The first golf Major of 2025 is about to get underway, which tends to excite bettors and casual golf fans alike. As always, those in the former camp will be looking for a bit of value in the betting markets, naturally turning to the each-way markets to find it.
The Masters, like all Majors, has had its fair share of surprise winners over the years. We can cite Tiger Woods in 2019 (this was Woods in the post-injury version of his career), Danny Willet, and Patrick Reed among the long-odds winners of the Green Jacket in the last decade.
Of course, in recent years, Augusta has been kind to the favorites: Scottie Scheffler (twice), Dustin Johnson, and Jon Rahm were the pre-tournament favorites or near the top of the betting market before their victories. Only Hideki Matsuyama (2021) could be considered a shock winner when looking at the last five Masters tournaments.
Scheffler and McIlroy top Masters betting markets
In the 2025 Masters betting odds, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy top the markets. It’s understandable, as the pair – ranked world number one and two, respectively – has been head and shoulders above the rest over the last twelve months. A lot of money will come in for Scheffler to become a three-time champion, and plenty of bettors will be backing McIlroy to win a first Major since 2014.
Yet, the odds for the top pair will turn some bettors off. Scheffler comes in at around +350 with some sportsbooks, with McIlroy just behind at +650. The rest of the field can be found twice those odds and beyond. While there is a lot of sense in backing the leading pair, you can appreciate that some bettors will be looking further down the markets for each-way betting value.
[embedded content]
Value can be found in places betting.
Almost every Major in any given year will throw up at least one or two long-odds players in the each-way positions (finishing in the top five – sportsbooks often offer extra places for finishing in the top 6, 7, or 8). Each-way bet consists of two equal-value bets for the same player – one for the player winning and the other for the player placing. The full odds are paid for the former, and a fraction (a fifth or a quarter) of the odds are paid for the latter.
Of course, you don’t need to go for an each-way bet, as plenty of sportsbooks focus on place-only markets, meaning you are betting on the player to finish in the places only, with no full payout if they win. Each bettor will approach it differently, yet it’s plain to see the allure. We mentioned that there have been plenty of shock winners of the Masters over the years, yet numerous players with massive odds finish in the places. It’s common to see players with odds of +10000 or above finishing in the top five.
This is not to tip players for this year’s event. Instead, it’s a simple discussion of the value of looking beyond the tournament favorites. Phil Mickelson, Russell Henley, and Corey Conners are among the names finishing in the “places” in recent years who would have paid out more than the odds of the tournament winner. It’s something to consider when you make your strategy and picks for the 2025 Masters.
- SCCG Management. The Gambling Industry’s Global Connector. Access Here.
- Source: https://matchedbets.com/blog/the-masters-2025-playing-for-each-way-places-at-augusta/