The fight for world No. 1 has been simmering, but it will flare back up on Thursday, April 6 when the 2023 Masters tees off at Augusta National Golf Club. Scottie Scheffler first took over the top ranking just before winning the Masters last year and reclaimed it when he won the Players Championship on March 12. Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy both held it at one point in February, and they’d like to have it back, along with claiming their first green jackets. There will be plenty of other elite golfers in the 2023 Masters field, including Jordan Spieth, the 2015 winner at Augusta, and two-time major winners Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa.

Scheffler cruised to a three-stroke victory last year, but Rahm comes in as the favorite. The Spaniard is 15-2 in the 2023 Masters odds from Caesars Sportsbook, with Scheffler (8-1) and McIlroy (17-2) right behind. Cameron Smith, who won the 2022 Open Championship, is 12-1 and Spieth is 15-1 in the Masters odds 2023. Before locking in any 2023 Masters picks or golf predictions, you need to see what proven golf betting expert Patrick McDonald has to say, considering his recent track record. 

McDonald still likes to dip his toes into the betting pools on a weekly basis on the PGA Tour. He takes a measured approach to his outright selections and is having a profitable 2022-23 season. McDonald is up almost 17 units this season, meaning a haul of nearly $1,700 for $100 bettors. He is having a profitable season in both outright picks and head-to-head matchups.

McDonald nailed the Farmers Insurance Open, backing Homa (25-1) as his top choice. He hit another 25-1 shot at the Houston Open, taking Tony Finau to win, and finished the 2021-22 season up 42 units on his outrights, including a monster 250-1 payout on Hudson Swafford at The American Express. Anyone who follows McDonald’s advice has been cashing in.

Now, McDonald has focused his attention on the 2023 Masters field and has locked in his best bets, top sleepers and favorites to avoid. You can see them here.

Top 2023 Masters expert picks

One stunning prediction from McDonald: He is fading Viktor Hovland, even though the Norwegian recently tied for third at the Players Championship. Hovland also has been in the top 25 in eight of nine tournaments this season, but Augusta National isn’t ideal for the 25-year-old, who is excellent off the tee but struggles as he nears the green. He is 30th in strokes gained approaching the green but 164th around it. He also is 84th in putting, and those aren’t ideal stats for success in the Masters. Hovland hasn’t finished higher than 21st in his first three tries at Augusta National. See who else to fade here. 

On the other hand, McDonald says “Scottie Scheffler should have a legitimate claim to another green jacket.” The 26-year-old has six tour victories since last February and got off to a dominant start and won his first green jacket pretty easily last year. He went 8 under over the first two rounds, making the weekend a walk in the park. Scheffler leads the tour in strokes gained off the tee and greens in regulation and is second in scoring average. He also is in the top 25 in scrambling and strokes gained around the green, so there’s no reason he should struggle. See who else to back here.

How to make 2023 Masters picks, bets

McDonald has locked in his best bets for the Masters 2023 and has found multiple longshots he loves, including one golfer who’s had plenty of success at Augusta, but is still listed at nearly 100-1 to win it all. You can only see the picks at SportsLine.

So which players should you target or avoid for the 2023 Masters? And which proven golfer in the Masters 2023 field could bring a monster payday of almost 100-1? Check out the odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Patrick McDonald’s top picks for the Masters 2023, all from the expert who is up nearly $1,700 on his PGA Tour picks this season, and find out.

2023 Masters odds, field 

See full 2023 Masters picks at SportsLine
Jon Rahm 15-2
Scottie Scheffler 8-1
Rory McIlroy 17-2
Cameron Smith 12-1
Jordan Spieth 15-1
Justin Thomas 16-1
Xander Schauffele 18-1
Tony Finau 20-1
Will Zalatoris 20-1
Collin Morikawa 22-1
Max Homa 22-1
Patrick Cantlay 22-1
Dustin Johnson 25-1
Cameron Young 25-1
Matthew Fitzpatrick 25-1
Tom Kim 25-1
Viktor Hovland 25-1
Sungjae Im 33-1
Hideki Matsuyama 33-1
Brooks Koepka 35-1
Sam Burns 35-1
Shane Lowry 35-1
Joaquin Niemann 45-1
Tyrrell Hatton 55-1
Corey Conners 55-1
Bryson DeChambeau 55-1
Tiger Woods 55-1
Aaron Wise 60-1
Louis Oosthuizen 60-1
Abraham Ancer 60-1
Justin Rose 65-1
Patrick Reed 65-1
Tommy Fleetwood 75-1
Si-Woo Kim 80-1
Russell Henley 80-1
Sahith Theegala 80-1
Billy Horschel 85-1
Talor Gooch 90-1
Mito Pereira 90-1
Adam Scott 100-1
Gary Woodland 100-1
Bubba Watson 100-1
Tom Hoge 100-1
Brian Harman 125-1
Seamus Power 125-1
K H Lee 125-1
Keegan Bradley 125-1
Thomas Pieters 125-1
Ryan Fox 125-1
Sergio Garcia 125-1
Alex Noren 150-1
Scott Stallings 150-1
Kurt Kitayama 150-1
Jason Kokrak 150-1
Sepp Straka 150-1
Cameron Champ 150-1
Harold Varner 150-1
Kevin Na 150-1
Charl Schwartzel 175-1
Adam Meronk 175-1
Kevin Kisner 175-1
Phil Mickelson 200-1
Danny Willett 200-1
Francesco Molinari 200-1
Mackenzie Hughes 250-1
Zach Johnson 300-1
Adam Svensson 300-1
JT Poston 300-1
Fred Couples 1000-1
Bernhard Langer 1000-1
Vijay Singh 1500-1
Mike Weir 1500-1
Larry Mize 2500-1
Jose Maria Olazabal 2500-1
Sandy Lyle 5000-1