2024 The Masters Free Picks, Predictions and DFS Lineup April 11-14
2024 The Masters Betting Preview
WagerTalk golf handicapper Andy Lang offers his thoughts on The 2024 Masters teeing off from Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, GA. Andy discusses his DraftKings Darlings, golfers to who can trip you up and the course and more surrounding The Masters starting April 11th!
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| 2024 The Masters | 2024 The Masters Betting Notes |
|---|---|
| When: | April 11-14 |
| Where: | Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, GA |
| Defending Champ: | Jon Rahm |
| Current Favorite: | Scottie Scheffler (+450 at DraftKings) |
| TV: | ESPN, CBS |
2024 The Masters: Augusta National Golf Club
One of the most beautiful courses in the world, Augusta presents golfers with the ultimate test as players will have to make aggressive and ambitious shots on some holes and patient and conservative shots on other holes.
The winner will have to be great in all aspects of the game… driving, irons, scrambling, and putting. The greens are very fast with massive breaks and undulations so knowing the speed and nuances of the greens are important.
The greens have well-mowed run-offs so every player will have to scramble multiple times, and getting up and downs are essential and difficult here.
Approaches need to confidently hit the green, but they also need to hit the correct part of the green as pin placements completely change the holes. Approach shots that hit the green, but land on the wrong tier can easily bring 3 or 4 putts into play.
Driving the ball differs from hole to hole as accuracy is needed, but not driving it long on some holes will create a long and difficult approach. The grain is against the players on drives and irons so don’t expect much roll from the ball on drives.
Getting birdies on the Par 5s is essential. Players cannot win this tournament without success on these birdie holes as the Par 3s and Par 4s are difficult. The weather is going to be a problem at the start of this tournament though.
Thursday looks to have thunderstorms and wind in the forecast as of now, especially in the morning. The rain will go away, but the wind will remain for Thursday afternoon and Friday. Monitor the weather close, and check on tee times.
Favorite Holes
11-White Dogwood Par 4 520 yards
The second hardest hole where par is a solid score, the tee shot is left to right, and it goes downhill if players hit their drive properly.
The approach is treacherous as water hugs the green on the left side, and a bunker is far and right. Wayward tee shots and approaches spell disaster on this hole so players will look to get a par and move on.
15-Firethorn Par 5 550 yards
The 2nd easiest hole provides plenty of birdie opportunities as it’s reachable in two, but the approach must clear the water in front, and a tough bunker is on the right.
As long as players hit the fairway on their tee shot, a birdie is a likely outcome, and the winner of the tournament will probably need to play this hole -3 or even better this week.
18-Holly Par 4 465 yards
I love this final hole. It’s such a narrow window on the tee shot that anything besides perfectly straight will spell trouble. It’s uphill, and with winds expected on Thursday and Friday, this hole is going to be a sweat for players on the cut line.
Bunkers are tough to get up and down from depending on the pin location, and it’s the best final hole in golf in my opinion.
The Masters Field
It’s the best of the best for this week as the LIV guys will join the PGA guys. Scheffler is the favorite with McIlroy, Rahm, Schauffele and Koepka behind him.
The Cut
After two rounds, the top 65 and ties advance to the weekend. There used to be a caveat where anyone within 10 shots of the lead made the cut, but that rule is not in effect anymore.
Top 10 Total Strokes Gained Last 3 Months (PGA, LIV, DP World Tour)
- Scottie Scheffler 3.16
- Xander Schauffele 2.48
- Jaquin Niemann 2.31
- Jon Rahm 2.25
- Wyndham Clark 1.98
- Rory McIlroy 1.96
- Sahith Theegala 1.78
- Sam Burns 1.76
- Ludvig Aberg 1.71
- Bryson Dechambeau 1.65
Top 10 Total Strokes Gained 2019-Present Masters
- Will Zalatoris 3.50 (8 rounds)
- Jon Rahm 2.92 (20 rounds)
- Sahith Theegala 2.81 (4 rounds)
- Scottie Scheffler 2.79 (16 rounds)
- Xander Schauffele 2.37 (18 rounds)
- Hideki Matsuyama 2.27 (20 rounds)
- Brooks Koepka 2.24 (16 rounds)
- Russell Henley 2.23 (8 rounds)
- Dustin Johnson 2.20 (18 rounds)
- Cameron Smith 2.07 (20 rounds)
The Masters: Players That Can Trip You Up
Brooks Koepka
I know he finished 2nd last year, but even he admitted he had the best tee time with the weather and he still couldn’t hold off Jon Rahm.
