2022 Masters odds: Surprising PGA Picks, predictions by top-rated model that nailed 7 golf majors

SportsLine simulated the Masters Tournament 2022 at Augusta National Golf Club 10,000 Times

By CBS Sports Staff

Jack Nicklaus began his legacy at the Masters in 1961 when he finished seventh as an amateur. Non-professionals participating at the Masters 2022 will compete for the Silver Cup, but there are also 16 pros in the 2022 Masters field who are making their debut at Augusta National Golf Club. Sam Burns has the best 2022 Masters odds of the group at 40-1 at Caesars Sportsbook, but should he be among your 2022 Masters picks? The first 2022 Masters tee times are on Thursday, April 7.

Burns is coming off his second PGA Tour win of the season at the Valspar Championship after he opened with a win at the Sanderson Farms Championship. Will Zalatoris raised everyone’s eyebrows when he took second in his Masters debut last year, and he returns with 35-1 Masters odds 2022 to win. Before locking in any 2022 Masters picks of your own, be sure to see the golf predictions and projected leaderboard from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

SportsLine’s proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, has been red-hot since the PGA Tour resumed in June 2020. In fact, it’s up almost $10,000 on its best bets since that point, nailing tournament after tournament.

At the 2021 Open Championship, McClure’s best bets included Collin Morikawa winning outright even though he was listed as a massive 40-1 long shot. In addition, McClure’s model was all over Jon Rahm’s (10-1) first career major championship victory at the 2021 U.S. Open. Rahm was two strokes off the lead heading into the weekend, but the model still projected him as the winner.

Now that the Masters 2022 field is taking shape, SportsLine simulated the event 10,000 times, and the results were surprising. Head to SportsLine now to see the projected 2022 Masters leaderboard.

Model’s top 2022 Masters predictions

One major surprise the model is calling for at the 2022 Masters: Rory McIlroy, a 20-time PGA Tour champion and one of the top favorites, stumbles at Augusta and finishes outside the top 10. The 32-year-old finished on top of the leaderboard at the CJ Cup earlier this season, his 20th PGA Tour victory.

McIlroy is a four-time major champion and can complete the career grand slam with a victory at Augusta National. However, he has been unable to grasp the coveted green jacket despite being in the mix on numerous occasions. McIlroy has finished in the top 10 in six of his last eight starts at Augusta, but the pressure of winning the green jacket seems to be weighing on him. He’s finished 21st or worse in two of his last three starts at Augusta, which includes a missed cut in 2021. He’s not a strong pick to win it all, and there are far better values in the Masters Tournament 2022 field.

Another surprise: Viktor Hovland, an 18-1 long shot, makes a strong run at the title. He’s a target for anyone looking for a huge payday. Last year, the only area of his game that failed him was lack of execution on approach shots, where he finished with a minus-0.58 shots gained average. Otherwise, he was strong off the tee and picked up nearly a stroke-and-a-half on such shots per round. Hovland has been much better this season on his approach attempts and is third on the tour in strokes gained (1.019).

Hovland finished 32nd and 21st in his first two appearances at Augusta National, but he looks like he’s set up for a much better showing this year.

Source: CBSSports.com