Best Bets for the 2023 Masters: Picks & Predictions

Clankety, clankety, clank… The buildup into 2023’s first major has been torturous…like a rollercoaster arduously climbing to the apex before tipping over the edge and plunging into a screaming adrenaline rush. The Masters is Americana. Picture the most perfect golf course, secluded back in the holler. The whispering Georgia Pines and rambling hills still echo with Jack and Arnie, Seve and Tiger. The club is perhaps as exclusive as Heaven itself, with nary an unkempt blade of bentgrass or pine needle left askew. Azaleas abloom with the soothing Brownian buzz of cicadas put the senses on high alert. Augusta National calls us but once a year to detach from the non-golfing world. “Quiet, please.” The Masters has arrived. My weekend is painted green and white with magenta.

90 of the world’s best have gathered on these hallowed grounds at the end of Magnolia Lane. Only the top-50 players with ties will advance to the weekend to play 36 more holes named after the Southeastern flora that grace this 7,500-yard, par-72 track. Golfers will pray that Amen Corner does not derail their chances of donning a green jacket. It will require mastery of the entire golf bag, along with keeping one’s wits about them for 72 holes, in order to visit the Butler Cabin on Easter Sunday.

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2023 Masters Odds, Picks & Predictions

(Odds Courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

Scottie Scheffler (Outright +650 [1u]; Top-5 +150 [1u]; Top-10 -150 [1u])

I firmly believe that Scottie Scheffler is going to win a few more green jackets before his career is over. His game is exactly what is required for this stage. No wonder he made it look so easy last year. There’s no need to sell this pick; Scottie is the best in the world. He drives the ball well and pairs an immaculate short game with a clutch putting stroke. This is also the first time this season that I’m laying negative odds for Scheffler to finish in the top 10.

Adam Scott (-130) vs. Bryson DeChambeau (+105)

Adam Scott, a brilliant golfer from Australia, was formerly ranked No. 1 at the height of his career. Scott has seen success on both the PGA and European Tours in the time since, despite fading from superstardom.

Scott is demonstrating a strong chance to return to form in 2023 on the 10th anniversary of his only victory at The Masters (in 2013; he is still the only Australian to achieve so). Given his putter skills, which are crucial for handling Augusta’s greens, I like for Scott to play well here, specifically in this matchup.

Long thought to be “next up” amongst golf elites, perhaps no LIV defect has been as disappointing as Bryson DeChambeau. In fields of just 48, DeChambeau has no finishes higher than 10th to this point. He should struggle here once again.

Pick: Adam Scott (-130)

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Outright Betting Pick: Dustin Johnson (+2200)

The success of golfers who now reside on LIV Golf is tough to quantify, especially when pitting them against guys who have remained on the PGA Tour in the past 18 months. In his three starts this season, Johnson has placed T-35, 13th, and 7th, but with the variety of different rules and just 48-man fields, it’s impossible to know just how much that means.

That being said, Johnson has been dominating Augusta National for almost ten years and his long-term skill set is about as impressive as it gets. In addition to his victory in 2020, he has seven starts since 2015 and six top-12 finishes. Johnson seems like the right player to roster if you’re ready to take a chance on a LIV golfer.

Kurt Kitayama (Outright +13000 [0.25u]; Top-20 +320 [0.5u])

Statistics can only send us down the right road so far. Where Kurt Kitayama is relatively weak at putting on bentgrass greens and scoring on par-5s, he is a long hitter who excels in proximity to the fairway (especially with long irons) and around the green. His win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational put the top golfers in the world on notice that Kitayama is tough as nails under pressure. A hot putter is the catalyst for the pride of Northern California. If Kitayama is rolling them like he was at Bay Hill, he might have to slide Arnie’s red sweater aside for a green jacket. I’ll bet on this level of talent 100 percent of the time at 130-1.