2019 Masters odds, picks: Tiger Woods projection from same model that called four majors

Three days after the NCAA Tournament crowns its champion, the eyes of the sports world will turn to August, Georgia, site of the 2019 Masters. The action gets underway on Thursday, April 11. Last year, Patrick Reed posted a score of 15-under par and his first major title, defeating Rickie Fowler by one stroke. Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm filled out the top four, and 24 players shot under par for the four-day golf tournament. This time around, 11 of the top golfers in the world are tightly bunched near the top of the 2019 Masters odds board, with Dustin Johnson listed as the 10-1 favorite. Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose fall in just behind the world No. 1 at 12-1. Before you make your 2019 Masters picks or prep for large-field PGA DFS tournaments and cash games on sites like FanDuel and Draftkings, be sure to consult the projected Masters leaderboard from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

SportsLine’s prediction model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, has nailed four of the past eight majors entering the weekend, including Patrick Reed’s groundbreaking Masters win last year. It also called Tiger Woods’ deep run in last year’s PGA Championship despite being a 25-1 long shot.

The model has been spot-on early in the 2018-19 PGA Tour season. It was high on champion Dustin Johnson at the 2019 WGC-Mexico Championship, projecting him as one of the top two contenders from the start. It also correctly predicted Brooks Koepka’s (9-1) victory at the CJ Cup earlier this season. Additionally, it correctly called Bryson DeChambeau’s (9-1) seven-shot victory at the 2019 Omega Dubai Desert Classic. Anyone who has followed the model is up huge. 

Now that the 2019 Masters field is taking shape, SportsLine simulated the event 10,000 times, and the results were surprising. One huge shocker the model is calling for: Woods, a four-time champion and one of the top Vegas favorites, doesn’t even crack the top 10. 

Woods, a 14-time major champion, won the first major of his career at Augusta National in 1997 and has 13 top-10 finishes at the Masters in 19 appearances as a professional. However, he recently had to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational, an event he has won eight times, due to a neck strain. And with Woods’ long list of injuries in recent years, the model doesn’t believe he’ll even come close to his fifth green jacket. 

Plus, Woods’ last victory at Augusta National came all the way back in 2005. He also currently ranks 72nd on tour in driving accuracy (64.29 percent), which could cause major trouble at Augusta National, where the fairways are extremely tight and lined with trees. He’s not a strong pick to win it all and there are far better values in this loaded field than the 12-1 premium he’s commanding. 

Another surprise at the Masters 2019: Tommy Fleetwood, a 30-1 long shot, makes a strong run at the title. He’s a target for anyone looking for a huge payday.

Fleetwood has an Official World Golf Ranking of No. 14, and the seven-time winner worldwide is coming off an impressive major championship season in 2018. He made the cut at all four events last year and had his best finish at each individual major, finishing 17th at the Masters, second at the U.S. Open, 12th at the Open Championship, and 35th at the PGA Championship. 

The 28-year-old has one of the most well-rounded games in golf right now. Last season, he ranked in the top 40 in strokes-gained off the tee, on approach, around the green, and putting. The result was Fleetwood becoming the No. 4 player in total strokes-gained, averaging more than 1.6 per round better than the average tour player. He has the distance, ball-striking and putting prowess to be a force at Augusta National next month and can climb the 2019 Masters leaderboard quickly.

Also, the model says three other golfers with 2019 Masters odds of 18-1 or longer will make a strong run at the green jacket. Anyone who backs these underdogs could hit it big. 

So who wins the 2019 Masters? And which long shots stun the golfing world? Check out the odds below and visit SportsLine now to see the early Masters projected leaderboard from the model that nailed the winners of four golf majors.

Dustin Johnson 10-1
Tiger Woods 12-1
Justin Rose 12-1
Rory McIlroy 12-1
Justin Thomas 14-1
Jordan Spieth 16-1
Rickie Fowler 16-1
Brooks Koepka 16-1
Byson DeChambeau 18-1
Jon Rahm 18-1
Jason Day 20-1
Phil Mickelson 25-1
Tony Finau 25-1
Bubba Watson 30-1
Tommy Fleetwood 30-1
Patrick Reed 35-1