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2018 Kentucky Derby odds and predictions: Expert who has nailed 9 straight Derbys reveals picks

SportsLine's Jody Demling had the 2017 Kentucky Derby winner, Always Dreaming, early last year

by CBS Sports Staff

At 6:46 p.m. ET Saturday, a loaded field of 20 will race from the starting gates in the 2018 Kentucky Derby. The 'fastest two minutes in sports' is the most wagered-on horse race of the year, and Justify, trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, is the 7-2 favorite after opening at 3-1. Right behind him at 5-1 are Mendelssohn, who's looking to become the first horse trained in Europe to win, and My Boy Jack, who originally opened at 30-1 on the morning line.

Before you bet the 144th Run for the Roses, you'll want to hear what Jody Demling has to say.


A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling comes into the 2018 Kentucky Derby on a mind-blowing streak: He has nailed nine straight Oaks-Derby doubles at Churchill Downs. That means he held a ticket with the winners of both races nine straight years.

Last year, he was all over Derby champ Always Dreaming when that horse was 6-1, long before he was the co-favorite, calling him "the best horse on the grounds."

Demling followed up his win last May by picking Tapwrit to edge Irish War Cry in the Belmont Stakes -- which is exactly what happened, enabling him to cash trifecta and superfecta bets for a monster payout.

Demling also nailed the Travers Stakes winner, West Coast, for SportsLine members. And he capped off 2017 by hitting the superfecta in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

To start off 2018, Demling called the top two finishers in the Pegasus World Cup. Then, he called Noble Indy winning the Louisiana Derby over favorite My Boy Jack. He also nailed the top two finishers at the Arkansas Derby, Magnum Moon and Quip.

With major sports books taking action, Demling has released his Kentucky Derby picks and listed where he believes all 20 horses will finish.

We can tell you he's not high on Audible, the fourth-biggest favorite at 6-1, saying the Amazon-sponsored horse barely finishes in the top 10. Audible opened at 8-1, but has since moved up the Kentucky Derby odds board.

"Audible won't get the same perfect setup he had in the Florida Derby," Demling told SportsLine. "Instead of a nine-horse field he ran against in the Florida Derby, Audible will face 19 other horses on Saturday."

Audible won the Florida Derby by three lengths over Hofburg, who's going off at 24-1 in the Kentucky Derby. There are far better values than the 6-1 premium you'll need to pay to back him.

A shocker: Demling says Vino Rosso, listed at 18-1, makes a strong run at the 2018 Kentucky Derby title.

"The fact that jockey John Velazquez picked this entry out of the Todd Pletcher barn makes him a live horse," Demling told SportsLine. "He's a smaller horse, but has shown he has a lot of fight."

Vino Rosso won the Wood Memorial in April, defeating fellow Derby competitor Enticed. He also finished fourth in the Tampa Bay Derby and was third in the Sam F. Davis Stakes. He's a horse that needs to be on your radar on Saturday and has won three of his last five races.

Demling is especially high on a monumental long shot that would net any backer a colossal windfall. Demling is sharing which horse it is, along with his entire projected leaderboard, over at SportsLine.

Which horse wins the Kentucky Derby? And what massive long shot does Demling say contends? Check out the latest Kentucky Derby odds from Churchill Downs below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling's picks for the Kentucky Derby.

Justify (7-2)
Mendelssohn (5-1)
My Boy Jack (5-1)
Audible (6-1)
Good Magic (8-1)
Bolt d'Oro (9-1)
Magnum Moon (13-1)
Vino Rosso (18-1)
Hofburg (24-1)
Lone Sailor (29-1)
Free Drop Billy (41-1)
Promises Fulfilled (42-1)
Noble Indy (49-1)
Flameaway (53-1)
Enticed (54-1)
Firenze Fire (66-1)
Solomini (67-1)
Bravazo (70-1)
Combatant (80-1)
Instilled Regard (99-1)