Masters odds: Scheffler, McIlroy in a tier above the rest

No disrespect to the ongoing Valero Texas Open, but there are fewer than seven days until the first tee ball is hit at Augusta National. It's officially Masters week.

From a betting perspective, the 2025 Masters could not be more intriguing. While odds for the event have been available for a while, recent movement atop the oddsboard has generated two clear front-runners.

Scottie Scheffler is the favorite at +450 (18.2% implied probability) at theScore Bet/ESPN Bet, but his odds have drifted slightly from his low of +375.

Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy is playing some of the best golf of his career, with his opening odds of +1000 shortening to +600 after he won The Players Championship. Rarely are two players priced so short heading into a tournament, creating a wide gap at the top.

The favorites

It's unlikely the market will allow McIlroy to jump Scheffler on the oddsboard. Although he hasn't won this season, Scheffler's success at Augusta National is too strong, as he's claimed two of the last three green jackets.

However, you can certainly make the case that McIlroy is the best player in the world at the moment. He won at TPC Sawgrass and took down the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, marking the first time he's earned two victories leading into the Masters. But Augusta National has been McIlroy's kryptonite ever since he collapsed on the back nine in 2011 - the last time he was truly in contention to win the green jacket.

Bettors will be forced to make one of three decisions if they want a decent return on picking the winner correctly: Choose Scheffler, choose McIlroy, or venture further down the oddsboard to find the winner.

Collin Morikawa and Ludvig Aberg are the next two options on the oddsboard. Morikawa is one of three players gaining over two strokes per round this season (Scheffler and McIlroy are the others), and he's recorded three straight top 10s at Augusta.

Aberg won the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines in February and was the runner-up to Scheffler in his Masters debut last year. Aberg's showing at the Texas Open may influence his odds slightly, but he should remain within the top five or six on the betting board.

Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, and Joaquin Niemann are grouped among the favorites as LIV Golf's top-end talent. It's hard to know exactly how they've been playing on LIV this season. However, the trio faces a tough test this weekend at Doral's Blue Monster course in Miami, which could shed some light on the state of their games.

Xander Schauffele currently holds two of the four major championship titles, but his odds have lengthened to +2200 after a rib injury and some poor play derailed the start of his 2025 season. While he's a potential long shot, Augusta National isn't a course where struggling players regain their form.

The next tier

While the top of the betting board is unlikely to see much movement, the remainder can easily change throughout the week as oddsmakers react to the betting market. Most players' odds will lengthen as the week goes on, with sportsbooks competing to offer the best prices.

Check back all week for more in-depth betting coverage of what should be a fantastic Masters Tournament.