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“Bear Bets” are real wagers that Chris “The Bear” Fallica is actually making.
The week golf fans and bettors wait all year for is finally here. It’s MASTERS WEEK!
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is the current betting favorite at +700 at FOX Bet. The last player to win back-to-back championships at the Masters was Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002.
Speaking of Woods, you know Augusta is dear to his heart. Tiger has won this event six times, including his improbable victory in 2019. His odds are currently +6600 to win it all.
Since this is the biggest tournament of the year, let’s dive into the wagers I’m making for the event.
Rory McIlroy Top-10 Finish (-125)
McIlroy finished in the Top 10 of every major last year and has seven Top 10s in the last nine Masters. While forecasting the weather is unpredictable, I do think you need to factor it into your handicapping. And Rory is someone you’ll want to back, as having a player who has a long carry with the driver will be a huge plus if the ground is soft. Slower greens will also help Rory, who gets held back by his putter at times. He’s out late Thursday and early Friday, so we’ll see how that end of the draw goes. But I’d be shocked if McIlroy wasn’t in this again come late Sunday.
Scottie Scheffler Top-10 Finish (-135)
The defending champ’s worst finish this year is 12th, and there’s no reason to believe he won’t benefit from softer conditions and give a stern defense of his title. He’s been in the Top 10 in five of his last seven majors and has six straight rounds under par at Augusta National. Some may not like the fact that my golf betting approach isn’t “bet a little to try and win a lot,” but these non-outright win markets are where I like to do most of my work.
Phil Mickelson to miss cut (+105)
Mickelson has missed just three Masters cuts, but he has just one round under par in his last six rounds at Augusta National. He’s also missed the cut in five of his last six PGA or Asian PGA Tour events and beat just seven players in the Orlando LIV event. Unfortunately, it feels like a short stay in Augusta this time around for one of the all-time greats.
Everyone loves Homa this week, and maybe he will have a great tourney, as he does appear to have made the leap to the next level of player with a win, a runner-up and two other Top 10s this year. But it also allows people to get a nice price fading Homa, who, since an opening-round 70 in the fall Masters of 2020, has gone 75-74-74-74-73-77-78 here with a pair of missed cuts and a T-48 last year.
Maybe he’s figured out the course by now, but he’s matched up here against someone who has already figured out the course in Sungjae Im. He has a pair of top-8 finishes in three Masters and played well in the Match Play and THE PLAYERS. I’ll lay the small number with the favorite in this matchup.
Chris “The Bear” Fallica has covered sports for nearly three decades. While college football has been his focus, he also enjoys the NFL, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, MLB, NHL and Horse Racing, with an “occasional” wager on such events. Chris recently won the inaugural Circa Football Invitational and finished in the Top 10 of the Golden Nugget Football Contest. He’s a multiple-time qualifier for the NHC Handicapping Championship. Remember, “The less you bet, the more you lose when you win!” Follow him on Twitter @chrisfallica.
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