US Masters Betting: Three back to lay trades

US Masters Switcher:

Regular majors candidate Graeme McDowell is a big price for the Masters

The best way to enjoy the Masters live in-running on Betfair is to trade the price of your fancy, backing at high odds, then laying back to bank a profit if their odds shorten in-play. Paul Krishnamurty recommends the following trading plan for three of his picks... 

Whether you think 5.49/2 about Tiger Woods represents good or poor value, his presence as short-priced favourite opens up many more trading possibilities about other candidates. If he runs away with it, any strategy not involving Tiger is likely doomed. If not, all you need is one pick to get into close contention and an all-green book can be comfortably engineered. Given that he hasn't won a major for five years, we shouldn't be overly worried about the former scenario. Even if he does win, my guess is it will be narrowly, with others trading short.

Back Phil Mickelson 5u @ 15.014/1
Place order to lay 15u @ 3.02/1

If those circumstances materialise, it won't take very much for Phil Mickelson's current 15.014/1 quote to look cracking value. The combination of his course record and fair recent form make it very hard to see him being far away. My plan is to place a lay order in-running at 4.03/1, a mark that he's traded shorter than in eight Masters renewals this century, which would at least triple the initial risk, even if doesn't win.

Back Graeme McDowell 2u @ 70.069/1
Back Henrik Stenson 2u @ 80.079/1
Place order to lay each player 12u @ 10.09/1

Without a Masters top-ten between them, these may seem like strange picks, but I think improvement could be imminent. It takes most players several attempts before getting the hang of Augusta so on his sixth visit, McDowell could begin to make his mark. Last year's 12th was his best to date, after which he went on to contend at the next three majors. Gmac is roughly double the odds that he'd be for the other majors based on assumptions that the course doesn't suit, but as a brilliant putter of fast greens, that may be wrong. 

There is more to Stenson's course record than the bare numbers. He was gone at the game going in to most recent renewals, but earlier at his peak, the huge-hitting Swede had looked very well suited to the test, making top-20s on two of his first three attempts. Last year he was en route to the first round lead before a final hole catastrophe. Now Henrik is back in good form, finishing runner-up last time out, we could see his best around this ideal layout.

Here, my trading plan is to stake four units in total, then place lay orders on both men at 10.09/1 for 12 units, again ensuring we at least triple our money if either man hits the lay target.