Tiger Woods’ Masters chances are unclear, but bettors are having a field day

A tradition unlike any other could produce one of the greatest sports comeback stories ever. Tiger Woods plans to play in the Masters 13 months after a severe one-car accident.

2022 Masters futures have been up at sportsbooks for nearly a year, but news of Tiger on the practice round prowl caused an uproar. On Tuesday morning he said, “I feel like I am going to play.” If he does, he will tee off his 24th Masters at 10:34 a.m. on Thursday in a group with Louis Oosthuizen and Joaquin Niemann. Of course, wherever Woods goes, he draws a crowd and bettors’ interest.

Woods is the most-bet golfer in the following markets at DraftKings:

He is +4000 at DraftKings to win his sixth green jacket at Augusta National. Woods is +800 to finish in the top five and +500 to land in the top 10.

“We’ve taken a lot of money on him. He’s our biggest liability,” said Johnny Avello, DraftKings’ director of race & sportsbook operations. “I’m not sure he’s capable of winning it. I don’t think he’s in tournament shape. He could have a really good day or two. But to have four days after not playing and walking around a demanding course, it would be extraordinary. It would be one of the biggest achievements ever in the history of sports.”

If you don’t think Woods has another Masters comeback in him, there are props to make or miss the cut.

The odds at PointsBet for Woods to make the cut are -110. To miss the cut, they are -122.

In February, Woods was 60/1 to win the Masters at Caesars sportsbook. Last week he moved to 50/1 and is currently 40/1.

“It’s just huge what Tiger brings to the table,” said Adam Pullen, Caesars Sportsbook’s assistant director of trading, in a statement. “The Masters doesn’t need any more selling points, but a Masters with Tiger is obviously more exciting. Over the years, we’ve seen that if you can play on certain courses, current form might not matter as much.”

Pullen said he would not be surprised if Tiger closed at 25/1 or 20/1. They aren’t seeing many huge bets on Woods; instead, it’s lots of little bets. It makes the prospect of Woods winning the Masters a big liability.

“I think it’ll be an all-timer as far as liability goes. It’s not like he’s 10/1; it’s a rarity that he’s priced as high as he is. We’re fresh off the NCAA Tournament and the St. Peter’s title liability was close to eight figures. Will this be the same? Probably not, but it’ll be significant. At 40/1, that liability adds up pretty quickly.”

Aside from Tiger, there are plenty of other cats to consider.

Favorites to win the Masters at BetMGM:

Last year, pre-tournament long shot (+5000) Hideki Matsuyama won. There has not been a back-to-back winner since Woods in 2001 and 2002. Matsuyama is +4000 to repeat.

At DraftKings, Woods leads with 15% of the total money wagered to win the Masters. Rounding out the top five are Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Cantlay, and Cameron Smith.

Woods leads with about the same percentage of the money at BetMGM, followed by Thomas with 7% and Koepka with 6.6%.

Katie Kohler is the managing editor at Play Pennsylvania where she writes about sports betting and casinos.