick Cantlay vs. Justin Thomas vs. Cameron Smith Group C Matchup (+350 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Shane Lowry vs. Akshay Bhatia vs. J.T. Poston 3-Ball Matchup (+125 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My favorite 3-ball matchup features a group of solid ball-strikers. Shane Lowry is the favorite against Valero winner Akshay Bhatia and J.T. Poston.
Bhatia’s shoulder injury is certainly concerning during his debut at Augusta National, which isn’t kind to newcomers. J.T. Poston ranks 94th in strokes gained on approach this season, so he’s not a massive threat to perform well at The Masters in Round 1 since he hasn’t cracked a top-25 finish in either of his previous appearances.
Lowry ranks fourth-best in strokes gained on approach this season. Even better, he has the second-best scoring average in Round 1 (67.33) on the PGA Tour this season, behind only Patrick Cantlay. The Irishman is available at +125 odds via Caesars to win his 3-ball matchup in Round 1 against Bhatia and Poston, making this a confident, four-star wager that warrants a full unit stake.
Russell Henley vs. Tyrrell Hatton Tournament Matchup (-130 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐
Georgia native Russell Henley is coming off a career-best fourth-place finish at The Masters in 2023. In the tournament matchup market at DraftKings - which pits Henley against Englishman and LIV golfer Tyrrell Hatton - oddsmakers have him favored to yield a lower score after 72 holes at Augusta National this week.
Hatton’s finishes have been mediocre at best during his appearances at The Masters. He’s only managed a top-25 finish once (18th) back in 2021, while Henley has three top-15 finishes in three of his previous four outings at Augusta National.
We’re dealing with a bit of juice on this line at DraftKings, but Henley has never missed a cut at this event. Conversely, Hatton has missed the cut twice and hasn’t fared better than a 34th-place finish since 2021. Henley has finished 31st or better in all six appearances, so this is a great one-unit wager to lay.
The only reason we’re at three stars is due to the -130 odds. However, oddsmakers agree that Hatton winning this tournament matchup is unlikely, which is why he’s sitting at +105 in this market.
Will Zalatoris vs. Viktor Hovland vs. Patrick Cantlay vs. Justin Thomas vs. Cameron Smith Group C Matchup (+350 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My favorite bet in the matchup market has to be Will Zalatoris competing against a star-studded field in his Group C market at FanDuel.
Zalatoris has been phenomenal at Augusta National in two prior outings, finishing runner-up in 2021 and sixth in 2022. A back procedure in 2023 kept the Californian from competing at most events, including The Masters, but he’s looked great in the events he’s played in 2024.
He's already scored a pair of T5 finishes at Genesis and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and he may have won outright at Genesis if not for Hideki Matsuyama’s blistering back-nine performance to seize the win. Zalatoris has won on a big stage before during the FedEx St. Jude Championship in 2022, but he’s also endured five runner-up finishes, always sitting close to the top of the leaderboard by the time Sunday concludes.
Yes, he’s in a difficult group in this market against Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, and Cam Smith, who have all logged at least one top-10 finish at Augusta National. However, Zalatoris’ ball striking is among the best in this group, ranked eighth in strokes gained on approach in 2024.
That advantage is significant at a course like Augusta, so at +350 odds, we’re staking a full unit to maximize our profit and build up bankroll with this bet at FanDuel.
How to bet on golf
Betting on golf involves understanding the various types of bets available and how to assess player performance. First, familiarize yourself with the different types of bets commonly offered in golf. That includes outright winner bets, each-way bets (which cover both a win and a top finish), head-to-head matchups between two players, and proposition bets on specific events within a tournament - such as hole-in-one occurrences or individual player performances on certain holes.
Once you've identified the types of bets you're interested in, research the players, course conditions, recent form, and other relevant factors that could influence outcomes. Pay attention to factors like player statistics, recent tournament performances, course history, and any injuries or changes in form that may affect a player's performance.
Golf betting odds pages
Here are our best golf betting sites:
- Caesars Promo Code: SBRBONUS1000 | Read our Caesars Review
- BetMGM Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetMGM Review
- bet365 Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our bet365 Review
- BetRivers Promo Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetRivers Review
- FanDuel Promo Code | Read our FanDuel Review
- DraftKings Promo Code | Read our DraftKings Review
(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.
Related pages
- Best Sports Betting Sites | Best Sportsbook Promos (U.S. only)
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