Breeders' Cup Classic 2022 predictions, odds: Expert picks for win, place, show, trifecta, superfecta - CBS Sports

USATSI

The 2022 Breeders' Cup Classic will take place on Saturday at Keeneland Racetrack, where a talented field will challenge for their share of a $6 million purse. Post time is scheduled for 5:40 p.m. ET and all eyes will be on undefeated four-year-old Flightline coming off his massive victory at the Pacific Stakes. Flightline won that race by 19 3/4 lengths and posted a Beyer Speed Figure of 126, tied for the fourth-highest since the statistic was popularized in 1987. He's won his last three graded stakes races by a combined 36 lengths and will have a chance to cement his legacy with a win at the Breeders' Cup Classic 2022. With so much to consider while making your 2022 Breeders' Cup Classic picks, a little expert help can go a long way.

The Breeders' Cup Classic was first run in 1984 at Hollywood Park and in the 38 years since, it's rotated among top American horse racing tracks. The Breeders' Cup Classic 2022 will be the third time that the race has been run in Keeneland, with American Pharoah winning the first to complete the American grand slam in 2015 and Authentic winning in 2020 while setting a track record. Hot Rod Charlie finished fourth in last year's race at Del Mar and will return for the Breeders' Cup 2022 as a 15-1 long shot. Tiznow won the race in back-to-back years in 2000 and 2001.

Given all the history, there's a method to picking which horses to focus on for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets in a Breeders' Cup Classic like this, and SportsLine expert Jody Demling knows what it is. He can help you make the best 2022 Breeders' Cup Classic 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 Breeders' Cup Classic 2022 having nailed the winner of the Belmont Stakes, the horse racing calendar's last major race, four of the last fives years, including an exacta this year with Mo Donegal.

Demling is at his best in the biggest horse races in the world like the Breeders' Cup 2022. 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 this year's Preakness trifecta. Anyone who has followed him is up huge. Now, he's sharing all of his 2022 Breeders' Cup Classic bets here.

Top 2022 Breeders' Cup Classic expert picks

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

Breeders' Cup Classic Exacta: Pick the first- and second-place finishers in the correct order. A $2 exacta returned $65.20 at the 2021 Breeders' Cup Classic with Knicks Go and Medina Spirit.

Breeders' Cup Classic Trifecta: Pick the first-, second- and third-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 trifecta returned $83.90 at the 2021 Breeders' Cup Classic with Knicks Go, Medina Spirit and Essential Quality.

Breeders' Cup Classic Superfecta: Pick the first-, second-, third- and fourth-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 superfecta returned a colossal $170.10 at the 2021 Breeders' Cup Classic with Knicks Go, Medina Spirit Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie.

While Demling has no quibbles with the favorite status of Flightline (3-5), he plans to hold tickets with Epicenter (5-1) and a double-digit underdog who could really spice up the payouts. You can see his picks here.

How to make 2022 Breeders' Cup Classic bets

Demling has specific recommendations for exacta, trifecta and superfecta wagers so you can cover all your bases at the Breeders' Cup Classic 2022. He's sharing them over at SportsLine.

So which horses do you take? And in what combinations? Visit SportsLine to get Demling's picks for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets for the 2022 Breeders' Cup Classic.