Defending champion Dustin Johnson will try to duplicate his masterful run when the 2021 Masters returns to its traditional spring date at Augusta National. The event tees off Thursday, April 8, and Johnson, who shot a tournament-record 20 under to win last year, is the 8-1 favorite in the latest 2021 Masters odds from William Hill Sportsbook. Bryson DeChambeau is the 9-1 second favorite, while Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm are listed at 11-1. 

Before you lock in any of your 2021 Masters picks, you MUST see who Sal Johnson is backing.

A media legend and consummate golf insider, Johnson has a strong feel for what it takes to win at Augusta National. He was all over Dustin Johnson before the 2020 Masters and even he had Tiger Woods as a shocking pick the previous year!

Before November's event, he tabbed Johnson as the top choice in his best bets. "When he gets on a roll like this, he is nearly impossible to beat," the golf guru told SportsLine. "He is a man with a purpose, and that is to win another major." Johnson simply ran away with the event, leading wire-to-wire and winning by five strokes for his second major championship!        

Even more stunning, Johnson was on top of Woods before his emotional comeback victory in 2019! He featured  Woods in his best bets despite the 15-time major champion coming off back surgery. Johnson noted Woods' tee-to-green game looked almost as sharp as it did in his prime, "and this will be the reason for him winning." The result? Woods shot 13-under to earn his fifth green jacket!

The golf expert knows these players and how they fit the courses. At the Arnold Palmer Invitational last month, he pegged DeChambeau as his top choice to win before his second victory of the year.  

He also knows when surging players are poised for a breakthrough. He tabbed Sungjae Im as a top contender before his first Tour win at the Honda Classic last season before touting Tyrell Hatton to get his first tour victory the following week. Anyone who has followed Johnson's advice has cashed in HUGE.

Now Johnson, the first producer of "Inside the PGA Tour," a longtime ABC Sports golf producer who worked with Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Greg Norman, and the founder of the world's top golf stats database, has released his highly confident 2021 Masters picks, and they will surprise you.

We can tell you Johnson is fading DeChambeau, who hasn't learned to dial back like he will need to at Augusta. He won the U.S. Open in September, but his best finish here is 21st, when he was an amateur. There are far better options in the 2021 Masters field.

Instead, Johnson is touting a MONSTER long shot who comes in longer than 40-1! This veteran has looked like a younger version of himself in recent events, and he can nail the greens at Augusta. He could be a HUGE surprise this week, and anyone who backs this underdog could cash in BIG!

Who wins the 2021 Masters? Where do Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy finish? And which MONSTER long shot is a MUST-BACK? ... Join SportsLine now to see Sal Johnson's full leaderboard and picks for the 2021 Masters, all from the insider who has nailed the last two Masters winners!