Winners Club: Where Betting Odds Stand Ahead of 87th Masters

Plus, NFL draft pick odds, NCAA men’s national championship futures odds and more.

It’s just about time for the Masters, folks.

Dozens of the world’s top golfers (and fans in search of the famous pimento cheese sandwiches) converge on Augusta, Ga., this week for the most storied major.

The first tee time is set for Thursday morning. Get acquainted with the ins and outs of the tournament and the many available betting options before it begins.

In today’s Winners Club you’ll find:

• Betting odds to win the Masters
• Masters prop bets and picks
• NFL draft first, second and third pick odds
• Updated NFL mock draft
• NCAA basketball title odds

McIlroy, Scheffler Co-Favorites to Win Masters

As Jim Nantz says, “it’s a tradition unlike any other,” and it all begins Thursday morning at Augusta National and lasts until Sunday evening.

It’s an 88-player field for the 87th Masters, 52 of whom competed in the tournament last year.

The 13th hole is now 35 yards longer than it was in 2022, but beyond that, this is the same course and the reigning champion, Scottie Scheffler, is tied with Rory McIlroy atop the betting field.

The last repeat Masters champion was Tiger Woods in 2001-02. The five-time Masters winner is feeling optimistic ahead of the weekend, saying in part: “I think my game is better than it was last year at this particular time.”

Keith Stewart shared his thought process for three best bets to lock in ahead of the first tee times. The schedule for the first two rounds can be found here.

Mark Baker/AP

In the SI Golf Masters betting roundtable, our writers broke down everything from expectations for the LIV golfers to their sleeper picks and which top contenders might disappoint.

Be sure to check out SI Sportsbook for Masters betting markets. Below is a list of the 12 golfers with the best odds to wear the green jacket this year.

Top Masters Contenders

Rory McIlroy +700
Scottie Scheffler +700
Jon Rahm +900
Jordan Spieth +1600
Cameron Smith +2000
Justin Thomas +2000
Patrick Cantlay +2000
Xander Schauffele +2200
Collin Morikawa +2500
Dustin Johnson +2500
Jason Day +2500
Tony Finau +2500

What the Odds Say About Picks 1-3 in the NFL Draft

The start of the NFL draft is a little more than three weeks from now and there are clear favorites to come off the board first, second and third.

To no surprise, all three potential picks are quarterbacks, but things might not be as locked in as the betting markets indicate.

The favorite to go first overall to the Panthers is former Ohio State signal-caller C.J. Stroud (-333). Alabama’s Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young (-333) has the best odds to go second to the Texans and former Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson (-111) is the odds-on favorite to go third, a pick the Cardinals currently own. That’s a clear indication the pick may be traded to a team in search of a franchise QB.

But in Gilberto Manzano’s mock draft, none of those picks unfold that way. He has Young going No. 1 (+225), Stroud going No. 2 (+300) and Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. taken No. 3 (+225).

I wrote about how the top three picks could shake out based on recent reports linking players to teams and which franchises could end up moving up — or not — to Arizona’s draft slot to secure a quarterback.

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK

Michael Fabiano analyzed the best rookie fantasy seasons for quarterbacks and running backs since 2000 and applied that data to this year’s class at both positions.

One common denominator among the top performing first-year signal-callers? They could all make plays with their legs, at least to some degree. Young and Stroud don’t necessarily fit that bill but Richardson certainly does.

And at running back, volume is the name of the game, but draft capital matters, too. Projected first-round pick Bijan Robinson fits the bill for both, but a few other backs could demand volume, specifically as pass-catching threats.

Duke Favored to Win 2024 Men’s NCAA Title

Following UConn’s national championship win over San Diego State on Monday — the fifth for the Huskies in program history — championship odds for next season came out quickly.

Dan Hurley’s team is among the top five contenders to repeat, something no team has done since 2006-07. It’s all blue bloods up top, led by the title-favorite Blue Devils, who lost in the Round of 32 this year.

You can compare the title odds with Kevin Sweeney’s way-too-early top 25 ranking for the 2023-24 season. Marquette, not Duke, takes the top spot and UConn is also among the top five teams.

Rob Kinnan/USA TODAY Sports

Top Teams by NCAA Title Odds

Duke +1000
Kentucky +1200
Kansas +1500
UConn +1500
Marquette +1600
Purdue +1800
North Carolina +2000
Alabama +2000
Arizona +2000
Michigan State +2000

In Other News

Patriots Reportedly Shopping Mac Jones: New England coach Bill Belichick has spoken with the Texans, Raiders, Buccaneers and Commanders about the former first-round quarterback this offseason. The Patriots missed the playoffs in Jones’s second season and his play took a step back.

Andrew Wiggins Will Return This Week: Golden State has been without Wiggins for the last 23 games, but he is apparently nearing a return to the team just ahead of the start of the playoffs. Wiggins’s absence was reportedly due to a serious medical situation affecting his father.

Mavs Considering Shutting Down Luka, Kyrie: Dallas, currently in 11th place in the West, could shut down stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving for the remainder of the season. The team could keep its top-10 protected pick depending on where it finishes, which could be used to improve the roster in the offseason.

---

Thanks for reading! I’ll talk to you again Friday, by which time the Masters will already be in full swing.