
Day two of the Masters Tournament is complete, and it's been nothing short of spectacular at Augusta National. Rory McIlroy is the reigning champion and heads into the third round as the heavy favorite. Looming behind are Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Reed, and others. This article will cover the betting odds after Friday's cut and my best predictions for Masters Sunday.

(Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
What a week it's been for McIlroy, who holds a 6-shot lead at -12, and chipped in a birdie at hole No. 17 on Friday. Having shot a 67 in the first round and 65 in the second, McIlroy set a new record for the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history.
The last time we saw this large of a lead was Scottie Scheffler's 5-shot lead at the 2022 Masters. According to ESPN, the last five golfers who held a 5-shot lead since 1946 all advanced to win the tournament. That includes Herman Heiser (1946), Jack Nicklaus (1975), Raymond Floyd (1976), Jordan Spieth (2015), and Scheffler (2022).
Five shots clear, McIlroy has the lead, but it doesn't mean he's guaranteed to win. It is amazing, I must say, that he completed three birdies in the first four holes. While several golfers haven't had their best outings, McIlroy came out to defend his title, or jacket, should I say. It was a remarkable performance in which McIlroy birdied in the final four holes of the second round and completed nine birdies on the day.

No wonder why McIlroy is the overwhelming favorite to win the Masters at -280 odds. 50% of his shots have been pars, and 42% birdies. While McIlroy is playing out of his mind, there are two rounds ahead of him. -280 doesn't have much value, so I would wait to see if he shortens the gap or if the odds improve. We all remember last year's sudden death matchup with Justin Rose.
Popular names to miss Friday's cut include Bryson DeChambeau (+6), who delivered a triple bogey that sealed his fate. In addition, Akshay Bhatia (+6) blew his lead to miss the cut, along with J.J. Spaun (+5), Cameron Smith (+7), Rob MacIntyre (+7), and Bubba Watson (+5). Hole 18 was challenging for so many thus far. Although still in contention, Scheffler finished the Round 2 at 2-over.
Closing in on McIlroy are Sam Burns (-6), Patrick Reed (-6), and his playoff partner from last year's Masters final, Justin Rose (-5). With two days of golf left, let's take a look at the Masters betting odds after Round 2. McIlroy has pulled away, but that doesn't mean there's no value. Also, here are my predictions.
Let's look at the 2026 Masters winner betting odds, courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
I've talked a bit about McIlroy, and I don't recommend betting on him unless he breaks the lead a bit. A 6-shot lead is a good amount for the Ireland native. McIlroy is making his 18th Masters appearance; this didn't happen by accident.
McIlroy is the No. 2-ranked golfer in the world behind Scheffler, and although the Players Championship wasn't his best outing, he tied for second in the Genesis Invitational in late February. Currently, DraftKings has McIlroy as the overwhelming favorite to finish top five (-2500) and top 10 (-9000). Unless you bet on this early, there's barely any value here.
If you bet on Rory early on, you may be in for a big payday. Unless he completely breaks down, he'll be hard to catch.
After missing the cut in last year's Masters, Koepka is back in action and in peak form. Although Koepka dealt with some equipment issues that impacted his driver. It, in fact, caused him to miss the fairway on several occasions.
It's been a bit of a rough year for Koepka, who missed the cut at Houston in late March and tied 18th at the Valspar Championship.
He may not have the most elite driving accuracy this year (51.7), but Koepka hardly misses with it. That said, he's T13 for -3, which is a three-shot difference from second-place.
Koepka didn't have his best stuff after shooting a 72 in the first round. He had four bogies within the first ten holes, but had a fairly decent back nine with two birdies.
On Friday, Koepka delivered a much better performance in the second round (69), which saw him total six birdies and just three bogies. In fact, he had a strong back half again and didn't bogie after the ninth hole.
Overall, he's sunk 31% birdie shots and 47% par shots. Amid several competitors, Koepka had much better efficiency in the second round when it came to greens in regulation (14-18).
I'm taking Brooks Koepka to finish top-10 at +100 odds. He's back from LIV on the PGA, and he's among the most elite iron players on tour. According to Golf Data, Koepka ranks No. 10 in strokes gained tee-to-green at the Masters (+2.95). Moreover, he ranks seventh in strokes gained for approach shots (+2.16).
I like this top ten finish, especially since Koepka is making his 11th Masters appearance. As the conditions change, if anyone can handle it, it's Koepka. He's hit 69% of greens, improving to 78% in round 2. I also like the fact that his fairway accuracy was much better in the second round (64%).
