Masters 2026 Tips & Predictions: The Five Most Backed Bets This Month

What is required to win The Masters at Augusta National?

To identify a potential Masters winner at Augusta National, you have to prioritise a very specific blend of elite tee-to-green performance, power, and precision iron play.

The course places a premium on players who can gain strokes off the tee with above-average driving distance while still finding enough fairways to create optimal angles into firm, undulating greens.

Ball-striking, particularly with mid-to-long irons from 150+ yards, is critical, as approach play is consistently the strongest predictor of success here, where elevation changes and fast bentgrass greens demand trajectory control and spin.

Players like Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, and Rory McIlroy exemplify the profile: elite iron players who can handle long approaches and consistently create birdie chances on the par 5s, which account for the majority of scoring at Augusta.

Around the greens, scrambling ability from tight lies is essential given the shaved runoff areas and minimal rough, while lag putting and 3-putt avoidance are crucial on some of the most severe greens in golf.

Course history and experience also carry significant weight, as Augusta rewards familiarity with its unique contours, sightlines, and risk-reward decision-making,especially through Amen Corner, where strategic discipline often separates contenders from the field.

Ultimately, I’m looking for complete tee-to-green players who can capitalize on the par 5s, survive the demanding par 4s, and maintain composure on fast, sloping greens under pressure.

Masters 2026 Key Trends & Stats

• 16 of the past 17 winners have ranked in the top-50 in driving distance for the year leading up to their Masters’ win.
•  In the last 10 years, the winner has finished in the top six in SG: Approach for the week.
• 72% of approach shots come from 150+ yards
• Only 61% of greens are hit in regulation - around the green game will be tested.
• Scrambling is 6% tougher than the average Tour course.
• 3-10 foot putts are made at a higher rate than an average PGA Tour stop but outside 10 feet that is not the case - with these unique greens the further from the hole the trickier it gets - need a player who can stick it close.
• The 3-putt rate is the highest anywhere.
• Everyone in the top 10 last year had posted a top six at Augusta and nine of the 11 had previouly registered a top two.

The Masters 2026 Most Backed Bets

Matt Fitzpatrick - 9.6%

Matt Fitzpatrick arrives at Augusta in 2026 making his 12th start at The Masters.

His recent performances suggest a player peaking at the right time. Back-to-back standout weeks in March saw him finish runner-up at The Players Championship before securing his third PGA Tour title at the Valspar Championship.

That momentum follows a hugely productive 2025. After a rough stretch of ten events in which he missed four cuts and managed a best finish of T22, he turned his season around spectacularly, winning the DP World Tour’s season‑ending event in Dubai, adding top‑four finishes at both the Scottish Open and The Open Championship, and posting a top‑10 at the PGA Championship.

Crucially, Fitzpatrick’s own assessment of his game points to a key area of improvement that could translate well to Augusta. His admission that his iron play is “so much better” is significant. If that aspect has genuinely elevated, it could be the answer to getting in the mix on Sunday.

"There's a big difference in my approach play," Fitzpatrick said after his one-shot win over David Lipsky at Valspar. "My irons are just so much better."

There is also a proven pedigree on the biggest stages. His victory at the U.S. Open in 2022 demonstrated the mental resilience needed under major pressure, while his amateur résumé - including the 2013 U.S. Amateur and a lengthy stint as world No.1 only boosts confidence.

From a betting perspective, the market has reacted sharply to his win. Fitzpatrick has been the most backed player through Oddschecker this month, with sustained support seeing his price collapse from 65/1 at the start of March into a best-priced 25/1 with Bet365. 

The key question is whether his game translates fully to Augusta’s unique demands. While he has yet to seriously contend deep into Sunday at The Masters, his experience of the course, improved approach play, and current confidence level suggest he is better equipped than ever before.

Last 6 months stats ranking:

Driving Distance: 41st
Tee-to-Green: 2nd
Putting: 42nd
Approach: 6th
Scrambling: 21st

Notable Masters Results:

2024: T22
2023: T10
2022: T14
2019: T21
2016: T7

Ludvig Aberg - 7.4%

Ludvig Åberg heads into the 2026 The Masters with one of the strongest early Augusta profiles in recent memory. In just two appearances, he has already finished runner-up on debut in 2024 and followed it with a seventh-place finish in 2025, briefly holding a share of the lead late on Sunday alongside Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose.

That course form is a major positive, especially given his relatively modest record in majors elsewhere. Across eight major starts, those two Augusta performances remain his only top-10s, proof of how well his game translates to this specific test.

