Tournament matchups for Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson along with an opening round prediction for the first PGA betting major of the season
We’ve have an early pick on the first round plus a full tournament pick between Woods and McIlroy
The Masters tees off Thursday morning and we have a handful of golf picks to consider with live betting lines available right now from Pinnacle Sports. Odds may vary between online sportsbooks and with this being one of heaviest golf betting weekends of the year, it pays to shop around, but here is what we consider good value in the first major of 2012.
MASTERS MATCHUPS
We have four matchups circled with current PGA odds at one of our trusted online sportsbook sponsors. Instead of offering a 10-percent signup bonus, Pinnacle satisfies its customers with some of the best sports betting odds in every sport daily. They are open to Canadian customers and if you are in the market for an online betting alternative, they are well worth a look.
1. Phil Mickelson (-136) over Luke Donald
Each of these golfers has a legitimate shot at winning and while the conditions could play against Lefty on Thursday-Friday, we expect to see him on the front leaderboard Sunday when the forecast calls for sunny skies.
2. Brandt Snedeker (-118) over Rickie Fowler
Snedeker was 9-under through three rounds at Augusta in 2008 before shooting a 77 on Sunday. This year, he already has three top 10 finishes including a win at Farmers in January. This is a good price over Fowler.
MASTERS WEATHER UPDATE
Expect scattered showers Thursday and Friday, giving way to a high pressure system for the weekend with clear skies and temperatures in the 70’s
3. Gary Woodland (-118) over Kyle Stanley
Second try at Augusta for Woodland and he was 2-under in his 2011 debut, including an opening round 69. He’s also made 26 consecutive cuts and Stanley’s missed two in the past three months.
TIGER WOODS MASTERS MATCHUP
We gave a Tiger Woods betting tutorial in our second Masters preview and although we’d probably all like to see him competing on the final day, the books have given plenty of good opportunities to fade the four-time Masters champ in straight matchups. Our play is on Rory McIlroy at +102.
FIRST ROUND AT AUGUSTA
Graeme McDowell (-108) has done a lot of his work in the second round but after missing the cut in 2011, we expect a strong start at Augusta this year. Louis Oosthuizen shot 75 in the opener last year and his front nine average is up more than half-stroke in 2012. This will be a tight one but take McDowell.
Check Pinnacle Sports Masters Odds and visit the EE forum for more picks throughout the weekend!
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