Dustin Johnson is 5-1 favorite to win Masters

Hello, friends. It’s almost time again for a tradition unlike any other.

After Monday’s NCAA men’s basketball title game and baseball’s Opening Day, the Masters golf tournament will take center stage from April 6 to 9 at Augusta National.

Dustin Johnson, coming off three consecutive PGA Tour wins, is the 5-1 favorite to win the Masters, which generates a golf betting handle unlike any other at Las Vegas sports books.

“It’s double the next,” Westgate sports book manager Jeff Sherman said. “Usually it goes the Masters, then the U.S. Open, then the British Open, then the PGA Championship. And it’s usually double the U.S. Open.

“Each year we keep getting more action on it, and right now we’re on a record pace to have the best Masters handle we’ve ever had.”

Johnson, who won his first career major at the 2016 U.S. Open, is the clubhouse leader in money wagered on him at the Westgate. But three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson, getting 20-1 odds, tops the leaderboard in ticket count.

Jordan Spieth is the second choice to win the year’s first major at 7-1, and Rory McIlroy is at 15-2.

LAST MAN STANDING

Eight contestants remain out of 2,863 entries in Station Casinos’ annual Last Man Standing NCAA Tournament elimination contest. The contest, which cost $25 per entry, guaranteed a minimum of $50,000 to the winner, but the prize pool is actually worth $58,150. Each of the remaining contestants correctly picked a winner against the spread in each of the first eight days of the tournament. The tiebreaker is the national champion pick.

The contestants had to make their picks in person, but starting with the 2017 NFL season, Red Rock sports book director Jason McCormick said that Last Man Standing contestants will be able to make their selections on a mobile app.

WILDCATS WON’T WIN TITLE

Bettors lost on the popular prop bet posted at Station Casinos that asked “Will a Wildcats team win the NCAA title?” The vast majority of wagers were on “Yes,” which opened at plus-280 and was adjusted to plus-450 before the Sweet 16. To cash their tickets, bettors needed either Arizona, Kentucky, Villanova, Northwestern or Kansas State to win the championship. Kentucky, the last Wildcats team standing, was eliminated by North Carolina in Sunday’s 75-73 loss in the Elite Eight.

BIG BET ON TAR HEELS

Most bettors pushed on North Carolina’s win over Kentucky as 2-point favorites. But one bettor at South Point cashed a big ticket on the Tar Heels after wagering $140,000 to win $100,000 on the money line.

WARRIORS, COME OUT TO PLAY UNDER

Golden State leads the NBA in scoring with 115.8 points per game, but has the worst over-under record at 28-47. The Warriors have gone under in 12 straight games and 17 of 18 entering Friday’s game with the Rockets, who are second in the league in scoring with 115.6 ppg.

Golden State, which has won nine straight, went under 235 in Tuesday’s 113-106 win over Houston and cashed under tickets for most bettors in Wednesday’s 110-98 victory over the Spurs. The San Antonio total closed as low as 206½ after opening as high as 210½.

Follow all of our sports betting coverage online at reviewjournal.com/betting and @RJ_Sports on Twitter.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.