Sports Betting Futures Odds: Nyquist Gunning for Triple Crown

by Ricky Dimon - 5/17/2016

Ohio State Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott

Will there be a second Triple Crown winner in as many years? We won't find out in the affirmative this weekend as Nyquist would still have to win the third leg if he triumphs on Saturday, but we may be able to confirm that there won't be one-if one of Nyquist's rivals manages to beat him at the Preakness. Other non-major sports are also in full swing, with the PGA Tour hot on the trail to the U.S. Open and the ATP Tour gearing up for next week's French Open.

Odds provided by Bovada Sportsbook unless otherwise indicated .

Preakness Stakes

Nyquist (-125) - Nyquist is now 8-for-8 in his career after winning the Kentucky Derby by a little more than a length two weeks ago. He is only the second horse to prevail at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile as a 2-year-old and at the Derby as a 3-year-old. Not even 2015 Triple Crown champ American Pharoah accomplished that feat.

Exaggerator (+500) - Is it an exaggeration to say that Exaggerator would have triumphed at Churchill Downs with a clean run? Maybe not. Trained by Keith Desormeaux and jockeyed by Kent Desormeaux, Exaggerator ran into traffic at the final turn but closed impressively hard to finish second.

Stradivari (+1200) - There is not much to like about the chances of Nyquist's rivals-certainly not those of any horse other than Exaggerator, at least. Since the start of the 1997 season, a whopping 10 horses have won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.Stradivari has, however, won twice in three starts.

Gun Runner (+1200) - The Run for the Roses did not go particularly bad for Gun Runner, who placed third-4.5 lengths back. But no race that has included Nyquist has ever gone particularly well for Gun Runner (nor any other horse, for that matter). Can the Louisiana Derby winner final get over the hump in Maryland?

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (BetOnline Sportsbook)

Ezekiel Elliott (-155) - The Cowboys also have Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris in the stable, but they used the fourth overall pick to snag Elliott, and he will make more than $16 million in guaranteed money during his four-year contract. He should be starting sooner rather than later.

Jared Goff (+800) -It should be a similar story in Los Angeles, where the Rams want to make a splash in their new city by showcasing a backfield with Goff under center and Todd Gurley at running back. Unlike most No. 1 overall picks, Goff has the benefit of going to a team that is already decent.

Laquon Treadwell (+1600) -As the Vikings' willingness to use the 23^rd pick on a wide receiver suggests, they are not strong at the position. Treadwell is penciled into the No. 2 WR slot opposite Stefon Diggs. However, Minnesota's run-heavy offense (see: Adrian Peterson) includes an unproven QB (Teddy Bridgewater).

Josh Doctson (+1600) -There was a run on receivers in the mid-to-late first round, and Doctson was part of it at No. 22 overall to the Redskins. The former TCU star will be competing for catches with DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, and tight end Jordan Reed. Fellow receiver Corey Coleman of Cleveland is also +1600.

French Open

Novak Djokovic (-125) - Roland Garros is the only one of the four major titles to elude Djokovic in his career. In fact, he has won each of the other three at least twice. The world No. 1 is a stellar 37-3 for the season but he did not play well last week in Rome and lost to Andy Murray in the final.

Rafael Nadal (+300) -Nadal is unquestionably playing better right now than he did throughout 2015 and earlier this season-although that is not exactly saying a lot. The fifth-ranked Spaniard may need someone else to upset Djokovic, because he is 0-7 in their last seven matches and 0-15 in sets.

Andy Murray (+600) -Clay has always been Murray's worst surface, and it probably always will be, but the second-ranked Scot has improved from merely being competent on the red stuff to a borderline force. The recent Rome champion is coming off two straight French Open semifinal performances.

Stan Wawrinka (+1600) - Wawrinka is the defending champion in Paris, but his current form does not inspire much confidence in a repeat. The fourth-ranked Swiss is a mere 5-5 in his last 10 matches since capturing the Dubai title in February. Still, he is prone to catching fire from completely out of nowhere.

AT&T Byron Nelson

Jordan Spieth (+700) - Technically, Spieth is back. Hypothetically, his soul may still be wandering aimlessly somewhere around Amen Corner at Augusta National. The 22-year-old recently played for the first time since the Masters and missed the cut at The Players Championship. He will have extra pressure on him this week at home in Dallas.

Dustin Johnson (+900) -In the last two installments of the Byron Nelson, Spieth turned in respective finishes of T37 and T30. Johnson has fared better, with a T7 in 2014 and a T8 in 2015. The 31-year-old American owns four top-10 performances in his last six events and he was stellar at The Players last week aside from a Saturday 77 (placed T28).

Matt Kuchar (+1800) -Kuchar tied with Johnson for seventh at this tournament in 2014 before finishing T39 last year, so he clearly knows how to get around this course. The former Georgia Tech standout should also be confident after placing T3 at The Players Championship with a final-round 68. Of concern, though, is that Kuchar has not won since April of 2014.

Sergio Garcia (+2000) - After losing in a playoff at The Players in 2015, Garcia briefly contended this time around but stumbled to T54 with weekend scores of 77 and 75. The 36-year-old Spaniard has no top-10 finishes in his last five PGA Tour appearances dating back to early March. Garcia triumphed at the Byron Nelson in a playoff back in 2004.

Start:	November 23, 2024 @ 10:07 PM
Expert:	Vernon Croy
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