He missed the cut the two previous years, and he hasn’t finished top 10 on the LIV Tour in the last four events.
Maybe he just flip the switch and be great at Augusta, but he’s priced as a top five player this week and I just don’t see how I can bet on that. For the last three months, he’s outside the top 50 in total strokes gained in this field, and that’s been on the easy LIV courses. No way I bet on Koepka this week.
Jon Rahm
Trying to win two times in a row at The Masters is almost impossible, but just having a good finish the year after winning is difficult.
The pressure of repeating, the media, the Champions Dinner…it’s a lot for the Champion. Rahm is priced as the second favorite so he’ll need to finish Top 3 to return value, and here are the finishes of the defending Champions.
Scheffler 2022 Champ…2023 10th
Maatsuyama 2021 Champ…2022 14th
Dustin Johnson 2020 Champ…2021 MC
Tiger Woods 2019 Champ…2020 38th
Patrick Reed 2018 Champ…2019 36th
Sergio Garcia 2017 Champ…2018 MC
It’s been impossible to ask defending Champs to have a repeat performance so I’ll stay away from Rahm this week.
Wyndham Clark
It’s tough to make your debut at Augusta, and Clark has all the upside in the world, but I’m not willing to invest in him just because it’s his first Masters. Spieth and Zalatoris had solid finishes at their debuts at Augusta, but other guys have struggled.
Scheffler 19th, Rahm 27th, Koepka 33rd, Schauffele 50th, Niemann MC, Hovland 32nd, Cantlay MC, Matsuyama MC, Cam Smith 55th, Justin Thomas 39th are some of the recent big names who have struggled in their first Masters so it’s a trend I think that’s worth paying attention to. I’ll be avoiding Clark this week.
The Masters: DraftKings Darlings
Lineup #1 (Between $7400 and $9900)
Patrick Reed $7400
Finished 9th and 4th at his last two LIV events, and he just plays solid here with four top 10s in his last six Masters including a win.
Sahith Theegala $7700
He made his debut last year and finished 9th, which is tough to do, and he’s plsying really good golf this year with no missed cuts and two top 10s in his last three tournaments.
Matthew Fitzpatrick $7900
He fixed his driver, and has finished 5th and 10th in his last two tourneys. He always makes the cut here, and finished 10th last year.
Shane Lowry $800
After a rough start to the year, he’s finished 29th, 19th, 3rd and 4th the last four tournaments and he’s finished top 25 four straight years here.
Hideki Matsuyana $9000
A win and eight top 20s in his last nine appearances at The Masters makes him an attractive pick,
and on top of that he has four straight top 12 finishes this year.
Xander Shauffele $9900
Three Top five finishes in his last four tournaments and three top 10 Masters finishes in the last five years feels like a bargain at $9900.
Lineup #2 (Stars and Scrubs)
Taylor Moore $6400
Sepp Straka $6700
Russell Henley $7200
Cameron Young $8500
Tony Finau $8600
Scottie Scheffler $12,100
Questions for Nick on the show
More ridiculous Jon Rahm statement:
Jon Rahm ripped LIV for the 54 hole format, left the PGA Tour for LIV, and now wants LIV to move away from 54 hole format
Jon Rahm saying there’s enough room for two golf leagues when there wasn’t enough room or money for one golf league
Notah Begay says Tiger has no mobility with his ankle, you can bet Phil Mickelson against Tiger this week
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