Augusta National Golf Club was a different experience in November, and the 2021 Masters will feature firm fairways and a select number of patrons when the event tees off Thursday, April 8. The softer landing spots at the 2020 event gave the long hitters the advantage, and red-hot Dustin Johnson seized his chance, cruising to a five-stroke victory at a record 20-under. He will try to join Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Nick Faldo as the only players to win the Masters Tournament in consecutive years.
William Hill Sportsbook lists the defending champion as the 8-1 favorite in its latest 2021 Masters odds. Others from the 2021 Masters field high up on the PGA odds board include reigning U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau (9-1), Justin Thomas (11-1), Jon Rahm (11-1), Rory McIlroy (14-1) and Jordan Spieth (14-1). Before you lock in any 2021 Masters picks or PGA Tour predictions, you have to see who Sal Johnson is backing.
A media legend and consummate golf insider, Johnson has a strong feel for what it takes to win at Augusta National. He was all over Dustin Johnson before the 2020 Masters, and even he had Woods as a shocking pick the previous year.
Before November’s event, he tabbed Johnson as the top choice in his best bets. “When he gets on a roll like this, he is nearly impossible to beat,” the golf guru told SportsLine. “He is a man with a purpose, and that is to win another major.” Johnson simply ran away with the event, leading wire-to-wire and winning by five shots for his second major championship.
Even more stunning, Sal Johnson was on top of Woods before his emotional comeback victory in 2019. He featured Woods in his best bets despite the 15-time major winner coming off back surgery. Johnson noted Woods’ tee-to-green game looked almost as sharp as it did in his prime. “And this will be the reason for him winning.” The result? Woods shot 13-under to earn his fifth green jacket.
The golf expert knows these players and how they fit the courses. At the Arnold Palmer Invitational last month, he singled out DeChambeau as his top choice to win before he took his second victory of the year.
He also knows when surging players are poised for a breakthrough. He tabbed Sungjae Im as a top contender before his first Tour win at the Honda Classic last season and touted Tyrell Hatton to get his first tour victory the following week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Anyone who has followed Johnson’s advice has cashed in huge.
Johnson, the first producer of “Inside the PGA Tour” and a longtime ABC Sports technician who worked with Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Greg Norman who was also the founder of the world’s top golf stats database, has released his highly confident 2021 Masters picks, and they will surprise you. You can only see them here.
Top 2021 Masters expert picks
Johnson is fading DeChambeau, even though the 27-year-old leads the tour in driving distance (320.8 yards) and scoring average (69.432) while being one of the top Las Vegas favorites. He also is the reigning U.S. Open champion, but DeChambeau’s best finish at Augusta is a tie for 21st (as an amateur). He is more than just power, as he ranks 28th in overall putting average (1.583) and putts per round (28.5), but his accuracy is a major issue on a course like this. He ranks 81st in greens in regulation (67.4%) and will need an otherworldly putting week to contend.
Jordan Spieth has been making quite a comeback, and Johnson has had his eye on him the whole way. The 2015 Masters champ has finished in the top 15, including three top-fives, in five of his past six starts. He is 43-under par during that span. His season numbers haven’t caught up since he missed the cut in four of seven events before his current run, but his driving has been steady and he typically plays well at Augusta. He is 45th in total strokes gained and 65th in strokes gained putting.
Scottie Scheffler comes off a runner-up finish at the WGC-Dell Match Play, and Johnson likes where his game is right now. The 24-year-old has finished in the top 25 in half of his 14 events this season and he shot in the 60s in six of his eight rounds before missing the cut with 74-71 at the Players Championship. He bounced back by advancing to the final at the Match Play, where he lost to Billy Horschel. He tied for 19th in November at Augusta and ranks in the top 25 in driving accuracy (66.99 percent), greens in regulation (70.33) and strokes gained around the green. You can only see who to pick here.
How to make 2021 Masters predictions
For the Masters 2021, Johnson is touting an epic long shot north of 40-1. This golfer has always been a shot-maker, and players like that are rewarded at the Masters. He could be a huge surprise this week, and anyone who backs this underdog could cash in big. He’s only sharing all of his 2021 Masters bets here.
Who wins the Masters 2021? Where do Justin Thomas and Patrick Reed finish? And which huge long shot is a must-back? Check out the odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Sal Johnson’s full leaderboard, picks and analysis for the 2021 Masters, all from the insider who has been locked in on his picks at Augusta National.
2021 Masters odds
Dustin Johnson 8-1
Bryson DeChambeau 9-1
Jon Rahm 11-1
Justin Thomas 11-1
Rory McIlroy 14-1
Jordan Spieth 14-1
Xander Schauffele 20-1
Brooks Koepka 20-1
Patrick Cantlay 22-1
Patrick Reed 25-1
Collin Morikawa 25-1
Tony Finau 28-1
Lee Westwood 28-1
Tyrrell Hatton 30-1
Viktor Hovland 30-1
Daniel Berger 33-1
Hideki Matsuyama 35-1
Scottie Scheffler 35-1
Webb Simpson 40-1
Paul Casey 40-1
Cameron Smith 40-1
Sung-Jae Im 40-1
Jason Day 45-1
Bubba Watson 45-1
Tommy Fleetwood 50-1
Matthew Fitzpatrick 50-1
Joaquin Niemann 50-1
Sergio Garcia 50-1
Adam Scott 60-1
Justin Rose 66-1
Harris English 66-1
Matthew Wolff 66-1
Will Zalatoris 66-1
Louis Oosthuizen 66-1
Francesco Molinari 80-1
Billy Horschel 80-1
Max Homa 80-1
Jason Kokrak 80-1
Shane Lowry 80-1
Abraham Ancer 80-1
Phil Mickelson 90-1
Victor Perez 90-1
Marc Leishman 100-1
Russell Henley 100-1
Rickie Fowler 100-1
Christiaan Bezuidenhout 100-1
Corey Conners 100-1
Ian Poulter 100-1
Si-Woo Kim 100-1
Matt Kuchar 100-1
Gary Woodland 100-1
Brian Harman 100-1