US Masters In-Play Betting Tips: Thomas to shine on Saturday

Now we have reached the business end of the US Masters. This weekend is always one of the finest of the entire sporting calendar, so let's sit back and simply enjoy it.

We've got our expert golf tipster Jamie Worsley in to cover all the action this week and today, Jamie has picked out a couple of in-play selections, so check out his US Masters In-Play Betting Tips along with all his reasoning below right here on Betfred Insights...

After a compelling second day at Augusta – one that saw Rory McIlroy shoot the low round of the day to reignite his hopes – we are left with a mouthwatering leaderboard as we head into the weekend of the 89^th Masters Tournament.

Leaderboard after round two:

1^st – Justin Rose (-8)

2^nd – Bryson DeChambeau (-7)

T3 – Rory McIlroy (-6)

T3 – Corey Conners (-6)

T5 – Matt McCarty (-5)

T5 – Shane Lowry (-5)

T5 – Scottie Scheffler (-5)

T5 – Tyrrell Hatton (-5)

After a brilliant opening day, Justin Rose followed up with a battling performance to shoot 71 in round two. He will enter the weekend with the 36-hole lead at Augusta and will be hoping it’s a case of third-time lucky, as he assumed the same spot in the 2004 and 2021 editions.

The man who’ll tee it up alongside Rose in the final group on moving day is Bryson DeChambeau. The reigning US Open champion no longer looks a player lost around the putting surfaces here, ranking first around-the-greens this week and if it holds up over the weekend, he could be a difficult man to stop.

In T3 sits Friday’s main man, Rory McIlroy, who carded a superb bogey-free 66 to fly up the leaderboard and sit just two shots off the pace at the halfway stage. It’s the closest he’s been at this point since 2016 – when he trailed 36-hole leader, Jordan Spieth by just one shot – and expectation rather than hopefulness will once again wash over his many fans, as he tries to get his hands on that elusive green jacket.

Ball-striking machine, Corey Conners is again a prominent feature of a Masters leaderboard and will tee it up alongside Rory tomorrow, looking to keep himself in contention to earn a major championship breakthrough. Meanwhile, the four-man group in fifth-place is made up of defending champion and world number one, Scottie Scheffler; Shane Lowry keeps up the chase for a second major title; Tyrrell Hatton’s ever-improving Masters record looks set to move in the right direction again this week; and last but not least, debutant and PGA Tour rookie, Matt McCarty produced an impressive four-under 68 to earn himself a place in the third-last group on moving day.

There are plenty of world-class talents stalking the top of the leaderboard, with major winners: Jason Day, Hideki Matsuyama, Patrick Reed, Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa all within six of the lead and just about close enough to move into contention if they can find the low round of the day.

The majority of the main runners and riders are into the weekend but there were some high-profile casualties. Perhaps the most surprising and disappointing to not make the cut are LIV’s Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith and Dustin Johnson, along with the in-form Russell Henley.

Lastly, we also said an emotional goodbye to two-time former winner, Bernhard Langer. The 67-year-old German had played excellently throughout much of the first two days and looked set to stick around for the weekend before giving away three shots over his final four holes.

SELECTIONS

Market leaders: Rory McIlroy 100/30, Scottie Scheffler 18/5, Bryson DeChambeau 18/5, Justin Rose 8/1, Corey Conners 12/1, Shane Lowry 16/1, Tyrrell Hatton 20/1

The betting tells you everything you need to know about the excitement that awaits this weekend, as golfing superstars, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau are separated by less than a point at the top. With perfect conditions on the way today, we should be in for a fabulous and thrilling day of golf.

Current leader, Justin Rose is next in the betting and after getting the driver under control yesterday, he may well be the value at this stage. That being said, wire-to-wire winners are rare anywhere, let alone at Augusta and with an incredibly strong chasing pack, it’s going to take one heck of a performance over the next two days.

Xander Schauffele is the best placed of our outright selections, six off the lead in 17^th and hitting the ball excellently yesterday, he has the class to make a serious move today if he can hole a few more putts.

I’m going to swerve the outright betting again and after a successful day with the 3-balls yesterday, I’ve got a trio of 2-ball selections for Saturday’s play at Augusta.

Justin Thomas to beat Aaron Rai

Following a disappointing start, Justin Thomas was much improved yesterday and with Aaron Rai going in the opposite direction, I fancy the more experienced Augusta performer to come out on top in this 2-ball.

Thomas made a slow start on Thursday but birdying two of his final three holes in that opening round, he looked to have settled down. He carried that over into yesterday, making an eagle and two birdies in a round of 71 – two better than his 73 on day one – and looked better with his long game, though not yet to the level at which he arrived at this event with. That’s something I’m hoping he’ll find today as he looks to go low on moving day.

In contrast, Aaron Rai made a great start on debut in round one, firing a round of 70. Having said that, he was bogey-free and four-under thru his first eight holes, but Augusta bit back on the back nine as he made four bogeys and he regressed further yesterday, making just one birdie, along with a double-bogey and a bogey for a round of 74. All whilst struggling with his tee-to-green game and relying on the putter to keep the score down.

Thomas has six Masters top 25s to his name and with the game steadily improving throughout the week so far, I expect him to be too strong for the Englishman today.

Wyndham Clark to beat Matt Fitzpatrick

Wyndham Clark fired a 76 in an opening round where little went right. However, he responded brilliantly yesterday, shooting a round of 68 and he should have the beating of a Matt Fitzpatrick who returned to the disappointing form he’s shown for much of the season on Friday.

Clark’s 68 in round two was the joint-third-best score of the day and opposite to his round one performance, he looked strong across each area of his game, ranking 10^th from tee-to-green and 23^rd in putting.

Meanwhile, the out-of-form Fitzpatrick hit the ball eye-catchingly well in the opening round but surprisingly struggled with the short game. Usually a strength of his, you’d have expected him to kick on in round two, but he went the other way, ranking 87^th of 95 players in ball striking and still failing to find anything with the putter, he was fortunate to find even a 73.

Clark came into this after his best finish of the season when fifth in Houston on his latest start and finally looking like the Augusta type his game suggests he could be, I don’t see Fitzpatrick – with his game offering little sign of positivity in 2025 – getting the better of him here.

Maverick McNealy to beat Charl Schwartzel

Last of all I’m going to take Masters debutant, Maverick McNealy over former winner, Charl Schwartzel, who currently sit in 37^th and 40^th place respectively.

McNealy opened with a solid 72 on Thursday, where he drove it well and looked tidy around-the-greens but failed to find anything with the putter. He shot a 73 yesterday, where he again drove it well but also found something on the greens, especially on the back nine, but there’s no doubt his iron play has been disappointing. However, this can also be said of his South African playing partner today.

Schwartzel had a horrible day in approach on day one, succumbing to a 2-over 74 that included just one birdie. His scorecard looked much better yesterday, as he made six birdies and six bogeys to shoot level par, but virtually anything positive came on the greens and it’s hard to see him sustaining that.

McNealy has been in good form all season, adding a third-place finish in Texas last week to a runner-up finish at the Genesis Invitational earlier in the year. He’s driven it well and looked superb around-the-greens so far this week, ranking top 12 in each area, and with this usually strong putter looking like he’s now found his feet on these challenging greens, I think he’ll take this 2-ball.