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Sports Betting Futures Odds: One Year Later, Horse Racing Ready For an Encore

by - 5/4/2016

PGA golfer Rickie Fowler

American Pharoah delivered a long-awaited Triple Crown to a much-maligned sport in 2015. Will that generate interest among the casual fan as horse racing season begins again? From a betting standpoint, interest is never problem-especially not at the Kentucky Derby, which will be held for the 142nd time on Saturday. It's a great time of year as playoffs in the NBA and NHL are heating up and the NFL is still buzzing in the aftermath of its wild and wacky draft.

Odds provided by MyBookie.ag unless otherwise indicated .

Kentucky Derby

Nyquist (+250) -Nyquist won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in 2015 and the Florida Derby in early April. He is also accustomed to the 1.25-mile distance, unlike some of the other horses. "A horse like Nyquist, you never seem to be able to get past them," said rival jockey Mike Smith. "If you run fast, he runs faster."

Mohaymen (+400) -Doug O'Neill, Nyquist's trainer, has pretty much guaranteed a win and says he looks forward to seeing his horse on the front of the sports page. Mohaymen's trainer, Kiaran McLaughlin, thought his horse was "invincible" prior to the Florida Derby. It finished fourth. Mohaymen had won his previous five races.

Exaggerator (+450) -It will be a family affair for the Desormeauxs if Exaggerator triumphs at Churchill Downs. Kent Desormeaux is the jockey and Keith Desormeaux is the trainer. Kent has won the Derby three times. Exaggerator won the Santa Anita Derby by more than six lengths after trailing by almost 20 at the halfway point.

Gun Runner (+550) -Unlike many more outspoken trainers, Steve Asmussen keeps it real. Asmussen admitted that Gun Runner has not "run a race to date that would beat Nyquist. But that's what we're here for-to be better." That's not to say Gun Runner hasn't been good. He won the Louisiana Derby in late March.

Stanley Cup (Bovada Sportsbook)

St. Louis Blues (+325) - St. Louis scraped past the defending champion Blackhawks in seven games, holding onto a one-goal lead in the decider when a Chicago shot clanged off not one but two posts. The Blues now lead their Western Conference semifinal series against Dallas 2-1 after dominating Game 3 by a 6-1 score.

Pittsburgh Penguins (+333) -The Penguins are going up the Eastern Conference's best team (at least in the regular season), but they appear to be unfazed. Since dropping Game 1 at Washington, Sidney Crosby and company have bounced back with consecutive victories. Matt Murray has been outstanding in goal.


Washington Capitals (+450) -The Capitals were the cream of the crop throughout the 82-game slate, compiling 120 points (no other team in the entire NHL finished with more than 109). But the Caps are notorious playoff chokers, and they are once again showing the usual cracks. Washington needed six to hold off Philadelphia and now trails Pitt 2-1.

San Jose Sharks (+450) - San Jose may have lost 4-1 at Nashville on Tuesday, but that should be no real cause for concern. After all, it looks more like an aberration than a rule. The Sharks are 6-2 overall this postseason and that was their first loss in regulation (they fell in OT once while taking care of the Kings in five games).

NFL MVP

Aaron Rodgers (+350) - Rodgers is no stranger to winning this award (2011 and 2014). Green Bay's leader under center certainly wasn't bad last season, either. He tossed 31 touchdowns compared to eight interceptions after going for 38 TDs and five INTs in 2014. And last season Rodgers was without injured receiver Jordy Nelson.

Cam Newton (+350) - Newton's 2015 campaign ended with a Super Bowl that was disastrous on all levels. But let's not forget what he did prior to falling at the final hurdle. Carolina's charismatic star accounted for 45 total touchdowns (35 passing, 10 rushing) while throwing the fewest interceptions of his five-year career (10).

Ben Roethlisberger (+650) -Roethlisberger tossed only 21 TDs (hadn't thrown fewer since 2010) and was picked off 16 times (most since 2006) last season. But is he really slowing down at 34 years old? Maybe not. You can chalk up his 2015 shortcomings to injuries (both to him and to his Pittsburgh teammates).

Russell Wilson (+900) - Wilson took his game to new heights last year, even if his team never really recovered from choking away the Super Bowl the previous season. Seattle's signal-caller passed for 4,024 yards yards and 34 touchdowns to go along with 553 rushing yards. But will the offense struggle without Marshawn Lynch?

Wells Fargo Championship

Rory McIlroy (+400) -It doesn't take a genius to figure out why McIlroy is the overwhelming favorite to prevail this week in Charlotte. He is the only two-time winner in the history of this event after he dominated last year by seven shots. The Northern Irishman also finished runner-up once (2012).

Rickie Fowler (+1400) - The only knock on McIlroy is current form, as he is still in search of his first victory in 2016. The story is a similar one for Fowler, who missed the cut at the Masters and finished T20 last week in New Orleans. But the colorful American won this tournament when McIlroy was second in 2012.

Adam Scott (+1800) -Scott was on fire at the start of this season, pocketing back-to-back wins at the Honda and in Doral on the heels of a runner-up performance at Riviera. He has cooled off since-and he also missed the Wells Fargo cut in 2015. Still, Scott is too good to be discounted in a field that is far from spectacular.

Justin Rose (+2000) - Rose stumbled as the defending champion in New Orleans this past week, missing the cut after firing consecutive 72s. But he will be well-rested headin g into Charlotte after many others played into Monday at the rain-delayed Zurich Classic. Rose owns four top-10 finishes in 2016. Henrik Stenson and Hideki Matusyama are also +2000.


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