2015 Masters odds and prop bets: Will Tiger Woods make the cut at Augusta National?

This is the million-dollar question this week. No one is really sure what to expect from Woods. He was downright awful in the brief instances we saw him earlier this year. But on the other hand, this is the Masters, and we all know that Tiger loves this place. He also knows this golf course better than just about anyone and he has looked good on the practice tee.

This is Tiger’s 20th Masters and he has never missed the cut. So maybe you want to lean that way? Or, you can recall his terrible chipping earlier this year and lean the other way. Augusta is a place that will make you look silly if your short game is not on point.

So does anyone really have a good grasp on this bet? Nope. Not even the odds makers are sure as this is a 50/50 proposition. If you are going to bet this one, I say go with your gut, because your guess is as good as anyone else’s. Or you know, just stay the hell away.

Will there be an albatross? (Yes +1400)

An albatross (or double eagle) is very rare in professional golf, but if it does happen at the Masters, you could walk away with a huge wad of cash. There have been a grand total of 18 albatrosses in major championship history. At the Masters, there have been only four, with the last one coming in 2012 when Louis Oosthuizen drained that ridiculous second shot on No. 2.

This tournament does, however, present an interesting opportunity for an albatross. With four par-5s that will likely be reachable in two shots all week, there will certainly be a lot of chances to make a two. Amateur Bradley Neil had one during Monday’s practice round at the second.

Fun fact: each par-5 at Augusta National has been double eagled once. One of them is due for a repeat!

Here is another interesting opportunity to make some money on a long shot. A wire-to-wire winner obviously doesn’t happen very often. Craig Wood (1941), Arnold Palmer (1960), Jack Nicklaus (1972) and Raymond Floyd (1976) are the only players who have led outright after each round of the Masters.

Adding to the improbability of this bet is the extremely deep field in 2015. This is one of the most wide-open Masters in recent memory. There are several players that will be near the top of the leaderboard and lead changes are almost a certainty.

BUT, if for some reason someone like Rory McIlroy or Bubba Watson gets hot, look out. As we have seen in the past, McIlroy (and a few other players) are very capable of running away with a tournament. Even a major championship. If that happens this week, you could have a nice payday on very little investment.

Okay, this is the last of my long shot, flier bets. The course record at Augusta National is 63, set by Greg Norman and Nick Price. If you look at the weather forecast this week, it is going to be hot. Hot weather means the ball flies further. It also looks like we will get some rain. As much as the folks at Augusta National would like to avoid it, the greens will soften for a period of time before the sub-air system does it’s magic. The pins will be gettable.

So with the ball flying and receptive greens, we should see some low scores. Again, a small bet could win you big bucks.

Since we always want to compare Rory to Tiger, let’s bet on them right from the jump. The odds makers see the most likely outcome as a tie between the two of them. But, if you have watched Tiger over the years, he loves to go left on No. 1. Sometimes he even goes left of left, like on Monday’s practice round. Rory on the other hand is typically precise with the long stick. If Tiger is way left and Rory is down the middle (a likely scenario), you can win some cash and go for Rory at the first.