2014 Masters Odds and Predictions: Underdogs to Bet On

2014 Masters Odds and Predictions: Underdogs to Bet On: The 2014 Masters begins Thursday at famed Augusta National, and while defending winner Adam Scott, former winner Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy are among the big names and frontrunners, bettors hoping to hit it really big are going to have to go off the grid a bit when picking potential winners. With that in mind, here is a closer look at five golfers getting longer odds that could be worth taking a chance on at the Masters.

Lee Westwood (40/1): I was shocked to see Westwood only getting 40/1 odds to win at Augusta. Granted, he has never won a major, but he has been pretty darn close recently. Westwood has had at least two top-10 finishes in major tournaments in each of the past five seasons, and he has seven top-three finishes in majors during the stretch. More importantly, he has been a staple of the top 10 at the Masters. He heads into this year’s tournament riding a streak of four-straight finishes of 11th or better, and during the stretch, he finished second in 2010 and third in 2012. He could be a steal at his current odds.

Angel Cabrera (50/1): “El Pato” has two majors to his name, and the Masters has always been his strongest of the four major tournaments. In addition to winning the green jacket in 2009, he has 10 top-25 finishes, including six top-10s, in 14 starts at Augusta National. More importantly, it’s not like he is slowing down. Cabrera finished seventh in the Masters in 2011, and he settled for second last year after losing to Adam Scott in a playoff. I’ll definitely take 50/1 odds on a golfer that has three finishes of seventh or better in the last five Masters tournaments and was runner-up just last year.

Patrick Reed (50/1): His long odds are understandable considering he will be making his first-ever start in a major tournament, but Reed has shown all the makings of a rising star. He scored his first PGA Tour win in August of 2013, and he has already snagged a pair of victories in 2014, including a win in the prestigious WGC-Cadillac Championship. Reed has already climbed into the top 25 in the world rankings, and in addition to his two victories, he has seven top-25s in 11 tournament appearances this season. Granted, experience is not on his side, but Reed is a talented, young golfer playing with plenty of confidence. It could be a recipe for success at Augusta National.

Jimmy Walker (55/1): Walker is a relative newcomer on the scene, and while he has made five previous starts in major tournaments, he will be making his Masters’ debut when he tees off Thursday. However, he has been on a nice little roll since the end of last season. He won the Frys.com Open in October of 2013 to score his first PGA Tour victory, and he already has a couple of wins in 2014. Meanwhile, Walker has also cracked the top 25 in 11 of the 13 tournaments he has played in this season. This pick is based almost solely on momentum, but if you’re going to take a flier on an inexperienced golfer, it might as well be a one like Walker that is on top of his game heading to Augusta National.

Jim Furyk (80/1): The veteran’s best days may be behind him, but Furyk is still one of the most-consistent golfers around. He may not have the raw power to attack Augusta National, but he isn’t going to beat himself either. Not surprisingly, he has been solid at the Masters in recent years, finishing in the top 25 in four of the past five seasons and picking up two finishes of 11th or better during the stretch. Meanwhile, Furyk has been his typically steady self in 2014, notching two top-10s and four top-25s in six tournaments. He is still good enough to put himself in the mix at Augusta, and if some other frontrunners shoot themselves out of contention, Furyk could end up stealing a green jacket.