Ricky Dimon
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It is often said that the Masters does not begin until the back 9 on Sunday. That can’t be entirely true, because pretty much all but 2 golfers have already been eliminated and Sunday has not even begun. That being said, Scottie Scheffler could have run away with it on Saturday. Instead, Cam Smith went low and Scheffler did not. As such, the green jacket is very much in play for each of those 2 golfers. And, of course, there are plenty of bets to be made beyond just the outright winner.
With that, it’s time to dive into some of the best 2-ball bets for the final round of the season’s first major. I went 3-for-3 on Saturday, so let’s keep it rolling!
Scottie Scheffler (+115) over Cam Smith
Scheffler at well into plus money in his head-to-head matchup with Smith is a play that is too good to pass up. The 25-year-old American has a 3-shot lead, which sets up perfectly for a good score on Sunday. He doesn’t have to be too aggressive, but he also can’t be too conservative (if he can be conservative, it’s because Smith blows up early and this bet will be in the bag). Smith, on the other hand, has to go pin-hunting. When you go pin-hunting at Augusta National, bad things generally happen. The recent Players Championship is talented enough to pull off that kind of risk-taking, but it won’t be easy even for him. One more steady performance around Augusta National for Scheffler should result in both his first major title and a lower score than Smith on Sunday.
Viktor Hovland (-125) over Hideki Matsuyama
Matsuyama was 3-under through 2 rounds but shot 5-over 77 on Saturday. Even though he is the defending champion, his stellar score at the halfway point was more surprising than his struggles in round 3. After all, the 30-year-old from Japan had been dealing with a kneck injury and was in doubt to even play the Masters as recently as a week ago. Hovland went in the other direction on Saturday, starting the day at 4-over and carding a 1-under 71. That is quite impressive in tough conditions. Scoring opportunities will be better on Sunday, when the weather warms up and the winds die down. For a player like Hovland that is especially good news. The 24-year-old Norwegian’s short game is downright bad, so he really gets hurt by missing greens in regulation. He should not miss many on Sunday. Hovland can go really low.
Collin Morikawa (+105) over Rory McIlroy
McIlroy has been better from tee to green than just about everyone other than Scheffler and Smith this week. Nonetheless, the 4-time major champion is still over par for the tournament (tied for 9th place at 1-over). The Masters is the only major that eludes McIlrory, so he isn’t really in the business of anything other than winning. Obviously that isn’t going to happen in 2022. Another top-10 result in Augusta is of little use to him. Morikawa shot himself out of the tournament with a 2-over 74 on Saturday, but he should be motivated to finish in the top 10 at the Masters for the first time in his career. Give me the American at plus money.
Head over to our Masters 2022 hub for more!
Pickswise brings you the best free expert Masters Picks and Masters Predictions across all of the top golf betting markets. Be sure to check out our Masters Best Bets page for those 3-star plays.
