We’re gonna skip over all the pomp and circumstance and just get right to it. It’s Masters week at Augusta National. 

The botanic layout and concessions prices and touchy-feely nostalgia are well-known staples of this event and we always appreciate it. Traditions are comforting. This year, we’re more concerned with the unknowns. There are a lot of them. 

It would be inappropriate to ignore the most glaring and controversial question – are any of the LIV guys realistically capable of showing up and winning this tournament? 

No one really knows what it would mean for the future of golf if one of the defectors dons the green jacket on Sunday. Cam Smith, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka and a few others are world-class players. But they haven’t played a serious tournament on a major-worthy golf course in months, some more than a year. A win would undoubtedly shake things up, while a poor performance across the board would be telling and detrimental to whatever remains of the league’s reputation. 

We have no idea what Tiger Woods’ game looks like. He’s only played one tournament since July, but a T-45 in his return at Genesis was promising. Oddsmakers on golf betting sites have since dropped his odds drastically. 

RELATED: Tiger Woods Odds To Win 2023 Masters

We don’t know if Phil Mickelson is even capable of making the cut after showing no signs of competitive life in several LIV events. He looks and sounds like a broken man, at times. We don’t know what the past two years of media scrutiny and self-reflection have done to a guy that was still good enough to win the PGA Championship two years ago. 

The weather is still a big unknown – rain is in the forecast most of the week and it’s impossible to determine what that will mean for the early/late waves and course strategy until go time. 

We don’t know if a heavy-hitter like Jon Rahm or Scottie Scheffler will continue their dominant runs, or if a scrappy underdog could sneak his way to the top of the leaderboard like Danny Willett did in 2016. 

There’s no telling how many players will change course and lay up at the Par-5 13^th after the club made room for a new tee box to lengthen the hole by roughly 35 yards, or how that change will impact players’ decision-making under the gun.

And there’s no telling what will happen down the stretch in the final round. For everything we can count on at Augusta, year in and year out, the unpredictability on the back nine come Sunday is what truly makes this the best golf tournament to watch and bet on every single year. 

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2023 Masters Picks & Prediction 

Scottie Scheffler to Finish Top-10 & Tiger Woods to Make the Cut

Odds: +150 at PointsBet

We’ll combine two of our beliefs for an intriguing two-leg parlay wager here. The golf odds are solid. First off, Scottie Scheffler is going to be an absolute menace at Augusta National for years to come. That’s not a hot take by any means and you could say it about a lot of courses for the World No. 1. But Scheffler has the softest hands on Tour and this course demands creativity and precision around the greens. His advantage in that department will only grow stronger in the coming years as he gains more course experience, and we expect the defending champ to finish firmly inside the top 10. 

Our other belief is that Woods has played here so many times, with so much success, he could make the cut while playing with a blindfold on assuming someone lined him up over the ball. His -110 odds to make the cut last year were the steal of the tournament. They’re much shorter this year, at -165, which we still like for our golf picks this week considering Woods has made 22 consecutive Masters cuts and only missed out one time as an amateur. We like it even more at +150 odds when paired with a Scheffler top-10. 

Bernhard Langer Top Senior 

Odds: +350 at DraftKings

We’re getting into the good stuff here. The Masters exotics are such a treat, with hundreds of wagers that aren’t normally offered at an ordinary golf tournament. This is no ordinary golf tournament. There are lifelong exemptions for winners, meaning those players can continue to tee it up well past AARP eligibility.  That includes 65-year-old Langer, who we like as a sneaky play for top senior with +350 odds. 

Mickelson is the favorite at +120 coming up on his 53^rd birthday, but nothing about Mickelson’s game or demeanor suggests he’s ready to play championship golf. Langer, meanwhile, continues to dominate the senior tour and finished T-29 at this tournament just three years ago. His Masters career scoring average at Augusta is 72.81, which is kind of insane considering he’s 30 years past his prime and plays every year. 

Fred Couples is always frisky here, and he’s +400. But the cold weather won’t help his long-known back issues. This will be the 40^th career Masters appearance for Langer, and he’d love to note the milestone with a made cut and top senior honor. 

Dustin Johnson to Miss the Cut

Odds: +350 at DraftKings

Unlike Mickelson and other LIV guys who seem a little extra on-edge this week, Johnson appears exactly how he last left us. 

This is all to say that Johnson seems very content with his decision, his personal life and his legacy. We can’t imagine he’s been grinding away all spring in preparation for the Masters. We suspect he’s been enjoying the fruits of his 9-figure LIV contract. 

RELATED: What Are My Odds Of Winning Masters Ticket Lottery?

Johnson is the least-corny guy in golf. He always says exactly what he means, and he is who he is. That’s why most Tour players didn’t blink at his decision, unlike the rest. Sticking it to the PGA Tour with a win for the new home team will not factor into his approach or motivation for a single second this week. Johnson doesn’t care about that stuff. We’re not sure how much he cared to put in the time to stay sharp for this week, either. He missed the cut here in 2021 and we wouldn’t be surprised if it happens again given the circumstances.