His recent form also points to another strong showing, with a T-3 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and T-5 at The Players Championship in March.

From a betting perspective, confidence is growing. He’s been backed in from 28/1 at the start of the month to a best-priced 18/1 with BoyleSports.

While history denied him a debut win, something not achieved since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979, Åberg has already proven he can contend deep into Sunday at Augusta. With that experience now banked, he looks well-placed to go one step further in 2026.

Last 6 months stats ranking:

Driving Distance: 18th
Tee-to-Green: 15th
Putting: 31st
Approach: 21st
Scrambling: 59th

Notable Masters Results:

2025: 7th
2024: 2nd

Cam Young - 5.2%

Cameron Young heads into the 2026 The Masters with momentum and an impressive record at Augusta. Now making his fifth appearance, he has already posted two top-10 finishes in the last three years (T-7 in 2023, T-9 in 2024).

Victory at The Players Championship, a great examination of major‑championship pressure, underlined his ability to deliver in elite company, and a T3 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational is another example of being comfortable among the best. Having already endured several near‑misses, including a runner‑up finish at The Open Championship, that breakthrough win may well prove a significant mental turning point.

Young himself highlighted the significance of that victory as ideal preparation for Augusta, pointing to both the mental demands and the pressure of closing out a big event, an area that had previously held him back: 

“The atmosphere out there, the way that I felt feels very much like a major championship.”

“I’ve been around the lead with a hole or two to go in a few majors, and it’s the best prep that you could ask for.”

From a betting perspective, confidence is building. He’s been cut from 60/1 at the start of the month into 28/1 with Sky Bet.

While he lacks the major-winning pedigree of some rivals, his Augusta consistency, elite ball-striking and newfound ability to close suggest he has the tools to make a serious push for a first major title.

Last 6 months stats ranking:

Driving Distance: 10th
Tee-to-Green: 7th
Putting: 18th
Approach: 17th
Scrambling: 10th

Notable Masters Results:

2024: T9
2023: T7

Bryson Dechambeau - 5.1%

Bryson DeChambeau heads into the 2026 Masters in strong form, arriving on the back of consecutive victories that secured his fourth and fifth LIV titles.

Now making his 10th appearance, DeChambeau’s Masters record tells a story in itself. After struggling earlier in his career - including missed cuts in 2022 and 2023 - he has firmly turned a corner with back-to-back top-10 finishes (T6 in 2024 and T5 in 2025). Notably, he featured in the final pairing on Sunday last year alongside Rory McIlroy, though a closing 75 halted his challenge.

That recent Augusta experience is significant. Having now proven he can contend deep into the weekend, the focus shifts to whether he can sustain it over 72 holes, something that has previously eluded him at this venue.

The market is clearly taking note. DeChambeau has shortened from 16/1 at the start of the month into 12/1 with both Paddy Power and Sky Bet.

One of the longest drivers in the field who's all round game is in fantastic shape - it is no surprise punters are backing him.

If he can combine his power-driven approach with the patience required at Augusta, DeChambeau looks a serious contender to build on the near-miss of 2025.

LIV stats this season:

Driving Distance: 3rd
Putting: 4th
GIR: 3rd
Scrambling: 7th

Notable Masters Results:

2025: 4th
2024: 5nd

Rose - 4.4% 

Justin Rose heads into the 2026 The Masters with a profile that is impossible to ignore.

Now making his 21st Augusta appearance, Rose’s record is among the strongest of any player yet to win a Green Jacket. He has finished runner-up three times, including a playoff loss to Rory McIlroy in 2025 after a brilliant final-round 66, and boasts 15 top-25 finishes from 20 starts.

That experience is matched by current form. A dominant wire-to-wire victory in the Farmers Insurance earlier this season, along with wins at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in 2025 and a Ryder Cup victory with Europe, show he remains competitive at the highest level. As a former U.S. Open champion and Olympic gold medallist, he has long proven his ability to deliver on the biggest stages.

From a betting perspective, Rose has been a notable mover the other way. His price has drifted from 22/1 to 33/1 with Sky Bet this month.

With the course clearly suiting his precise, controlled style and his ability to contend year after year, Rose once again looks set to be in the mix. The question is whether 2026 is finally the year he converts another near-miss into a second Masters title.

Last 6 months stats ranking:

Driving Distance: 44th
Tee-to-Green: 38th
Putting: 28th
Approach: 11th
Scrambling: 51st

Notable Masters Results (Recent):

2025: 2nd
2023: 16th
2021: 7th