2024 Kentucky Derby Odds, Expert Picks, Predictions, Start Time, Betting Guide

The 2024 Kentucky Derby is here, and the 150th Run for the Roses starts just before 7 p.m. ET on Saturday.

And if you're looking for how to bet the Kentucky Derby, you've come to the right place. All week long, we've been monitoring the latest Kentucky Derby odds, as our horse racing experts have been sharing their Kentucky Derby expert picks and all sorts of best bets.

Now, the big day is officially upon us. So let's run through everything you'll need for the Derby in our Kentucky Derby betting guide, featuring the latest odds, expert picks, and our best bet and prediction for who will win.

Who is the favorite to win the 2024 Kentucky Derby?

#17 Fierceness is the favorite to win Saturday's 150th Kentucky Derby, with current odds of 7-2. At those odds, a $10 bet on Fierceness to win the Derby would win you $45 total ($35 in winnings, plus your $10 back). One of our lead horse racing experts, Sean Zerillo, expects the line on Fierceness to close closer to even money.

Fierceness is followed by #2 Sierra Leone at 5-1.

Who will win the 2024 Kentucky Derby?

Obviously, we won't know for sure until the race has finished, but our horse racing experts think the favorite comes away with the roses on Saturday. Fierceness, who ran the fastest pre-Derby prep race of any horse in over a decade. Our Kentucky Derby predictions have Fierceness winning the 2024 Derby 50% to 60% of the time.

What time is the 2024 Kentucky Derby? What channel is the Derby on? How do I stream the Kentucky Derby?

The Kentucky Derby will start at 6:57 p.m. ET, which is the listed post time for the event. That means the most exciting two minutes in sports will conclude right around 7 p.m. ET.

The Kentucky Derby is on NBC and NBC Sports for regular TV channels. The Kentucky Derby will also be streamed on Peacock.

Who should I bet on to win the 2024 Kentucky Derby?

We think there are two real best bet options here: Fierceness at 3-2 or better, and #8 Just A Touch, who is currently 11-1 to win the Derby.

If you want a longer shot, we recommend #15 Domestic Product and #19 Resilience, with both hovering around 30-1.

How does betting on horse racing work?

Horse racing uses parimutuel odds, which means you're betting into a pool of other bettors, and then the winnings are paid out based on exactly how much was wagered on that horse. That means you don't know the final price you got until the race begins and that the odds can change after you bet. Sports betting uses fixed odds, meaning once you place the bet, you're locked in at that price.

Otherwise, horse racing odds pay out very similar to a moneyline bet. If you're getting 10-1 on a horse, a $10 bet would win you $110 total — $100 in winnings, plus your $10 bet back.

More generally, horse racing odds listed in the style of "20-1" or "7-2" simply mean that if you bet the second number in the odds (for example, the "2" in "7-2") as a dollar amount, you will get the first number back (the "7" in "7-2") in winnings if your bet cashes, as well as getting your original bet back.

And then, your winnings just scale up from there, based on how much you bet. If you bet $10 at 7-2, you'd earn $35 in winnings (plus your $10 bet back!) — because $10 is five times the $2 bet, so your winnings would be five times the $7 listed in 7-2.

What is an exacta? What is a trifecta? What is a superfecta? What are exotics?

Exactas, trifectas and superfectas are types of exotics, and they function almost like Same-Game Parlays for horse racing.

An exacta is a bet on the correct finishing order of the first- and second-place horses. A trifecta is a bet on the correct finishing order of the first-, second- and third-place horses. A superfecta is a bet on the correct finishing order of the first-, second-, third- and fourth-place horses.

You can pick multiple horses for each of those finishing positions — so, for example, you could bet an exacta where you pick either Fierceness or Just A Touch to finish first, then either Fierceness

Because of the aforementioned parimutuel betting used in horse racing, you won't know the exact payout on these exotics until the race is over. But for more on how the payouts are calculated, check out our educational story on How Exacta, Trifecta & Superfecta Payouts Work.

What are the best Kentucky Derby exacta, trifecta and superfecta picks?

Glad you asked! For an exacta, we are betting on Fierceness to win, then either Domestic Product or Resilience to come in second, so our exacta would look like 17 | 15,19.

For a trifecta, we are betting on Fierceness to win, then Just A Touch, Domestic Product or Resilience to come in second, and that same group of three horses to come in third, so our trifecta would look like 17 | 8,15,19 | 8,15,19.

For a superfecta, we're doing the same thing as the trifecta, but with that group of three horses also being bet on to finish fourth, for a superfecta of 17 | 8,15,19 | 8,15,19 | 8,15,19.

Are there races other than the Kentucky Derby on Saturday?

Yes, my friend, there certainly are! The Derby is the main event of a full day of horse racing at Churchill Downs, with eight races with cash stakes on the line across the day's lineup.

And we have picks for all of those races in our 2024 Kentucky Derby Picks and Predictions for Saturday Derby Day. (Note: That article is for paid Action Network PRO subscribers, but you can try PRO and all of its incredible tools for free when you first sign up!)