It’s springtime, which means baseball, the NBA playoffs, and the NFL Draft. But it also means the event that really ushers in the official start of spring is finally here. It’s the Masters and Augusta National, the most famous golf tournament in the world at the most famous course in the world. No Tiger Woods? No matter.

Odds provided by Sportsbook.ag

The Masters

Rory McIlroy (+1000) – Tiger was the betting favorite until he pulled out last week following back surgery. That means McIlroy and Adam Scott are now co-favorites to don the green jacket. McIlory may not be in entirely peak form, but he has two top-10s in 2014 and he fired a 65 on Sunday in Houston. McIlroy led the 2011 Masters by four shots before a final-round implosion.

Adam Scott (+1000) – It was a long time coming for Scott, who won the Masters in 2013. He now has three consecutive top-10 performances at Augusta National. Both his past history at this event and his current form are reasons for encouragement. Scott has three top-10s this season, including a third at Bay Hill.

Phil Mickelson (+1500) – This is an unprecedented Masters in the Tiger-Phil era. Tiger is absent for the first time since 1994 and Mickelson heads into Augusta without a top-10 finish during the season for the first time in his career. An oblique injury is considerable cause for concern, but Lefty always has to be considered a threat with three green jackets.

Matt Kuchar (+1500) – Almost nobody wins less in so many chances, but the good news for Kuchar that he is almost always in contention. In the last two weeks he has a fourth and a second. In his last two Masters appearances, the former Georgia Tech star has a third and an eighth. It feels like Kuchar is what Scott was last year: due.

American League Pennant

Detroit Tigers (+400) – The Tigers have the best hitter in baseball in Miguel Cabrera and arguably the best pitcher in baseball in Justin Verlander. They each have help, too; namely from Torii Hunter and Max Scherzer. Hunter (.300, three home runs, seven RBIs) is on fire to start the season for 4-1 Detroit.

Boston Red Sox (+500) – Getting invited to the White House and taking selfies with the president is all well and good. Or is it? Plenty of controversy has come from the picture of David Ortiz and Barack Obama. What definitely isn’t good is the Red Sox start to 2014. The defending champions lost three in a row at one point and are a mediocre 3-4.

Tampa Bay Rays (+800) – The pieces are in place; David Price, Matt Moore, Alex Cobb, and Evan Longoria to name just a few. Tampa Bay hasn’t been to the World Series since 2008, but it has reached the playoffs three of the past four years, and the only blemish in that span came in 2012 when it still compiled a stellar 90-72 record.

New York Yankees (+1000) – Simply put, the Yankees are getting old. Lost in the shuffle of off-the-field news such as A-Rod’s suspension and Derek Jeter’s retirement, however, is the fact that New York (4-3) should still be pretty good. Masahiro Tanaka is on board to help anchor a strong staff along with C.C. Sabathia.

Johnny Manziel in the NFL Draft

Fourth overall (+350) – Cleveland owns the fourth pick in next month’s draft, and to say it needs a quarterback would be an understatement. It also has to make a splash. However, there’s a chance Manziel will already be off the board, and the Browns also have interest in Sammy Watkins.

First overall (+400) – Will the Texans appease their fans and take the Texas native and former Texas A&M star? They do need a quarterback; that’s for sure. Fellow signal-callers Blake Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater are making this a tough decision for Houston.

Third overall (+400) – Blaine Gabbert did not exactly work out in Jacksonville. Maurice Jones-Drew is also gone, so the Jags require an overhaul on offense—but it has to start at the most important position. If Jadeveon Clowney is still available, though, that sentiment may change.

Fifth overall (+600) – At +600, Manziel going fifth to the Raiders looks like great value. They hosted Johnny Football over the weekend and have serious interest, for obvious reasons. Their quarterback position has been a question mark for at least a decade.

Frozen Four

Minnesota (+150) – Yes, it’s college hockey. And you can bet on it. The Gophers are looking for their first final appearance since winning back-to-back titles in 2002 and 2003. For the first time in 66 years, Minnesota and North Dakota did not play each other during the regular season. They will solve that problem in the semifinals on Saturday.

Boston College (+175) – Boston College has won the championship three times in the last six years. They have won it every other year starting in 2008, which means they are due to lift the trophy again in 2014. Johnny Gaudreau of the Eagles leads the nation with 35 goals and 77 points.

Union (+225) – Who? Union College is a small liberal arts school in Schenectady, N.Y. and it is making a name for itself in hockey. Don’t sleep on the Dutchmen, who are on a 15-game unbeaten streak that includes four shutouts. They hammered Boston College 5-1 in last year’s tournament.

North Dakota (+600) – North Dakota and Minnesota are fierce rivals, having played in the same conference until Minnesota bolted for the Big Ten prior to this season. The head-to-head series is an even 22-22-4 in the last 50 games. It does not get much closer than that. The Fighting Sioux have not been to the championship game since 2005, when they lost to Denver.

Read more articles by Ricky Dimon