Masters Sleeper Picks and Predictions: Slap a Bet on Jake Knapp

Neil Parker - Analyst at Covers.com
Neil Parker • Betting Analyst 16+ years betting experience
Updated: Apr 7, 2026 , 11:02 AM ET • 4 min read

Parker's predictions: Jake Knapp headlines my favorite sleepers and longshots for the 2026 Masters.

Jake Knapp The Masters PGA Tour
Photo By - Reuters Connect. PGA Tour golfer Jake Knapp during the Monday practice round of the 2026 Masters.

The 2026 Masters is here to open the major championship season, and all eyes will be on Augusta National this week.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is the betting favorite in the Masters odds, with Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Rory McIlroy right behind him to form a star-studded tier at the top.

Still, there are plenty of players in excellent form carrying long odds to target when filling out your betting card with Masters picks this week.

Additionally, because the Masters hasn’t seen a true longshot win in several years, I’ve complemented each of my outright bets on the following sleepers with a secondary Top 20 bet at plus-money odds.

Masters sleeper picks

Picks were made on 4-7 at 9:00 a.m. ET.

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Masters sleeper predictions

Sleeper pick to win: Chris Gotterup
+6000 at bet365

Beginning with the elephant in the room, Chris Gotterup is playing the Masters for the first time, and a debutant hasn’t won at Augusta National since 1979.

With that in mind, it’s also the reason we’re landing such a long number on the trending four-time PGA Tour winner.

After all, Gotterup has won three of his past 16 events while gaining true strokes across the board, including ranking eighth in this field in true strokes gained off-the-tee and 16th in tee-to-green play.

It's also translated to ranking eighth in adjusted scoring average and 23rd in birdie-or-better percentage on Tour this year.

Sleeper pick to win: Jake Knapp
+7000 at bet365

The uber-talented Jake Knapp has five Top 10 finishes in seven events in 2026 and will be playing Augusta National for the second time after a ho-hum T55 debut in 2024.

His work on the greens has improved tremendously since his first Masters, as he’s second in this field in true strokes gained putting in 2026, which makes him a dangerous player given his distance off the tee.

Of course, Knapp is also pacing the PGA Tour in adjusted scoring average and Par-5 scoring average while ranking second in bogey avoidance this season.

Sleeper pick to win: Nicolai Hojgaard
+8500 at bet365

There are no current holes in Nicolai Hojgaard’s game, and he’ll be visiting Augusta National for the third time. He flashed on the leaderboard following an opening-round 67 in his 2024 debut, too.

Hojgaard enters this year’s event at the peak of his powers and with three Top 5s across his past eight events while gaining true strokes across the board.

I particularly value him ranking 20th in this field in true strokes gained tee-to-green and 14th in putting during the eight-event stretch, while also ranking fourth in adjusted scoring average on the PGA Tour.

Sleeper pick to win: Maverick McNealy
+9000 at bet365

Simply put, this is too long a number, and while obviously a lot will need to go right for Maverick McNealy to don the green jacket, I still value his well-rounded game. 

He finished T32 in his debut last year despite ranking fifth last in true strokes gained putting, so right out of the gate, I'm anticipating improved work on the greens, considering he ranks 11th in this field in the metric across his past three events.

McNealy has also gained true strokes across the board in 2026, in addition to ranking seventh in Par-5 scoring average and 23rd in birdie-or-better percentage on the PGA Tour, so he's one of the most mispriced players on the board.

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Neil Parker - Covers
Betting Analyst

Neil Parker is, first and foremost, a sports fan. A huge supporter of the Cowboys, Cubs, and Maple Leafs, he has managed to parlay his passion into writing gigs at some of the top websites in the industry.

Neil takes a numbers-based approach to his handicapping and complements his in-depth statistical analysis with a keen eye on the markets to provide the best available odds. He loves to lean on his rolodex of idioms to offset his inner nerd. When it comes to wagering, he throws down on anything that catches his eye at bet365, Betway and BetVictor. He also keeps a close eye on CoolBet because the polar bear brand often has outlier NHL and NFL moneyline prices.

Neil graduated with honors from St. Thomas University in 2007 before completing his BEd at Acadia University in 2010. After teaching a myriad of courses and subjects, he found a groove delivering fun lessons to exceptional learners in non-traditional classroom environments. If his decade-plus teaching run taught him anything about sports betting, it’s to stay the course and use the summer – or offseason – to refresh and prepare to be better in the year to come.

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