With Augusta National set to punish every mistake and reward every hot hand, Masters week offers one of the best betting boards of the year for matchup plays.
While the outright market gets most of the attention, head-to-head bets can provide a cleaner path by letting bettors isolate form, course fit, and recent ball-striking without needing a player to beat the entire field.
With that in mind, here are a couple of matchup picks we have our eyes on for this year’s tournament.
Collin Morikawa vs. Hideki Matsuyama
Morikawa isn’t right coming into Masters weekend.
The two-time major winner withdrew from The Players Championship with a back injury after just one hole, and hasn’t been seen on the course since.
This week, Morikawa was candid with reporters about his back troubles, admitting that he’s “not exactly where [he] want[s] to be.”
Matsuyama has been his usual consistent self this season, finishing T-41 or better in all his starts this season and top-30 seven times.
The chatter around Morikawa’s health is loud to bet on him against a player as steady as the 2021 Green Jacket winner.
The play: Hideki Matsuyama over Collin Morikawa (-150, FanDuel Sportsbook)
J.J. Spaun vs. Chris Gotterup
Let’s not let one week cloud our vision. It’s obvious which of these two golfers has been better this season.
Before last week’s win at the Valero Open, Spaun had been awful this season, missing the cut in four of his seven starts and finishing no higher than T-24.
On the other hand, if the season ended today, Gotterup would be in the argument for Player of the Year.
Betting on golf?
Gotterup has won twice already, taking first place in the Sony Open and Phoenix Open, and he’s remained in the mix otherwise, finishing inside the top 20 another three times.
Don’t be a victim of recency bias.
Gotterup should be a heavy favorite here, but he’s not being priced as such.
The play: Chris Gotterup over J.J. Spaun (-112, FanDuel Sportsbook)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.
