2014 Masters Odds, Predictions and Free Picks: Green Jacket Favorites, Dark Horses and Sleepers

2014 Masters Odds, Predictions and Free Picks: Green Jacket Favorites, Dark Horses and Sleepers: Many will consider it the unofficial beginning of spring when the 78th Masters tees off Thursday at Augusta National. The first major tournament of the year is arguably the most-prestigious of the four majors, and just about every professional golfer dreams of putting on the green jacket awarded to each winner and earning membership into one of the most-exclusive clubs in the sport. Granted, winning a green jacket isn’t exactly a walk in the park. After all, Augusta National is never shy about enticingly-difficult hole locations that practically trap players in to trying to be aggressive. Sprinkle in some par 5s and slick greens, and there is usually plenty of movement up and down the leaderboard as players surge and slump at different points on the course.

Of course, a little spice has been taken out of the Masters with the news that Tiger Woods will miss the tournament while recovering from back surgery, and while he will be in the field, fellow big name Phil Mickelson is also hobbled after tweaking an oblique at the Valero Open. That being said, there are plenty of other former winners and other dangerous players lurking in the field, and here is a closer look at the golfers that could end up emerging victorious in the 2014 Masters.

The Favorites

He won the green jacket last season, and Adam Scott has been enjoying a great run at the majors overall the past few seasons. He has finished in the top 15 in nine of the 15 majors since the start of 2011, finishing in the top five seven times during the stretch. Meanwhile, The Masters has actually been his best major during the stretch. Scott has three straight top-eight finishes at Augusta National, adding a second-place finish in 2011 to his victory last season. With top-10 finishes in five of the seven tournaments leading up to The Masters, there are no concerns about the current state of his game either.

Although he is currently on the unfortunate list of best golfers to never win a major, Lee Westwood always seems to save his best for Augusta National. In fact, he has finished 11th or better in The Masters in each of the past four seasons. During the stretch, he has three top-eight finishes, including a second-place finish in 2010 and a third-place finish in 2012. Westwood is basically a lock to be near the top of the leaderboard. He just has to figure out how to seal the deal.

His meltdown at August in 2011 still lingers, but Rory McIlroy is starting to look like the most-talented golfer in the world again after spending most of last season adjusting to his switch to Nike equipment. He has four top-10s in 2014, including runner-up finishes in Dubai and Florida. Granted, McIlroy has never finished better than 15th at Augusta, but the two-time major winner has the length of the tee and overall talent to win a green jacket. Considering he looks to be on the verge of returning to his dominant form, it could happen as soon as this weekend.

The Dark Horses

If not for a thumb injury that has sidelined him in recent weeks, Jason Day would be a favorite this weekend. After all, he has been brilliant at Augusta National in the past and excellent in 2014 when healthy. He has played in three tournaments this year, winning the Accenture Match Play Championship finishing second in the Farmers Insurance Open. Meanwhile, he has a pair of top-three finishes in three career starts in The Masters. If his thumb holds up, Day could be wearing a green jacket Sunday.

After winning The Masters in 2012, Bubba Watson pretty much fell off the map, becoming a shell of the golfer that won at Augusta National. However, Watson seems to have reharnessed his explosive length off the tee and go-for-broke style in 2014. He won a tournament in Los Angeles and picked up second-place finishes in Miami and Phoenix. When Watson is firing on all cylinders, he has already shown he can win at Augusta. At the very least, he looks dangerous heading into The Masters.

While he may not have the most-flattering nickname, Angel “El Pato” Cabrera always seems to be a threat when he waddles around Augusta National. He actually won The Masters in 2009, and he has finished in the top 10 in the event in two of the last three seasons, including a second-place finish last year. Overall, Cabrera has made the cut in 11 of the 14 events he has played at Augusta National, logging 10 top-25 finishes and six top-10s.

Sleeper Specials

It has been a quiet year for Brandt Snedeker so far, but he has never been shy about his love for Augusta National. More importantly, he not only really wants to win a green jacket, but he has actually been pretty good in The Masters, as well. In six appearances, he has made the cut five times and has finished in the top 20 four times. Snedeker’s best finish at August to date was a third-place effort in 2008, and he recorded his second top-10 last year when he finished sixth. With his always-dependable short game and putter, you can’t count him out.

He has always been able to crush the ball off the tee, but in year’s past, Dustin Johnson’s putter has let him down. However, that has changed a bit this year, and he rolls into Augusta National having finished in the top 10 in four of the last five events he has played in. Granted, he has finished outside the top 25 three times in four starts in The Masters, but he did finished a career-best 13th last year. More importantly, he is putting as well as he ever has entering this year’s tournament, and he still possesses the power of the tee to score low on the par 5s. The combination could make Johnson a threat at Augusta in 2014.