Kentucky Derby 2023 predictions, odds: Expert picks for win, place, show, trifecta, superfecta

The 2023 Kentucky Derby will take place at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 6, with post time scheduled for 6:57 p.m. ET. Trainer Todd Pletcher has gotten his fill of "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" with Kentucky Derby wins in 2010 and 2017. However, he'll hope to join rarefied air among trainers with a third win and is expected to have multiple chances with three 2023 Kentucky Derby horses. Forte is the 5-2 favorite in the 2023 Kentucky Derby odds, while Tapit Trice and Kingsbarns are 11-1. Derma Sotogake (13-1) and Practical Move (14-1) are next on the board in the current 2023 Kentucky Derby futures. With so much to consider while making your 2023 Kentucky Derby picks, a little expert help can go a long way.  

The Kentucky Derby 2023 will mark the 149th Run for the Roses and the 50th anniversary of Secretariat's record-setting run in 1973. The Triple Crown winner and the most legendary horse in the history of the sport ran a 1:59.4 to win by 2 1/2 lengths, still the fastest 1 1/4-mile time in Kentucky Derby history. Monarchos in 2001 was the only other horse to ever break the two-minute barrier, while Northern Dancer won the 1964 Kentucky Derby in a time of 2:00.00. Secretariat was a 3-2 favorite at Churchill Downs in 1973, while Rich Strike was an 80-1 longshot in 2022, making him the second-largest longshot ever to win behind Donerail at 91-1 in 1913.

Given all the history, there's a method to picking which horses to focus on for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets in a Kentucky Derby like this, and SportsLine expert Jody Demling knows what it is. He can help you make the best 2023 Kentucky Derby picks possible.

A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling enters the 2023 Kentucky Derby having nailed the winner of the Belmont Stakes four of the last fives years, including an exacta in 2022 with Mo Donegal and Nest. He also nailed Flightline's win at the Breeders' Cup Classic last November.

Demling is at his best in the biggest horse races in the world like the Kentucky Derby 2023. In fact, he has hit 10 of the last 14 Derby-Oaks doubles at Churchill Downs. That means he held a ticket with the winners of both races all but four times in the last 14 years. 

He's also called nine of the last 18 Preakness winners, keenly understanding when the Kentucky Derby winner was poised for victory or a massive upset, and nailed the 2022 Preakness trifecta. Anyone who has followed him on those horse racing picks is up huge. Now, he's sharing all of his 2023 Kentucky Derby bets here.

Top 2023 Kentucky Derby expert picks

Here's a refresher on these types of bets from SportsLine's Jody Demling:

Kentucky Derby Exacta: Pick the first- and second-place finishers in the correct order. A $2 exacta returned $4,101.20 at the 2022 Kentucky Derby with Rich Strike and Epicenter.

Kentucky Derby Trifecta: Pick the first-, second- and third-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 trifecta returned $14,870.70 at the 2022 Kentucky Derby with Rich Strike, Epicenter and Zandon.

Kentucky Derby Superfecta: Pick the first-, second-, third- and fourth-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 superfecta returned a colossal $321,500.10 at the 2022 Kentucky Derby with Rich Strike, Epicenter, Zandon and Simplification.

While Demling has no quibbles with the favorite status of Forte (5-2), he plans to hold tickets with Practical Move (14-1) and a massive double-digit underdog who could really spice up the payouts. You can see his picks here. 

How to make 2023 Kentucky Derby bets

Demling has specific recommendations for exacta, trifecta and superfecta wagers so you can cover all your bases at the Kentucky Derby 2023. He's sharing them over at SportsLine.