Anticipation continues to mount in advance of the 2020 Breeders' Cup. The field is set. And the betting odds - and our betting picks - are in. Now is the time to capitalize on the lines before oddsmakers begin making their last-minute adjustments in the lead-up to the gates opening.
As always, the main draw is the Breeders' Cup Classic, arguably the most important race of the year. For your convenience, here are the latest odds across three of the top sportsbooks in Bovada, MyBookie, and GTBets:
| Breeders' Cup Classic� |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Improbable | +275 | +300 | +330 |
| Tiz the Law | +400 | +300 | +300 |
| Maximum Security | +400 | +450 | +450 |
| Authentic | +550 | +550 | +600 |
| Tom's d' Etat | +500 | +700 | +600 |
| Global Campaign | +2000 | +1600 | +2500 |
| By My Standards | +1600 | +2500 | +1200 |
| Tacitus | +2500 | +2500 | +2200 |
| Title Ready | +5000 | +5000 | +1200 |
| Higher Power | +4000 | �+5000 | +2800� |
Please remember to double-check these 2020 Breeders' Cup betting lines prior to making any decisions. Sportsbooks will move the lines right up until the last minute entering the Nov. 7 showdown, which currently has a post time of 5:13 p.m. EST. All our picks that follow, however, are based on odds as of Tuesday, November 3.
2020 Breeders' Cup Classic: Best Favorites
Improbable
To absolutely no one's surprise, Bob Baffert's Improbable enters the Breeders' Cup Classic as the decided favorite. This may be the surest thoroughbred he's trained in years.
Sure, Baffert's mounts always garner priority. Horses trained by him won The Classic in 2014, 2015, and 2016. But Improbable, who will start from the No. 8 spot, is coming off a fifth-place finish in last year's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and is also working off a three-race winning streak, having placed first in Hollywood Gold Cup, Whitney Stakes, and Awesome Again—all of which were group 1 races.
OSB's Recommendation: Odds tend to move outside the bettor's favor closer to post time, so if you're going to invest in Improbable, try to hop on BetOnline's +330.
Tiz The Law
In reality, there is no second favorite at Lexington. Improbable has cornered that market. But Tiz The Law is the only other horse laying 3-to-1 odds anywhere else, so here we are.
He won the 2020 Belmont and Travers and will be starting from the No. 2 spot in The Classic. It should also be noted that Tiz The Law has been on rest with this race in mind. He sat out Preakness to ensure he'd be fresh when going up against Improbable, Maximum Security, and Authentic.
OSB's Recommendation: Don't roll with Tiz The Law unless your return is higher than 3-to-1. Bovada and MyBookie currently offer you that opportunity.
Check out more information on the Breeders' Cup here.
2020 Breeders' Cup Classic: Best Dark Horse Picks
Tacitus
Everyone and their second cousin is still waiting for Tacitus to win his first Grade 1 race. The Classic could be his chance to shine.
Indeed, Tacitus has not historically performed at his best on these dirt tracks. But he also consistently places even in his worst races. He has finished on the board in 11 of his past 14 go-rounds, and his career earnings are now close to $3 million.
Further encouraging is his second-place finish in the Woodward Handicap, a Grade 1 race in which he simply couldn't fend off Global Campaign.
OSB's Recommendation: Long-shot bettors should consider pouncing on Tacitus so long as he continues to pay out at 25-to-1 or better at all major sportsbooks, including Bovada and MyBookie.
By My Standards
By My Standards' odds are artificially inflated by the ultra-successful season he has put together.
This year alone, he's won three Grade 2 races at three different tracks. Equally important, he has also grabbed the runner-up slot in a pair of Grade 1 matchups, including at Whitney Stakes, where he put up a valiant fight against Improbable.
Most concerns are rooted in the distance of The Classic. By My Standard has run his best races at no more than one-and-one-eighth miles. He'll need to up his endurance if he's going to keep pace over for the full one-and-one-quarter miles at Lexington.
