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Will Zalatoris had back surgery last April, which caused him to miss the remainder of the 2022-23 season, but he has returned to the course ahead of the 2024 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. Zalatoris finished second at the Genesis Invitational in February before finishing fourth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March. He is 21-1 in the latest 2024 Masters odds, while Scottie Scheffler is the 5-1 favorite on the PGA odds board. Scheffler won the 2022 Masters and posted three top-10 finishes in major tournaments last year, including a 10th-place run at the Masters.
The World No. 1 posted back-to-back wins at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Players Championship earlier this month, so he is in strong form heading into the Masters, which begins on Thursday, April 11. Should you back him at short odds with your 2024 Masters betting strategy? Before locking in any 2024 Masters picks, make sure you see the PGA Tour predictions and best bets from golf betting and fantasy expert Sia Nejad.
Nejad specializes in betting and DFS in golf, among other sports. He’s had incredible success in the outright and first-round leader markets as well as betting head-to-head matchups. He’s been profitable with his head-to-head matchups since last year’s Charles Schwab Challenge, going 35-21-2 and returning 10.00 units. That’s a $1,000 profit for $100 bettors since May 2023.
Nejad also nailed 75-1 longshot Wyndham Clark as the outright winner at the Wells Fargo Championship. In 2023, SportsLine debuted “The Early Wedge,” and in the first three months of the show, he hit two first-round leaders and three outright winners.
Now, Nejad has focused his attention on the 2024 Masters field and has locked in his best bets, top sleepers and favorites to avoid. See who they are at SportsLine.
Top 2024 Masters expert picks
One surprise: Nejad is completely fading Rory McIlroy, even though he’s a four-time major champion and one of the top favorites in the 2024 Masters odds. McIlroy has been trying to achieve the career grand slam since 2014, when he won the PGA Championship and Open Championship. However, he has not won a major title since, and the pressure continues to mount heading into the first major of 2024.
McIlroy has missed the cut in two of his last three appearances at Augusta National, and he is not in strong form this season. He has not cracked the top 15 in any of his five tournaments this year, ranking outside the top 95 on the PGA Tour in scoring average. Nejad cannot justify backing McIlroy as one of the favorites for the Masters 2024, especially since the 34-year-old is dealing with extraordinary pressure.
Instead, Nejad is high on the chances of Hideki Matsuyama, even though he’s a +2800 longshot. Matsuyama has had success at Augusta National, winning his first and only major championship in 2021. He’s also finished 16th or better in his last four starts at the Masters. In total, Matsuyama has finished sixth or better in all four majors, including runner-up in the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills.
The 32-year-old has also been playing well in 2024, securing his ninth PGA Tour victory in February at the Genesis Invitational. “His Masters history is excellent and he’s done it by showcasing elite ball striking,” Nejad said. “He’s also starting to trend very well in the short game department and appears to have shaken off whatever nagging injuries ailed him over the last year.” See who else to back at SportsLine.
How to make 2024 Masters picks
Nejad has locked in his early best bets for the 2024 Masters and is backing several longshots, including one priced at more than 150-1. This player “has been playing well in 2024 and has a decent track record at the Masters.” You can see Nejad’s PGA Tour picks only at SportsLine.
So, which players should you target or avoid for the 2024 Masters, and which player in the Masters 2024 field could bring a huge payday at more than 150-1? Check out the odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Sia Nejad’s top picks for the 2024 Masters, all from the expert who is 35-21 on golf head-to-head picks.
2024 Masters odds, field
See Nejad’s picks, best bets and predictions here
Scottie Scheffler +500
Rory McIlroy +1000
Jon Rahm +1300
Brooks Koepka +2100
Jordan Spieth +2100
Will Zalatoris +2100
Viktor Hovland +2100
Xander Schauffele +2400
Ludvig Aberg +2400
Patrick Cantlay +2800
Justin Thomas +2800
Hideki Matsuyama +2800
Cameron Smith +3100
Collin Morikawa +3100
Joaquin Niemann +3100
Wyndham Clark +3100
Matt Fitzpatrick +3600
Dustin Johnson +3600
Tony Finau +4400
Max Homa +4400
Brian Harman +4600
Shane Lowry +4600
Cameron Young +4600
Jason Day +4600
Bryson DeChambeau +4600
Sam Burns +5500
Min Woo Lee +5500
Sahith Theegala +5500
Tommy Fleetwood +5500
Sung-Jae Im +7500
Tyrrell Hatton +7500
Corey Conners +9000
Justin Rose +9000
Patrick Reed +9000
Tom Kim +12000
Russell Henley +12000
Adam Scott +12000
Rickie Fowler +12000
Jake Knapp +12000
Phil Mickelson +16000
Harris English +16000
Sergio Garcia +16000
Tiger Woods +16000
Gary Woodland +19000
Keegan Bradley +19000
Si Woo Kim +19000
Chris Kirk +19000
Ryan Fox +19000
J.T. Poston +19000
Nick Dunlap +19000
Cameron Davis +19000
Thorbjorn Olesen +19000
Adrian Meronk +19000
Sepp Straka +19000
Nick Taylor +19000
Eric Cole +19000
Matthieu Pavon +19000
Emiliano Grillo +19000
Nicolai Hojgaard +19000
Luke List +21000
Adam Hadwin +21000
Charl Schwartzel +28000
Kurt Kitayama +28000
Bubba Watson +28000
Ryo Hisatsune +28000
Erik van Rooyen +28000
