Masters Best Bets Today (Predictions, Picks for Justin Thomas, Shane Lowry, and more in Masters First Round)

Iain MacMillan | Apr 11, 2025

Justin Thomas is a solid bet to beat Scottie Scheffler in the first round of the Masters. / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

If you're looking for Round 2 picks, you'll find them here.

Welcome to the opening round of the Masters. You can check out my best bets in my betting preview, but here we're going to focus on the opening round. Specifically, I'm going to lock in some 3-ball bets.

These wagers are on a golfer to finish with the lowest round score in the threesome that he's playing in. It's a fun way to make the opening round more exciting, and there are some great threesomes to watch on Thursday. Let's dive into them.

The Masters round 1 3-ball bets

All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

• Shane Lowry +200 vs. Matsuyama/DeChambeau
• Russell Henley +170 vs. Koepka/Im
• Scott +260 vs. Schauffele/Hovland
• Reed +140 vs. Hun An/Greyserman
• Thomas +180 vs. Scheffler/Ballester

Shane Lowry +200 vs. Matsuyama/DeChambeau

Shane Lowry is my best bet to win this week, and I'm looking to fade both Hideki Matsuyama and Bryson DeChambeau so this 3-ball matchup is picture-perfect for yours truly. Lowry has been playing some of the best golf of his career, and he has a great history at Augusta.

Meanwhile, DeChambeau didn't finish inside the top 20 any year at the Masters until last season, and I think Augusta is a terrible fit for his style of golf. This course requires artistry, and while DeChambeau may stack up U.S. Opens and PGA Championships, I have lots of doubts about his ability to consistently succeed at this event.

Meanwhile, Matsuyama is coming into this event in horrific form. He has missed two straight cuts and finished just T38 at the Masters last year.

Russell Henley +170 vs. Koepka/Im

You never know which version of Brooks Koepka is going to show up at a major, but based on his completely average performances on LIV this season, including a T18 in Miami last week, I don't think he's the guy to bet on in this group. The same can be said for Sungjae Im, who has finished better than T57 just once in his last six starts. He's in terrible form in 2025.

That's why I'll back Russell Henley on Thursday in this opening round. He's a pure ball striker who already has a win this season and is a popular dark horse bet to win it all amongst bettors. I won't be that bold, but I think he's a great bet to lead this group after Thursday at +170 odds.

Scott +260 vs. Schauffele/Hovland

Viktor Hovland may be coming off a win, but he remains one of the worst chippers of the golf ball on the PGA Tour, which is a recipe for disaster at Augusta National. It largely led to his missed cut at this tournament last year, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a similar result in 2025. Xander Schauffele is coming into this event still not fully recovered from his rib injury, and while his approach play seemed to warm up in his most recent start, his driver still has a long way to go, and he's not a guy I feel confident in backing this week.

As a result, I think there's some value on Adam Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, at +260 odds. He doesn't have the skill of the other two golfers in his threesome on Thursday, but with Schauffele and Hovland showing some issues, he could end up being a great bet at his current price tag.

Reed +140 vs. Hun An/Greyserman

Patrick Reed is a guy who, no matter what form he shows up to Augusta in, he brings his best stuff at this event. He has finished T12 or better in four of his last five starts here. I expect him to get off to a solid start on Thursday.

Byeong Hun An will be his bigger competition, having finished T16 at this event last year, but he doesn't have the experience at this course that Reed does. We likely don't have to worry much about Max Greyserman, who is making his Masters debut after having missed two straight cuts.

Thomas +180 vs. Scheffler/Ballester

This bet is a one-on-one bet between Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas. Jose Luis Ballester is one of the five amateurs set to tee it up this week, and if he ends up beating two of the best golfers in the world, I'd be beyond shocked.

When it comes to Thomas vs. Scheffler, I think Thursday could be the time to fade the defending champion. He had a lot on his schedule this week as the defending champion, including hosting the champions' dinner on Tuesday night. Thomas comes into this event in great form and is a great bet at +180 to give Scottie a run for his money in the opening round.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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You can check out all of Iain's bets here!