That's not a huge concern for those willing to take risks. Trainer Bret Calhoun has touted By My Standard's improved body type, noting that his legs are more durable and he's gotten in some good trials across longer distances.
OSB's Recommendation: Only take By My Standard if you can get a 20-to-1 or better payout. MyBookie is offering 25-to-1 at this writing.
Betting Picks for Other 2020 Breeders' Cup Races
$4 Million Turf
- Magical (+250)
- Mogul (+400)
- Arklow (+500)
- Channel Maker (+500)
- Tarnawa (+600)
OSB's Recommendation: We like the idea of going with an Aidan O'Brien trained horse here, given how many winners he's churned out over the years in this 1.5-mile turf war. Magical or Mogul is our pick.
$2 Million Distaff
- Monomoy Girl (+160)
- Swiss Skydiver (+200)
- Horologist (+800)
- Ollie's Candy (+1000)
- Ce Ce, Harvest Moon, Dunbar Road, Valiance (+1200)
OSB's Recommendation: Don't hesitate to go with Monomy Girl for this long-haul race. She won it in 2018, and though a case with colic cost her last season, she has since won another Grade 1 competition upon return.
$2 Million Turf
- Ivar (+400)
- Uni (+500)
- Kameko (+600)
- Digital Age, Factor This, Raging Bull (+800)
- Siskin, Circus Maximus, Halladay (+1200)
OSB's Recommendation: We like Kameko for this one. Trainer Andrew Balding kept him off the British Champions card with the sole purpose of getting him ready for the $2 million turf.
$2 Million Sprint
- Vekoma (+300)
- C Z Rocket, Yaupon (+350)
- Firenze Fire, Diamond Oops (+800)
- Frank's Rockette (+1000)
- Whitmore (+1500)
OSB's Recommendation: It's tough for us to pick against the four-year-old Vekoma. This race goes six furlongs, and he's a perfect five-for-five in races of eight or less.
$2 Million Filly & Mare Turf
- Rushing Fall (+250)
- Mean Mary (+350)
- Sistercharlie (+600)
- Cayenne Pepper (+800)
- Starship Jubilee (+1000)
OSB's Recommendation: Go with the favorite in Rushing Fall. She's 3-0 on the year, and one of her victories has already come in a Grade 1 race like this one.
$1 Million Dirt Mile
- Complexity (+200)
- Knicks Go (+350)
- Art Collector, Mr. Freeze (+600)
- War of Will (+1000)
- Owendale, Sharp Samurai (+1500)
OSB's Recommendation: Invest in a horse that's known for excelling on the inside, given where the turns show up during this one-and-one-sixth-mile race. Our best bet is Art Collector.
$1 Million Turf Sprint
- Got Stormy (+350)
- Imprimis, Leinster (+400)
- Big Runnuer, Front Run the Fed, Glass Slippers, Oleksandra, Into Mystic, Wildman Jack (+1200)
- Bombard, Extravagant Kid, Wet Your Whistle (+1500)
- Just Might, Texas Wedge (+3000)
OSB's Recommendation: This would be the race to go against the favorites. Analysts are split on who could win this won. Glass Slippers pays out 12-to-1 and is a dangerous sprinter in under 5.5 furlongs.
$1 Million Filly & Mare Sprint
- Gamine (+140)
- Serengeti Empress (+300)
- Bell's the One, Speech (+600)
- Come Dancing, Venetian Harbor (+800)
- Sally's Curlin, Sconsin (+2000)
OSB's Recommendation: Gamine is the heavy favorite here for a reason. She's a Bob Baffert horse that's actually lowering her distance. In past races at this length and Grade 1 level, she's had a tendency to win by large lengths. Take her so long as you getting better than even money.
Be sure to check out our list of the best online sportsbooks so you can decide which to use for all your horse racing bets:
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