2026 Masters Model: Fade Aberg, Back Fleetwood
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- Scottie Scheffler enters the 2026 Masters as the +550 favorite, sitting No. 1 in the world with 20 career PGA Tour victories and T-4 or better finishes in three of six 2026 starts.
- SportsLine's model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, has nailed 16 majors entering the 2026 Masters weekend, including the 2025 Masters (its fourth straight), plus the 2024 PGA Championship and Open Championship.
- Ludvig Aberg, listed at +1700 and a pre-tournament favorite, is projected to finish well outside the top 5 by the model, which cites his slide to No. 17 in the world, four missed cuts in eight career majors, and a tough afternoon-morning tee-time stagger on Thursday and Friday.
- Tommy Fleetwood at +2200 is flagged as a strong title contender by the model, backed by five top-25 Augusta finishes in eight years (including T3 in 2024) and four top-10s already in 2026.
- The 2026 Masters tees off Thursday, April 9 at Augusta National, with first-round play starting at 7:40 a.m. ET and Scheffler grouped for a 1:44 p.m. ET start.
- The model is also targeting two longshots priced higher than +4000, including one at roughly +8000, as potential leaderboard climbers with massive payout upside.
Why it matters: Bettors weighing 2026 Masters wagers get a data-driven counterweight to the public board: a model with a documented 16-major hit rate is explicitly fading a popular pre-tournament name (Aberg at +1700) and upgrading a mid-range longshot (Fleetwood at +2200) who has the Augusta track record and 2026 form to justify the bump.
