The 2015 Masters might be the most difficult to project in years.
Remember last year, when one Bubba Watson stole the victory at Augusta for his second win at the tournament, only to go on and miss the cut at the U.S. Open and The Open Championship?
Watson is back at it and is an obvious contender this week. A few weeks ago it was easy to pencil in Rory McIlroy and call it a day, but a recent dropoff in play and a surge by Jordan Spieth throws the whole thing for a loop.
Thanks to Las Vegas, there are bankable sleepers to count on this year, which might not be such a bad idea given last year's result. Below, let's outline some of the top offerings and identify a few sleepers to watch.
2015 Masters Odds
Note: Odds courtesy of Odds Shark and updated as of Sunday, April 5.
Top Sleepers
Jimmy Walker 18-1
If this were Hollywood, Jimmy Walker would take home the victory this week and the credits would roll.
It's not, but Walker is still quite the story at 36 years old. He needed 187 starts on the tour to win his first trophy, but he already has two this season, including a triumph at the Valero Texas Open at the end of March.
Spieth and others seem to be warming up to the idea Walker is among the elite and will stay there for quite some time, as captured by Golf Channel:
Everything points to Walker putting on a show at Augusta.
Stats? He ranks third in strokes gained putting at .950 and fourth in total strokes gained at 2.007, per PGATour.com. History? He finished tied for eighth at Augusta last year and recorded a top-10 finish in three of the four major championships.
Few golfers are as hot as Walker right now by every metric, so he makes for a great bet with a solid payout.
Prediction: Walker finishes top 10.
Sergio Garcia 35-1
Sergio Garcia is due, and sometimes such a status is enough to lay down some coin on great odds.
Garcia enters Augusta quite the underdog for good reason. The season started great with a pair of top-four finishes in two of his first three appearances, but he has been nowhere to be found in his last three outings.
At 35 years old, Garcia has never won a major tournament. It's something he touched on with USA Today's Steve DiMeglio before the Shell Houston Open:
It is important but it's not the ultimate thing. I'm not saying that winning a major is not important but it's not the most important thing in the world. … At the end of the day, the most important thing for me when I quit playing golf is to leave the game better than when I started. Hopefully I can put my little fingerprint on it and help it a little bit.
A cut victim last year at Augusta, it was 2013 when Garcia finished tied for eighth. Despite a lack of notable wins this year, he's an owner of favorable stats this year, including ranking 14th in tee-to-green strokes gained (1.078), 14th in total strokes gained (1.207) and 11th in scoring average (70.108), per PGATour.com.
Look for the veteran to hit on his key areas once again and be in the thick of things right until the end.
Prediction: Garcia finishes top 10.
Keegan Bradley 50-1
Another member of the cut list at Augusta last year, the odds surrounding Keegan Bradley are too tantalizing to pass.
Sure, Bradley hit the cut list in half of the major tournaments last season and doesn't even tout a top-three finish this season, but he seems to be turning it on as of late after a cut at The Honda Classic at the start of March, as captured by PGATour.com:
Bradley is once again a monster driver, ranking third in total driving (85) and 13th in tee-to-green strokes gained (1.082).
All it takes is a couple of strong back-to-back days from Bradley to record a career-best finish at a course continuing to riddle him. He seems due for a breakthrough, and bettors can do much worse for wear on such a major stage.
Prediction: Bradley finishes top 15.
Stats and info courtesy of PGATour.com unless otherwise specified.
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