Kentucky Derby 2016 Odds: Latest Vegas Betting Lines for Churchill Downs Field

Less than a week remains before horse racing will become the focus of the sporting world at the 2016 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

This time last year, American Pharoah was en route to the first Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978. Seeing a horse finally end the drought will inevitably remove some of the drama from this year's Derby, which is not to say the Run for the Roses will be devoid of entertainment. Plus, who wouldn't want to see a horse win the Triple Crown in back-to-back years?

Most will expect Nyquist to mount this year's challenge at history. Here are the most recent Kentucky Derby odds on Odds Shark, using the 20-horse field from the Courier-Journal's Jonathan Lintner:

Horse	Points	Odds
Gun Runner	151	10-1
Nyquist	130	10-3
Exaggerator	126	8-1
Outwork	120	20-1
Brody's Cause	114	12-1
Creator	110	20-1
Lani	100	30-1
Mor Spirit	84	18-1
Mohaymen	80	8-1
Danzing Candy	60	25-1
Destin	51	14-1
Suddenbreakingnews	50	16-1
Oscar Nominated	50	N/A
Shagaf	50	25-1
Whitmore	44	50-1
Tom's Ready	44	50-1
My Man Sam	40	25-1
Majesto	40	N/A
Trojan Nation	40	N/A
Mo Tom	32	16-1

It's not hard to see why Nyquist is a relatively heavy favorite before the post positions are announced. He's a perfect 7-for-7 heading into Churchill Downs, with his most recent victory coming at the Florida Derby on April 2.

The race was billed as a head-to-head clash between Nyquist and Mohaymen, and the result cemented the former as the horse to beat in Louisville:

"I've got so much confidence in him," said jockey Mario Gutierrez, per the New York Times' Melissa Hoppert. "I've been working with him since he was a two-year-old, and I feel like I know him a lot."

While Mohaymen's stock fell after the Florida Derby, it would be way too hasty to dismiss his chances. One bad result didn't erase everything he had done to that point. The three-year-old was unbeaten in his first five races.

The loss was also a bit of a learning experience for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, per Daily Racing Form's David Grening:

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In reviewing the Florida Derby, McLaughlin said Mohaymen, the 4-5 favorite, was widest of all into the first turn and down the backstretch. He made a move around the far turn to try to challenge Nyquist but was turned aside and flattened out down the stretch.

"No. 1, I think we were on the worst part of the track," McLaughlin said. "No. 2, we traveled 54 feet farther [than Nyquist] on the worst part of the track. No one was going to win from out there."

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Jockey Junior Alvarado won't make the same mistake twice at the Kentucky Derby.

Looking down the list of challengers, Mor Spirit offers a potentially good value play; he has 15-1 odds on Odds Shark.

Trainer Bob Baffert's record speaks for itself, and he entered truly rarefied air when he helped lead American Pharoah to glory. Now, he'll look to earn his fifth Kentucky Derby win with Mor Spirit.

The colt came up short in the biggest test of his career, finishing second to Exaggerator at the Santa Anita Derby on April 9, which doesn't do Exaggerator's win justice. He was well ahead of Mor Spirit, who climbed into second after a late surge:

One can never go too wrong betting on Baffert, though, and Mor Spirit is looking good in his preparations for Saturday, per the Derby's official Twitter account:

Of course, the odds are bound to fluctuate when the post positions are revealed Wednesday. A horse's starting position can be the great equalizer. Even the most gifted horse is bound to struggle if he's too far in on the rail or too far out wide.

For now, the smart money is wisely on Nyquist, but that may not be the case in the coming days.