The stars appear to be aligning for Orb to become the 34th horse to win both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness and put himself one Belmont win away from the Triple Crown. Saturday’s field in Baltimore is down to nine, although Orb could get some competition from Departing, Goldencents, and Itsmyluckyday. And speaking of being one win away, both the Spurs and Grizzlies are just that. The Western Conference Finals could be set as early as Thursday.

(All odds provided by Sportsbook.ag).

Preakness Stakes

Orb (+140) – The Florida Derby Champion went into the Bluegrass State with high expectations, and he became the first favorite or co-favorite to win the Kentucky Derby since Big Brown in 2008. None of the other Top-4 finishers in Kentucky is heading to the Preakness, so the path to the second jewel may be open for Orb.

Departing (+350) – Departing finished third at the Louisiana Derby and won the Illinois Derby before skipping the first leg of the Triple Crown. He will have had more rest than the other top contenders when he enters the gate on Saturday in Baltimore. Departing’s jockey, Brian Hernandez Jr., won the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic atop Fort Larned.

Goldencents (+700) – The Santa Anita Derby winner stumbled to a 17th-place finish at Kentucky, but the early pace was too fast, and jockey Kevin Krigger had his horse simply coast down the stretch when winning was out of the question. A less sloppy track in Baltimore would also help Goldencents’ chances.

Itsmyluckyday (+900) – It was not this horse’s lucky day at the Kentucky Derby, where he finished 15th. Itsmyluckyday did, however, put in a good showing at the Florida Derby. He finished runner-up to Orb, 2.5 lengths back. Will he be able to challenge again on a bigger stage?

NBA Western Conference

San Antonio Spurs (-140) – Golden State should have won both games in San Antonio. San Antonio should have won both games in Golden State. Finally, Game 5 on Tuesday saw the favored team and the better team get the job done. The Spurs and Grizzlies are the only two remaining Western Conference teams without considerable injury problems.

Memphis Grizzlies (+125) – While the East is pretty much a foregone conclusion with Miami clearly the cream of the crop, the West has been and should continue to be a battle. Memphis has benefited from Russell Westbrook’s absence from the OKC arsenal, and it is a victory on Thursday night away from advancing to the conference finals.

Golden State Warriors (+2000) – Even without David Lee for much of playoffs and with Steph Curry playing on jelly ankles, the Warriors have put forth an outstanding effort. They ousted Denver and have taken San Antonio to six games. But Golden State’s Game 5 performance—by far its worst of the playoffs — suggests the tank may be on empty.

Oklahoma City Thunder (+2500) – The Grizzlies are simply a terrible matchup for a team that was rendered one-dimensional after Westbrook went down. Their defense is simply too good; too good even for Kevin Durant. If the Thunder somehow win three in a row to get past Memphis, they will likely have to go up against another stellar defensive unit in San Antonio.

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

Tavon Austin (+300) – Austin to the Rams was arguably the lock of last month’s NFL Draft. They got their man, so it comes as no surprise that many expect the team to use him…and use him often. With few other weapons on board, Sam Bradford to Austin will be a frequent occurrence.

Tyler Eifert (+800) – After three impressive seasons at Notre Dame, Eifert is ready to contribute — right away, too — at the next level. The Bengals do not have much of a running game, and A.J. Green will draw attention on the outside, so this should be a good situation for the promising tight end.

DeAndre Hopkins (+800) – There was basically no question that the Texans would draft a receiver in Round 1. The only question was which one. Playing in an offense that already features Andre Johnson, Arian Foster, and Matt Schaub, Hopkins will not be a primary focal point for opposing defenses, and he should flourish.

Geno Smith (+1000) – Smith first has to win the Jets’ starting job. Of course, that should not be too hard to do when your competition is Mark Sanchez, David Garrard, and Greg McElroy. Garrard is actually good at football, but he is also 500 years old. A team nowhere close to contention should not hesitate to play for the future this season.

Sprint Cup All-Star Race

Jimmie Johnson (+500) – This race features 90 total laps in five segments; not your everyday Sprint Cup affair. Johnson is a proven winner of the thing, tied for first all-time with three victories. He won it last year, the first time in its current format. The fact Johnson is No. 1 in the 2013 Chase standings also does not hurt his prospects this weekend.

Kyle Busch (+500) – Bush is a mediocre eighth in the current standings, but he has already won twice, and another victory could come in Charlotte. He finished fourth in last year’s All-Star Race.

Matt Kenseth (+600) – Kenseth won this event in 2004, and he finished third last season behind Johnson and Brad Keselowski. The No. 20 car has finished in the Top 10 in each of its last four races and has two wins in that span — including last week in Darlington. All signs point to serious contention for Kenseth.

Denny Hamlin (+750) – Hamlin missed all of April due to a back injury, but he has two May races under his belt heading into Charlotte. A runner-up finish last weekend in Darlington has to be a real confidence-booster for Hamlin, who needs a strong showing in the midst of a tumultuous year both on and off the track.

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