There are plenty of intriguing storylines for the 2024 Masters and the odds help to add to the intrigue.
How short of a favorite can the bookmakers make Scottie Scheffler and still take action?
Where will the market push the numbers on the LIV defectors like Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Cam Smith and Dustin Johnson?
Where will the number settle for Rory McIlroy after a strong finish at the Valero Texas Open?
All of these plotlines make for fun banter around the water cooler this week, but there’s still one name that everybody looks for right away on the Masters oddsboard: Tiger Woods.
Woods, 48, has won the Masters five times in his career and is approaching the fifth anniversary of his last — and most impressive — victory.
In 2019, Woods pulled off one of the most stunning performances in sporting history by nabbing the Green Jacket with a vintage Sunday performance.
Tiger Woods Masters odds
Not only was the win a celebrated moment among casual fans and golf diehards, but it was also a massive victory for the betting public, who couldn’t stop betting on the Big Cat even though he was just +1400.
According to the Action Network, Woods’ win in 2019 set three different sportsbooks back at least $1 million.
And that was in the nascent days of sports betting, with just a few states fully legalized.
This year, the odds for Tiger to win are 10-fold what they were in 2019.
Woods is as high as 250/1 to win the Green Jacket on FanDuel Sportsbook as of Monday afternoon and that still seems way too short considering Woods has played one round of competitive golf in 2024 (he shot a 72 at the Genesis Invitational before withdrawing).
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Woods’ presence at the Masters creates an interesting dilemma for bookmakers.
The folks behind the window know that they can charge a ‘Tiger Tax’ and still take plenty of action from bettors who just want to have some fun or get some FOMO (fear of missing out) insurance.
Those bets, especially at these odds, will add up, and you can be confident that come Thursday morning, he will be one of the biggest liabilities at plenty of sportsbooks.
There are a lot of serious bettors who like to scoff at those who bet on Tiger because it’s an -EV (negative expected value) play, but there are times when it’s OK to responsibly wager for sheer entertainment value.
And rest assured, if Tiger comes out and birdies his first hole on Thursday, those same punters — and plenty of bookmakers — will be wishing they could be rooting for the miracle with those holding the tickets.