Updated 2022 Preakness Stakes Day Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Our Staff’s Best Bets, Including Exactas, Trifectas, Longshots & Undercard Wagers (May 21)

Updated 2022 Preakness Odds

*As of Saturday at 6:50 p.m. ET

We have reached the day of the 147th running of the Preakness Stakes which is set to be run Saturday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. The winner will capture the second leg of the sport's illustrious Triple Crown.

On deck is a stellar 14-race card at Pimlico, with the Preakness being the spotlight race of them all. There are eight stakes races taking place, giving us plenty of chances to connect on some winners and turn a profit.

Action Network handicappers Jeremy Pond, Sean Zerillo and Mike Conti have unveiled their top picks tied to the Preakness Stakes and undercard.

The Preakness, which will feature nine of the top 3-year-old horses in the world going 1 3/16 miles on the Pimlico dirt track, is set for a post time of 7:01 p.m. ET, with NBC providing the TV coverage.

Earlier races from Pimlico will air on FS2 from 12-6:30 p.m. ET and CNBC from to 2-4 p.m. ET, then switch to NBC from 4-7:30 p.m. ET. You can also stream the races on NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and Peacock Premium.

That said, let's see where our analysts have landed with their best bets.

2022 Preakness Stakes Day Best Bets

Jeremy Pond

Preakness Winner

No. 5 Early Voting (7-2): Meet my top pick. Trainer Chad Brown opted to skip the Derby with him, which is exactly what he did five years ago when he had Cloud Computing target the Preakness instead of the first leg of the Triple Crown. Needless to say, the move worked, as Cloud Computing won the race.

As for Early Voting, he enters fresh after a second-place effort in the Wood Memorial on April 9 and is sitting on a big effort with jockey Jose Ortiz in my opinion. I hope these odds drift into the 4-1 or 9-2 area up before the nine contenders reach the starting gate, which would give us plenty of value.

Preakness Contenders

To say I love No. 4 Secret Oath (9-2) would be the definition of an understatement. She was all class beating the ladies in the Kentucky Oaks, so I expect another monster effort. The daughter of 2016 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Arrogate was a game third in the Arkansas Derby, finishing behind Cyberknife and runner-up Barber Road.

However, she had a terrible break that day, and with a better start, she might have won. Secret Oath looks to become the seventh filly to win the Preakness in the 147 years it has been in existence.

Also throw in No. 1 Simplification (6-1) and No. 8 Epicenter at 6-5 odds.

Preakness Exotic Wagers, Other Bets

Exacta Box: 1-4-5-8

Trifecta: 4-5-8 over 1-4-5-8-9 over 1-2-4-5-8-9

Daily Double (Races 12-13): 2-3-5-6 | 1-4-5-8-9

Pick 4 (Races 10-13)

5-7-10 | 1-5-8 | 2-3-5-6 | 1-4-5-8

Sean Zerillo

Preakness Winner

No. 5 Early Voting (7-2): Aside from the No. 8 Epicenter (6-5), the most likely winner of the race, I see the most straightforward path to victory for the Early Voting, the likely pacesetter who may go off as the third choice by post time.

After a record-setting early pace in the Derby, there could be an overreaction from the jockeys and significantly less pressure on the early leader in the Preakness.

Early Voting has shown the most early speed in this field, and I can envision a scenario where all the other horses tuck in behind him – rather than challenging from the break – and look to work out a tactical trip instead.

If Early Voting can relax early and set modest fractions, he could take the field from gate to wire, particularly if Epicenter fails to fire on the heels of a long campaign and after a valiant effort in the Derby.

Epicenter may drop to an odds-on price of as low as 4-5 or 3-5 by post time, boosting odds for the remaining contenders further down the tote board.

And I expect the Kentucky Oaks champion No. 4 Secret Oath (9-2) to garner significant betting attention.

That could leave an inflated price on Early Voting, landing some around more than double his morning-line odds. I'd gladly bet him across the board (Win/Place/Show) at 5-1 or better and see if he can take the field all the way.

Preakness Longshot

No. 9 Skippylongstocking (20-1): In addition to Early Voting, who finished second in the Wood Memorial six weeks back, I plan to use the third-place finisher Skippylongstocking underneath in exotics.

The son of 2016 Preakness winner (and Derby runner-up) Exaggerator can be closer to the pace than his sire but still offers a strong closing kick.

And he had some excuses for his losing effort in the Wood,  recovering from a bad break, going wide around both turns and fighting through kickback almost the entire way around the track.

I'm not sure if Skippylongstocking has enough pace in front of him to win this edition of the Preakness. Still, I expect him to outrun his odds and into exotics contention.

Undercard Top Pick

Race 9 — No. 6 Chasing Time (12-1): Trainer Steve Asmussen has won the Chick Lang Stakes five times, including three of the past four and four of the past seven editions of the race.

He has two entrants in the 2022 field, including the No. 1 Cogburn (5-2), who should be part of a fast pace, and Chasing Time, who should do his best running late.

Chasing Time gets significant class relief in this field after facing against graded stakes competition in the Arkansas Derby (G1) and the Rebel Stakes (G2) in his past two starts.

He doesn't necessarily fit on speed figures, which I generally prioritize. Still, cutting back in distance from a trio of route races to a shorter sprint — where he has done his best work — should benefit this horse to a significant degree.

There's a ton of early pace in this race to wear down the shorter-priced horses, including Asmussen's Cogburn, No. 5 Old Homestead (2-1), No. 7 Whelen Springs (4-1) and No. 9 Little Vic at 6-1 odds.

That said, I anticipate a potential pace meltdown — even in this six-furlong sprint — and I expect Asmussen's late runner to pick up the pieces in the stretch run.

Play No. 6 Chasing Time across the board (Win/Place/Show) at 8-1 or better.

Mike Conti

Preakness Winner

No. 4 Secret Oath (9-2) won easy last time out in the Kentucky Oaks. She’s back in this spot to face the boys for the second time in her career; the first time coming in the Arkansas Derby, where I think she should have won, but had a really difficult trip.

Jockey Luis Saez was able to use her push-button speed to put her in a perfect spot in the Oaks on the far turn, where she put away the competition in the stretch. She should be able to get a very similar trip and will try to become the seventh filly to win the Preakness.

Preakness Contenders

No. 8 Epicenter (6-5) ran his race and finished second in the Derby just two weeks ago. He ran a fantastic race, but Rich Strike was just the better horse that day. Epicenter shouldn’t have to deal with the breakneck pace in the Preakness that he did in the Derby, which will make him very tough.

No. 5 Early Voting (7-2) had enough points to enter into the Derby, but the connections chose to wait until this spot to run him. He won’t have to deal with the amount of speed we saw two weeks ago and he should be find himself on the lead just as he did in the Wood Memorial.

With him coming in fresh second off the layoff in comparison to a few others who ran just two weeks ago, look for a big effort from this Chad Brown runner.

Undercard Top Pick

Race 10 — No. 5 Ready To Purrform (5-2) is making the first start of his 3-year-old season after a disappointing seventh to wrap up his 2-year-old campaign. Although he finished well behind, he never really stood a chance with the combination of his running style, position position and tight turns.

Ready To Purrform gets Lasix for the first time and will be flying late to run down what looks to be hotly contested early pace.