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2026 Masters Picks & Predictions: Akshay Bhatia

Author image by Pat Fitzmaurice | Apr 6, 2026
Author image by Pat Fitzmaurice | Apr 6, 2026
2026 Masters Picks & Predictions: Akshay Bhatia

The best golfers in the world will be in Augusta, Georgia, this week for the first major of the year, The Masters. We’re going to share our top 2026 Masters picks and predictions.

Augusta National Golf Club is simultaneously a feast for the eyes and a stern test of golfing acumen. The Georgia pines and blooming azaleas highlight Augusta's beauty, but this world-renowned course demands precise ballstriking and short-game excellence.

Rory McIlroy had an epic victory at last year's Masters to earn his first Green Jacket. Can he successfully defend his title, or will the No. 1 player in the world, Scottie Scheffler, win at Augusta for the third time in five years? PGA Tour stars Ludvig Aberg and Xander Schauffele are looking for a career-altering victory, and big-hitting LIV Tour stalwarts Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau will be in the hunt.

Welcome to the fifth annual BettingPros Guide to The Masters. We'll take a deep dive into the field, taking a closer look at the players contending for the coveted Green Jacket. Which players provide betting value and which are bad bets? Read on.

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2026 Masters Picks & Predictions: Akshay Bhatia

Stats to Know

  • Odds to Win: +6600
  • World Ranking: 20
  • Best Masters finish: 35 (2024)
  • Last two Masters finishes: 35, 42
  • Last four tournament finishes: 16, 1, 13, MC

Course History

The 24-year-old Bhatia has made two previous Masters appearances, finishing 35th in his 2024 debut and 42nd last year. He has a scoring average of 73.25 over eight rounds at Augusta National. He’s broken par in two of those rounds but has yet to shoot a round in the 60s at The Masters.

Recent Form

Bhatia was red-hot earlier this year. After missing the cut in his first two tournaments of 2026, he finished third at the Phoenix Open, then took sixth at the following week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. After finishing top 20 at the Genesis Invitational, Bhatia won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, conquering the challenging layout at Bay Hill in Orlando. Bhatia followed up his victory with a 13th-place finish at the Players Championship. His only appearance since then was a missed cut at the DP World Tour’s Hero Indian Open late last month.

Check out all of our Masters golfer profiles and full betting guide >>

2026 Masters Outlook & Predictions

If Bhatia can recapture the form the showed in February and early March, he could contend at Augusta. His swashbuckling style would seem to fit the course well. Bhatia isn’t a particularly good driver of the ball, but he’s a good iron player and has been terrific with his broomstick putter, ranking ninth in strokes gained putting. Although he didn’t do much in his two previous Masters appearances, perhaps this is the time for one of the best young players in the game to make his breakthrough at Augusta.

Betting Outlook: 2026 Masters Picks

There’s a case to be made that Bhatia offers some betting value at 66-1 for an outright. I’d rather go big on betting Bhatia to win instead of nibbling with a top-10 or top-20 bet.

More Individual Golfer Previews, 2026 Masters Picks & Predictions