2017 Kentucky Derby Odds And The Best Sites To Bet Them

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Oddsmakers at Sports Interaction believe four horses have a great shot at winning the Kentucky Derby, listing all of them at approximately 6:1 odds or better on the 2017 Kentucky Derby odds.

2017 Kentucky Derby odds (as of Wednesday, May 3)

2017 Kentucky Derby odds

Classic Empire was the early betting favourite on Sports Interaction’s betting lines Wednesday night, paying +403 odds following the announcement of post positions for the first instalment of horse racing’s Triple Crown.

He was followed closely by McCraken (+480), Always Dreaming (+501) and Irish War Cry (+603).

Considering that +400 odds suggests a 20% probability and that +600 implies around a 13% chance of victory, oddsmakers are suggesting there’s a 65-70% chance that one of those four horses will win the race.

Just something to keep in mind when you’re filling out your exacta or trifecta tickets (we’ll explain those wagers and other ways to bet on horse racing a little later on in this article.)

The other 16 horses in the field paid 15:1 odds or higher to win the 2017 Kentucky Derby, which takes place Saturday (May 6) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Post time is 6:34 p.m, eastern.

 

Canadians have a lot of great options when it comes to where to bet the Kentucky Derby.

Pinnacle Sports (www.PinnacleSports.com) usually offers the best Kentucky Derby odds; William Hill (www.WilliamHill.com) are United Kingdom books who specialize in horse racing betting; and Bodog (www.Bodog.eu) and Sports Interaction (www.SportsInteraction.com) are sportsbooks that are located in Canada and cater specifically to Canadian players.

If you sign up at William Hill, Bodog or Sports Interaction, you can get a bonus of $100 or more on your first deposit that you can use to bet the 2017 Kentucky Derby for free!

 

Horse Racing Odds Explained

Before you bet on the Kentucky Derby, you need to know how to read horse racing odds.

Kentucky Derby odds are listed in two main ways: fractional and money odds.

Fraction odds indicate how much you’ll win per how much you bet. If a horse is 6/1, you’ll win $6 for every $1 you bet. If the horse is 13/2, you’ll win $13 for every $2.

Money odds show you much you’ll win on a $2 bet (they’re based on $2, because $2 is the minimum bet). If a horse is listed at $14.30, you’d win $14.30 on a $2 wager.

The payout on fraction odds do not include your original wager that you’ll get back if you win, but the money odds do include it. So if the fraction odds are 13/2 and the money odds are $13.00 (on a $2 bet), the fraction odds pay better.

– Click here to read our article that fully explains horse racing betting odds.

 

Popular Ways to Bet the 2017 Kentucky Derby

You’ve got a ton of options when it comes to how to bet the Kentucky Derby.

The most popular one is trying to pick the winner. That’s obviously difficult when you’re dealing with a field of 20 horses like the Kentucky Derby, but you can hit a big payday if you’re right.

If you’re just betting on the winner, you might want to bet on a few different horses to ensure you’ve got some excitement at the finish line. You don’t want the 1 horse you bet on to have some problems early and not be in contention down the stretch.

Here are some other ways to bet the 2017 Kentucky Derby odds:

Smaller Risk/Smaller Payoutsways to bet on horse racing

You can bet on a horse to finish in the top 2 (known as ‘Place’) or the top 3 (‘Show’). These bets will typically pay you double your money or better.

Or you can try something Sports Interaction offers called ‘Each-Way’ betting. If you select ‘Each Way’ on your Kentucky Derby bet, you can win your bet even if your horse finishes second, third, fourth or fifth.

The minimum bet on Win, Place or Show bets is $2.

Moderate Risk/Moderate Payouts

If just trying to pick the winner doesn’t get your juices flowing, you could give the Exacta a shot. That’s where you pick the top 2 finishers in the race, in order.

A more conservative way to bet the top 2 finishers is the Quinella. It’s like the Exacta, except it doesn’t matter which order the 2 horses you pick finish. Obviously, it doesn’t pay as well as the Exacta.

These exotic (combination) bets have a lower minimum bet, since they’re harder to win. You can play the Exacta for as low as $1 if you want.

Larger Risk/Larger Payouts

If you like to live on the edge, why not try the Trifecta or even the Superfecta? The Trifecta is when you pick the top 3 finishers in order, and the Superfecta is when you pick the top 4 finishers in order. Both are extremely difficult to win, but are rewarded with huge payouts.

If you want to bet 3 or 4 horses but increase your chances of winning, you can also box your bets. Boxing your bets essentially means that you are playing every possible Trifecta or Superfecta combination involving your 3 or 4 horses.

– We wrote an article about how to bet on horse racing that explains more

 

Horse Racing Handicapping Tips

Picking a winner in the Kentucky Derby isn’t supposed to be easy, and it isn’t. Our No. 1 tip for betting the Kentucky Derby is to make sure you enjoy the race. Don’t wager more than you can afford to lose, and approach it as fun.

That said, there’s a few things to keep in mind that could help you win some money on the 2017 Kentucky Derby:

  • Look for value: People love betting on the favourites and the most popular horses, so you’ll usually find the best value on some of the mid-range horses (10/1 range) and even longshots.
  • Consider the distance: The Kentucky Derby is a longer race (2 kilometres) than these horses are accustomed to. Try to find a horse that you expect will be strong down the stretch, not jump out to a quick lead and then fade.
  • Trainers and jockeys: Horses in the Kentucky Derby change every year, but many trainers and jockeys return. Look for ones with proven track records

– For more advanced tips, read our article about how to pick winners in horse racing betting

 

2017 Kentucky Derby Picks And Predictions

We know the different ways to bet on horse racing and a few horse racing betting strategies, but we have to admit we’re not that familiar with this year’s field.

So we’ll turn to the experts for some advice instead.

  • SportingNews.com’s Joe Rodgers likes the favourite to win the Kentucky Derby for the fifth straight year. He notes that Classic Empire won the Arkansas Derby in his most recent start and may be flying a bit under the radar here after recovering from a foot abscess a couple of months ago. Rodgers likes Always Dreaming to place (finish second), and McCraken to show (third).
  • David McCracken of Bleacher Report also recommends a bet on Classic Empire to win. He notes that Classic Empire “has the breakaway speed, strength and endurance to blow away his competition”, and that he also can overcome a late deficit with his strong closing speed. If you’re looking for a dark horse, McCracken suggests McCraken, who has impressed during practice sessions this week.
  • Jon Price of SportsInformationTraders.com expects Classic Empire and Always Dreaming to head up the field, but suggests Irap (+2000 at Sports Interaction) could be a longshot worth betting on. Irap was trained and is being ridden by the same trainer and jockey that led Nyquist to victory at the 2016 Derby.
  • You can also find expert picks on the Kentucky Derby website. Of the six writers who listed their Kentucky Derby predictions, three liked Always Dreaming to win, two went with McCraken and just one selected favourite Classic Empire.

There’s always potential for a surprise at the Kentucky Derby, but there’s clearly a consensus that the cream will rise to the crop this weekend in Louisville.

McCraken looks like a nice value play and we’ll look to bet some combinations of Classic Empire, Always Dreaming and McCraken to win, place or show on race day.