2017 Masters predictions: Computer simulation posts favorites, sleepers
Sportsline's simulation ran The Masters 10,000 times to create a projected leaderboard
The Masters starts Thursday, so the time is now to get your picks in, whether for fantasy golf or otherwise.
Getting the right group together requires not only picking the players at the top but a few sleepers along the way, and the SportsLine Projection Model can help with its projected leaderboard and upset picks for the 2017 Masters.
The SportsLine Projection Model runs 10,000 simulations of the tournament using each golfer’s detailed statistical profile to get his precise probability of making eagle, birdie, par, bogey or double bogey on every hole.
Names like Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth are near the top of SportsLine’s projected leaderboard, but you don’t need a computer to know that some of golf’s greats are statistically favored to win this week at Augusta.
Check out SportsLine’s upset pick to win the 2017 Masters
The real key is finding the right player down the list with a chance to make a run at winning the green jacket. Last year, Danny Willett had 125:1 odds coming into the week, extending a streak of surprise winners -- five of the last six Masters champions have been listed at 20:1 or higher on the odds board coming into the week.
There’s a player in the field who meets that criteria and has been given a 5.08 percent chance to win The Masters, which doesn’t sound great until you realize that 10,000 simulations gives Dustin Johnson only a 7.12 percent chance to win. The margin for error at Augusta is small, so check out some of these lesser-known names that could make for a good expert pick.
















