2020 Masters: ESPN predictions on who wins at Augusta National

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- For 19 months, Tiger Woods has been the reigning Masters champion. Now, finally, it's time to defend his green jacket.

We rounded up our experts to see who they think will win this first fall Masters. (Hint: Nobody thinks Woods is walking off the property with a sixth coat). But our cast followed the theme of 2020, in which both majors that were played -- the PGA Championship (Collin Morikawa) and the U.S. Open (Bryson DeChambeau) -- saw first-time winners.

Matt Barrie, ESPN
Winner: Bryson DeChambeau
Why he'll win: He transformed his body to win majors and, when given the opportunity, to obliterate courses. We saw the major win at Winged Foot and the U.S. Open. We'll see him tame Augusta National like we haven't seen since Tiger in the early 2000s. His length makes the par 5s long par 4s. If he's putting well, he'll get his green jacket.

David Bearman, ESPN Sports Betting
Winner: Xander Schauffele
Why he'll win: Quite simply, he is due. He finished runner-up last year at Augusta and now has finished in the top 10 in four of the past six and six of the past nine majors. His current form is good as well with 11 consecutive top-25 finishes and 12 of 13 since the PGA Tour resumed after its three-month shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic.

John Buccigross, ESPN
Winner: Xander Schauffele
Why he'll win: Masters champions tend to be in good form when they drive down Magnolia Lane. Schauffele has a good all-around game and has been in good form all year. His temperament plus talent equals a green jacket.

Michael Collins, ESPN+
Winner: Jon Rahm
Why he'll win: Being No. 2 sucks when you believe with every fiber of your essence that you are the best in the world. Rahm comes into the Masters off a T-2 finish at the Zozo Championship, so he's in form. More importantly, his past three finishes at the Masters -- T-27 (2017), fourth (2018), T-9 (2019) -- proves he can play here.

Michael Eaves, ESPN
Winner: Xander Schauffele
Why he'll win: First and foremost, because he's way overdue for that first major. Secondly, because the 2020 trend of first-time major winners has to continue, right?

Chris Fallica, ESPN Stats & Information
Winner: Jon Rahm
Why he'll win: He would have been my pick in April -- and he's my pick now. And there might even be a little less pressure on him now given how well Bryson DeChambeau has played. Rahm has come up just short the last couple of years, whether it was one bad round, or some bad fortune on the greens. He'll put it all together at some point here and I want to be on him when he does.

Charlotte Gibson, ESPN.com
Winner: Rory McIlroy
Why he'll win: After Jack Nicklaus proclaimed to Golf.com that Bryson DeChambeau could drive the first hole at Augusta, I was tempted to go with the big hitter. But my better judgment made me go with McIlroy. Long overdue for a win at Augusta, the Northern Irishman needs this green jacket to complete the career grand slam. And, after an impressive 2020 season where he excelled in the fall, this year might just be his year.

Bob Harig, ESPN.com
Winner: Justin Thomas
Why he'll win: His record isn't great at Augusta National, but it has gotten better every year, starting with a tie for 39th in 2016 and topping out with a tie for 12th last year. Putting has held Thomas back, but his length off the tee and overall game should put him in the mix for numerous Masters victories. He's also smarting after letting the Zozo Championship get away from him a few weeks ago. It might help with some extra motivation.

Doug Kezirian, ESPN Sports Betting
Winner: Jon Rahm
Why he'll win: Rahm has been on the cusp of winning his first major championship for a while, so why not break through now? He's finished in the top 10 at Augusta each of the past two years. Additionally, he won at the Memorial earlier this season, and this course has a nice correlation.

Peter Lawrence-Riddell, ESPN.com
Winner: Xander Schauffele
Why he'll win: I picked him in the U.S. Open and he finished fifth -- he's going to win a major soon, so why not stick with the pick and take him this week? He finished T-2 last year and made the cut in 2018 (T-50) in his only two Masters appearances, so he has a good track record at Augusta.

Anita Marks, ESPN Sports Betting
Winner: Bryson DeChambeau
Why he'll win: I don't normally go chalk, but in this case, I will. The metrics scream Bryson, especially with the expected weather forecast -- rain all week. Distance isn't a necessity at Augusta, but with wet conditions, the track will play longer than normal and no one grips and rips it better than DeChambeau. Other key metrics: Bryson ranks fifth in strokes gained: approach, T-7 at par-4 scoring birdies or better, is one of the best putting on bentgrass. Plus, possesses the course knowledge to dominate.

Andy North, ESPN
Winner: Xander Schauffele
Why he'll win: Length is always important, this year more than ever. But great putting will negate some of that length. I'm going with Xander because of the putting and his consistency in majors.

Ian O'Connor, ESPN.com
Winner: Rory McIlroy
Why he'll win: Nobody needs a newfangled, upside-down Masters like McIlroy does, and he's admitted as much. Rory has pressed and pressed to finally win the green jacket, and a fan-free, azalea-free Masters should help loosen his grip. Rory completing the career Grand Slam won't approach Tiger's magical W in 2019, but it will be a hell of a story all the same.

Nick Pietruszkiewicz, ESPN.com
Winner: Rory McIlroy
Why he'll win: Tiger Woods will ... OK, no, not going there. Part of me wants to keep going off-the-menu -- see Collin Morikawa pick at the PGA Championship and Viktor Hovland at the U.S. Open -- but not this time. This feels like it's Rory McIlroy's time. The still, serene setting of a patron-less Augusta National might help quiet the mind and the nerves as he tries to complete the career slam in a Masters like none that have come before.