Belmont Stakes Betting Guide

Belmont Stakes Betting Tips

Belmont betting is pretty simple. All you need to learn to bet on the Belmont Stakes online is knowledge of the different betting options and some research on the horses themselves. Below, we’ll explore the type of bets you can make and how to read odds for Belmont Stakes 2021 betting.

Futures Bets

If you can correctly predict who will win the Belmont Stakes early, you could see yourself on the winning end of a great bet. Futures are bets you can make well in advance of a big event. Odds at your favorite racebook would look something like this:

In the above 2020 odds that we're using for example, we use American odds but you can pick Fractional (1/5) or Decimal (1.20) odds if you prefer. Your location generally determines the odds type. Bettors in Europe and Australia tend to like decimals, whereas those in the U.K. use fractions. In North America, you’ll usually find American odds.

Favorites are always shown with the minus sign (-) and underdogs have plus signs (+) beside their odds. This is universal across all betting sites.

At -140, oddsmakers gave Tiz The Law a 58.3 percent shot at winning. If you laid down $100 on Tiz The Law, you’d get a payout of $171.43 if he had won – your $100 is returned along with your winnings of $71.43.

On the other hand, a long-shot $100 bet on a horse like Dr. Post at +900 (10 percent chance) would've paid out $1,000 – your original money comes back coupled with your winnings of $900. Because this was considered a risky bet, the reward was greater.

To see how much you’d win based on the odds offered and the amount wagered, check out our Odds Calculator. You’ll also see the percentage chances that oddsmakers are giving each horse of winning.

See Odds Shark’s Best Betting Sites

Win, Place, Show

Akin to the moneyline in other sports, this is a set of three bets rolled into one where you would pick a horse to win, another to come in second (place), and the last to come in third (show). Win, place, show bets require accuracy since you will need to correctly predict the positions of three horses.

Exacta, Trifecta and Quinella Betting

To make an exacta bet, you’ll need to guess the top two finishers in the Stakes in the right order. To place a trifecta bet, you’ll need to determine the first-, second- and third-place horses. A quinella bet is a little simpler since you have to forecast two horses to finish first and second but they don’t have to be in the correct order.

Horse Matchup

If you're unsure how to bet on the Belmont Stakes, you can narrow down the field with horse matchup betting, which allows you to choose two horses. They don’t need to win outright, but they do need to come in the order of your choosing. For instance, if you bet that Dr. Post will finish before Mischievous and that happens, you win your bet. Neither horse needs to come in first, they just have to beat the other.

Handicapping Your Belmont Stakes Bets

The Belmont Stakes is known as “The Test of the Champion” because ordinarily the longer track distance of 1.5 miles historically puts faster horses at a disadvantage. However, with the reduced track length, endurance may not be a key factor for races like these along with handicapping a horse’s pace.

• Pressers/Stalkers: These are horses that come from behind. They may look slow at first but move swiftly to pass their opponents.

• Front-runners: These stallions start strong and keep a steady pace throughout the race. This is not to say that they can’t outrun their rivals if necessary, they’re just better at managing their strides to stay in the race.

• Closers: This is the name for horses that start slow and gain momentum as the race comes to a head.

Besides pace, knowing a horse’s position on the track can also help you make smart bets. Steeds that start the race closer to the inside of the track have a shorter distance to run.

Belmont Stakes Odds and Ends