The 2026 Masters begins on Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club, and Rory McIlroy will host the Champions Dinner on Tuesday night after finally completing the career grand slam with his first green jacket last year. McIlroy posted seven top-10 finishes at Augusta and also blew a four-shot lead with a final-round 80 in 2011 before finally winning the Masters. Now he’ll look to become the first back-to-back champion since Tiger Woods did it in 2001 and 2002.<\/p>\n
The 36-year-old from Northern Ireland hasn’t won yet this season, but he’s still listed at +1300 in the 2026 Masters odds. Only Scottie Scheffler (+500), Jon Rahm (+1000) and Bryson DeChambeau (+1000) are listed ahead of the defending champion on the odds board this week. Before locking in any 2026 Masters picks, be sure to see the 2026 Masters predictions and projected leaderboard from the proven computer model at SportsLine<\/a>.<\/p>\n SportsLine’s proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, simulated every PGA Tour event 10,000 times and reveals\u00a0golf betting<\/a> picks that have a history of being extremely profitable.\u00a0<\/p>\n This same model has also nailed a whopping 16 majors entering the weekend, including the 2025 Masters — its fourth Masters in a row — as well as last year’s PGA Championship and Open Championship. Anyone who has followed its sports betting<\/a> picks could have seen huge returns on betting sites<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Now that the 2026 Masters field is locked in, the model simulated the tournament 10,000 times, and the results were surprising. Head to SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n 2026 Masters predictions\u00a0<\/p>\n One major surprise the model is calling for at the Masters 2026: Ludvig Aberg, one of the favorites and a golfer who has had two strong Masters appearances, finishes well outside of the top 5 this year. Despite never finishing higher than T12 at any other major, Aberg has been extremely comfortable at Augusta, finishing solo seventh and solo second in his only two appearances.<\/p>\n Strokes gained: approaching the green, however, is a critical stat at Augusta, and Aberg has been mid-tier in that area this year, ranking 36th on the PGA Tour. Aberg only finishes in the top 5 around 25% of the time in McClure’s simulations for the Masters 2026, making him a golfer to fade in Masters best bets.\u00a0See who else to fade here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Another surprise: The model is high on longshot Tommy Fleetwood, who enters at +2200. The 35-year-old Englishman made a strong run at a green jacket in 2024. That year, Fleetwood finished tied for third at Augusta. He has also played well at other majors, finishing second at the U.S. Open in 2018, and second at The Open Championship in 2019.<\/p>\n Fleetwood has played well this season, finishing tied for 10th or better in four of his five starts. He has 11 wins as a professional, including eight on the European Tour and one on the PGA Tour. The win on the PGA Tour came at last year’s Tour Championship in August, where he defeated Patrick Cantlay and Russell Henley by three strokes. Fleetwood enters the Masters ranked fourth in the world.\u00a0See who else to pick here<\/a>.<\/p>\n How to make 2026 Masters picks<\/p>\n The model is also targeting two more stunning longshots higher than +4000, including one going off around +8000, to surge to the top of the leaderboard, potentially bringing a massive return.\u00a0You can only see who they are at SportsLine<\/a>.<\/p>\n Who will win the 2026 Masters, and which massive longshots will stun the golfing world? Check out the 2026 Masters odds below and then visit SportsLine to see the projected leaderboard, all from the model that’s nailed 16 golf majors, including three in 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n 2026 Masters odds, field, favorites\u00a0<\/p>\n