posted April 8, 2009 at 15:00 EST in Golf Free Picks
Masters Group Betting - The Best Odds at Winning
2009 Masters 72 Hole Group Betting
Tee-off: 4/9/2009
If BetUS sports betting members don’t like the odds that they are getting on a golfer to win, or are have trouble finding a golfer to win, then 72 Hole Group Betting is the way to go.
In 72 Hole Group Betting, gamblers pick individual winners out of 6 groups. The odds on all of the golfers are lower than expected but winning should be easier than picking the actual victor of a golf tournament.
Also, some surprising things might happen like getting Tiger Woods at -160 to simply beat four other golfers. I point out Tiger’s odds in this category even though he’s not going to be my pick.
Here are my picks for each group in the 72 Hole Group Betting category for the 2009 Masters.
Group 1
Golfers: Tiger Woods -160, Phil Mickelson +325, Padraig Harrington +700, Geoff Ogilvy +800, Retief Goosen +1200
Analysis: This has to be considered the winner’s group. I mean, Harrington won last year’s PGA Championship and British Open, Tiger has won the Masters four times and Mickelson has won it twice. Both Ogilvy and Goosen have won at least one tournament in 2009. The odds makers didn’t make things easy on bettors by putting so many good golfers into a single group. The only golfer in this group that I believe doesn’t have a chance to win is Ogilvy who’s game just isn’t as effective at Augusta as it is at so many other courses. That leaves Goosen, Harrington, Woods and Mickelson.
I’m not betting Woods because his odds are too low for this group and Goosen just appears to be in too tough of a group for a wager. That leaves Mickelson and Harrington. Out of the two, I’m going with Harrington for two reasons. When it comes to Majors, nobody is playing as well as Harrington who won the final two Majors of 2008. Harrington also has recent form on his side at Augusta having finished 7th in 2007 and 5th in 2008. Finally, I can’t pass up on the odds. Harrington should be closer to +500 in this group than +700.
Pick: Padraig Harrington at +700
Group 2
Golfers: Paul Casey +275, Rory McIlroy +285, Sergio Garcia +350, Ernie Els +380, Henrick Stenson +380
Analysis: This is McIlroy’s first appearance at Augusta. I may be wrong, but to me McIlroy is an automatic throw-out because I truly believe that it takes most golfers, Tiger excluded, time to get to know the Augusta course. Without McIlroy, the obvious pick might be Sergio at odds of +350, right? Wrong. Garcia has been a dud at the Masters finishing no better than 46th in 2006 since the course was lengthened. In 2007 and 2008 Sergio didn’t even make the cut. Ernie Els is always a tough guy and if his odds were +500 or higher in this group, he’d be the bet but his odds aren’t that good. Stenson’s back to back 17th place finishes in 2007 and 2008 shouldn’t convince bettors. That means that Casey is the pick at +275. The Shell Houston Open winner finished 10th in 2007 and 11th in 2008. He could win the Masters at +2500 (link to 2009 Masters To Win article). In 2008 he shot a 71, 69 and 69 before blowing it with a 79 on Sunday. A bit more maturity and he can win the whole thing which means winning in this group shouldn’t be an issue.
Pick: Paul Casey at +275
Group 3
Golfers: Zach Johnson +285, Camilo Villegas +285, Robert Karlsson +325, Nick Watney +300, Anthony Kim +300
Analysis: I believe that one day Kim is going to be a top five golfer, but like McIlroy in Group 2, this will be his first start at Augusta. He’s a throw-out in this group. Villegas’s game isn’t solid enough for Augusta which is why he has missed the cut in his only two tries. Karlsson finished 8th in 2008 and deserves some consideration. Watney finished 11th in 2008. Finally, there’s Zach Johnson who won in 2007 but finished 20th in 2008. Out of the three contenders, I’m going to have to go with Watney who not only played well enough at Augusta to finish 11th in 2008 but has made the cut in 8 of the tournaments he has entered in 2009 with one victory and 3 top ten finishes. He’s the bet.
Pick: Nick Watney at +300
Group 4
Golfers: Lee Westwood +275, Sean O’Hair +290, Justin Rose +300, Kenny Perry +300, Stewart Cink +325
Analysis: Westwood, O’Hair, Rose, Perry and Cink are so evenly matched, that I found it very difficult to pick the winner in this group. I had to discount Perry’s chances because he hasn’t teed off at Augusta since 2005. O’Hair did well in 2008 to finish tied for 14th place in the Masters, and Westwood finished 11th in this tournament last year. Rose shot a 68 in the first round in the 2008 Masters but ended up tied for 36th place after a second round 78. I finally settled on Stewart Cink who finished 3rd in the 2008 Masters and has made the cut in 9 out of 12 Masters’ Tournaments. I’ll bet Cink but I will do it grudgingly.
Pick: Stewart Cink at +325
Group 5
Golfers: Hunter Mahan +285, Mike Weir +285, Luke Donald +325, Tim Clark +350, Justin Leonard +350
Analysis: Mahan didn’t make the cut in the 2008 Masters, yet he’s the chalk in this group. Weir has finished 11th, 20th and 17th since 2006, the key year when Hootie lengthened the Augusta course. Luke Donald didn’t make the cut in 2008 after finishing 10th in 2007. Tim Clark finished 2nd in 2006 and 13th in 2007 before not making the cut in 2008. Justin Leonard finished 20th in 2008 after not making the cut in 2007. Who wins this group? Based on both past history at Augusta and odds, I have to go with Tim Clark. I believe Clark has a legitimate shot to make some waves at Augusta this week. If that’s the case, and I really believe he can bounce back from his terrible 2008 Masters, then I have to like him in this group at +350.
Pick: Tim Clark at +350
Group 6
Golfers: Ian Poulter +285, Tevor Immelman +300, Robert Allenby +300, Stuart Appleby +300, Fred Couples +350
Analysis: The 49 year old Couples is playing well, but this is the Masters. I just don’t see it happening. Immelman is the defending champion but has had a bad 2009 so far. Poulter finished tied for 25th in 2008 after a 13th place finish in 2007. Allenby didn’t break the top 40 in 2008. That leaves Stuart Appleby whose 7th place finish in 2007 and 14th place finish 2008 makes him a solid wager in this group.
Pick: Stuart Appleby at +300
