2018 Kentucky Derby Expert Picks and Predictions

The much-awaited 2018 edition of the Kentucky Derby is less than a week away, and as the excitement grows for the event, so does the money that floods the betting world. Whether your planning to bet or would just like to see how it all turns out, it ‘ll be interesting to see which horses some of the experts are predicting to win the 144th staging of the Run for the Roses.

Expert Picks and Predictions for the 2018 Kentucky Derby on May 5 2018

KentuckyDerby.Com

Seven experts were asked by KentuckyDerby.com of their picks to win the upcoming 2018 Kentucky Derby, and while there’s no unanimous selection, two horses got picked multiple times: Mendelssohn and Justify. For Joe Kristufek, John Asher, and James Scully, it’s going to be Mendelssohn, who will end up winning the first leg of the Triple Crown. That certainly makes sense since Mendelssohn is among the favorites to win the Derby with a price of +450. As for Kellie Reilly and Vance Hanson, Justify will top the field, and that choice also should not come as a big surprise given that the Bob Baffert-trained three-year-old colt is currently the owner of the shortest odds of +250. Ed DeRosa and Scott Shapiro, meanwhile, chose Audible and Good Magic, respectively. Both horses also have decent odds with Audible labeled with price of +600, while Good Magic sits on +700 odds.

EXPERT | 1st | 2nd | 3rd
Joe Kristufek | Mendelssohn | Magnum Moon | Justify
John Asher | Mendelssohn | Hofburg | Good Magic
Vance Hanson | Justify | Audible | Good Magic
Ed DeRosa | Audible | Good Magic | Mendelssohn
James Scully | Mendelssohn | Audible | Flameaway
Kellie Reilly | Justify | Bolt d’Oro | Good Magic
Scott Shapiro | Good Magic | Justify | Mendelssohn

Mike Battaglia (Horse Racing Analyst)

Mike Battaglia is well known within the circle of horse racing, as he’s been watching, analyzing, and covering the sport for decades. Battaglia has set early morning odds at Churchill Downs since  the 1970s. In addition to that experience, he is also an oddsmaker for Turfway Park and Keeneland. We offered this short background of Battaglia to illustrate his wealth of knowledge in horse racing and also to show why his pick for the winner of the 2018 Kentucky Derby is one that carries a lot of weight.

Per Jason Frakes of the Louisville Courier Journal:

“The favorite is pretty easy,” Battaglia said. “He’s been so dominant and gotten better every race. He’s got to be the favorite.”

Battaglia, of course, was referring to Justify, who has not lost in any of his past three races, including in the Santa Anita Derby on Apr. 7.

EXPERT | WINNER
Mike Battaglia | Justify

Mike Jones – Bleacher Report

Just because the NBA postseason is in full swing,  the NFL just finished its draft, and baseball is ongoing, it does not mean that Bleacher Report will forget about horses. Fortunately for the sports media giant, they have Matt Jones on its payroll. In his pre-race analysis, Jones pointed out that if Justify won the event, the horse would be the first since 1882 to win the Kentucky Derby without a start as a two-year-old. Still, that did not discourage Jones from selecting Justify to rule the Run for the Roses.

EXPERT | 1st | 2nd | 3rd
Mike Jones | Justify | Audible | Mendelssohn

Ryan Simpson – TopBet Writer

TopBet News’ resident writer Ryan Simpson names Justify and Bolt d’ora as the odds on favorites to win the Derby (as per the sportsbook) and likes Promises Fulfilled as a sleeper and Blended Citizen as the long shot. In the end, Ryan justifies his pick of the Bob Baffert trained Justify by quoting his current 3-0 record over the 3-year old’s young career. So good things come in threes, but will they come in fours for the 144th Kentucky Derby? Ryan thinks so.

EXPERT | WINNER
Ryan Simpson | Justify

Who do you have winning the big race? Create a betting account now to get in on the action for the 2018 Kentucky Derby, and make your wager here.

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