2025 Masters Odds, Picks & Predictions: Best Head-to-Head Bets (Round 3)

The Masters leaderboard is loaded with star-studded names heading into the weekend. The winds picked up in the afternoon at Augusta National on Friday, leaving some carnage during the second round of the 89th Masters tournament.

Justin Rose held onto the solo lead, finishing with a 71 in Round 2 to maintain a one-stroke lead over Bryson DeChambeau. DeChambeau eliminated his miscues from Thursday, carding a 4-under-par start on the front nine. He finished with one bogey on the par 3 16th but bounced back with a birdie on the next hole to regain momentum heading into Saturday.

Rory McIlroy had the best round of any golfer in Round 2. The Northern Ireland native finished 6-under-par to launch himself right back into contention for his first green jacket after a series of setbacks on the final few holes in Round 1. Scottie Scheffler remains in contention, starting 2-under-par on the front nine. Three bogeys on the back nine have Scheffler sitting T5 at 5-under-par.

My Masters Best Head-to-Head Bets (Round 2) went a disappointing 0-2. Ludvig Aberg finished 1-over-par, while Bryson DeChambeau was red-hot, recording 4-under-par in Round 2, beating the Swede by five strokes. Aaron Rai and Harris English both had forgettable days on the links. Rai’s blunder on the par 5 8th, resulting in a double bogey, led to English beating him by a stroke despite shooting a 73.

I’ve got a couple of head-to-head bets to place in Round 3 to enjoy watching the top of Saturday’s leaderboard. Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more free bets and weekly PGA Tour analysis.

• Masters Betting Guide & Picks
• Golf Best Betting Odds
• 2025 Masters Full-Field Rankings & Notes for Every Golfer

2025 Masters Tournament: Best Head-to-Head Bets (Round 3)

These plays are 1 unit, or 1% of your betting bankroll. Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. 

Tyrrell Hatton vs. Viktor Hovland – 18 Hole Matchup – Round 3

Tyrrell Hatton and Viktor Hovland are separated by a stroke inside the top-ten of the Masters leaderboard. Both golfers had a lot of volatility on their scorecard on Friday, each recording six birdies.

Hatton fell from runner-up alongside DeChambeau at 7-under-par, to 5-under-par with back-to-back bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes. The Englishman has hit 89 percent of fairways and 75 percent of greens, ranking highly compared to the field. In 2024, Hatton made a late charge on Sunday at Augusta National, shooting a 69 to record a T9 finish.

Hovland’s coming off of an outright win at the Valspar Championship. The Norwegian found a way to climb the leaderboard despite faltering a bit with his game. He hit less greens in regulation in Round 2, while marginally improving his putting. Back-to-back bogeys on the final two holes also kept Hovland from breaking through to join Rory McIlroy and Corey Conners at 6-under-par.

Hovland won the Tour Championship in 2023 and is built to contend atop major leaderboards, despite struggling for the majority of 2025. I’ll grab the value with Hovland at -105 odds. He’s a slight underdog against Hatton but among the best golfers in the world when he settles into a rhythm.

Pick: Viktor Hovland (-105)

---

Rory McIlroy vs. Scottie Scheffler – 18 Hole Matchup – Round 3

We’ve got to bet on Rory McIlroy against Scottie Scheffler in Round 3. It’s going to be must-watch television with the PGA Tour’s top two stars competing for the coveted green jacket during the first major of the season.

McIlroy is still seeking his first win at Augusta National, which would complete the career grand slam by winning all four majors. Scheffler has won the Masters twice since 2022, including last year, so he’ll be ready to rally from three strokes off the lead.

McIlroy’s bad breaks on the final few holes in Round 1 did not carry over into Round 2. He played a bogey-free round on Friday, finishing 6-under-par, carding four birdies and an eagle to surge into T3 alongside Corey Conners. He hit 78 percent of greens in regulation compared to 61 percent on Thursday, despite only hitting 50 percent of fairways. Putts per hole dropped from 1.61 to 1.56 as well.

It was Scottie Scheffler’s turn for bogeys in Round 2. The wind picked up for Scheffler later in the day compared to McIlroy’s earlier tee time, which hurt the defending champion down the stretch. Scheffler went +1 on his final three holes on Friday, while recording five total bogeys.

Despite hitting 71 percent of fairways like he did in Round 1, while finding one more green in regulation at 67 percent, Scheffler’s putting suffered. The World No. 1 finished with 1.61 putts per hole, rising from 1.44 on Thursday.

McIlroy’s infamous collapse in 2011 after holding a 54-hole lead looms large heading into the weekend. He didn’t let a disastrous finish on Thursday derail his play on Friday, which is encouraging for his outlook on Saturday. McIlroy improved hitting greens in regulation in Round 2 at an impressive 78 percent conversion rate.

The weather forecast calls for mid-60s and minimal chance of rain, with winds at a modest 5-10 miles per hour. There should be minimal elements to overcome and scorecards may be filled with red circles during Round 3 on Saturday. McIlroy and Scheffler are both elite competitors but only one golfer has to deal with added pressure due to career shortcomings at this major.

Pressure either bursts pipes or makes diamonds. In this scenario, I’m backing Rory McIlroy to exorcise his demons at Augusta National with another strong effort on Saturday. If not for a pair of double bogeys on the 15th and 17th in Round 1, McIlroy would have the outright lead by multiple strokes right now.

McIlroy’s response in Round 2 is all I needed to see. I recommend placing a one unit bet on him as a rare underdog. Let’s bet against Scheffler in Round 3 and grab plus odds on McIlroy before Round 3 tees off on Saturday afternoon.

Pick: Rory McIlroy (+105)

---