Belmont Stakes Odds 2020: Latest Vegas Betting Lines Before Post Positions Draw

Horse racing fans are usually preparing for the last leg of the Triple Crown in June—sometimes waiting to see if another name will be added to the exclusive list of great horses to win all three races.

However, 2020 is different. 

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes were postponed to Sept. 5 and Oct. 3, respectively. As a result, the Belmont Stakes is the first Triple Crown race rather than the last.

The Belmont did not go unaffected by the crisis, though. It was pushed back from June 6 to Saturday and will be held with no crowd in attendance. Fans can still watch the live stream of the event, and we've even been given virtual ways to make the event more fun for home viewers.

Another change to the 152nd running of the race is the distance. Horses will only have to cover 1⅛ miles as opposed to the normal 1½ miles, which may give an advantage to some of the faster thoroughbreds. 

NBC will cover Saturday's race, airing three hours of coverage starting at 3 p.m. ET, with post time set for 5:42 p.m. approximately.

Here's a look at the latest Vegas odds for the Belmont and a quick rundown of the field.

Lineup and Vegas Odds (via Vegas Insider)

Tiz The Law: 6-5

Dr Post: 4-1

Pneumatic: 6-1

Tap It To Win: 10-1

Sole Volante: 10-1

Modernist: 12-1

Farmington Road: 15-1

Max Player: 30-1

Jungle Runner: 50-1

While not included in the latest odds, Daily Racing Form's David Grening reported that a 10th horse will be added to the field at Belmont, Fore Left:

Post positions won't be drawn until 12 p.m. ET Wednesday, so there's still a chance a horse's post position could impact its chances leading up to the big race on Saturday. 

However, Tiz The Law has pulled ahead as a clear favorite to win the first jewel of the Triple Crown. The Grade 1 Florida Derby winner stands out in a field that is devoid of any Bob Baffert horses. 

Both of Baffert's top two entrants have been sidelined by injury, leaving the field wide open for Tiz The Law and trainer Barclay Tagg to secure the victory.

Many think Dr Post may pose the biggest threat to Tiz The Law, since his trainer, Todd Pletcher, is a Hall of Famer who has won three Belmont Stakes.

They may have 10-1 odds, but both Sole Volante and Tap It To Win could be interesting horses to bet on. 

Sole Volante is riding high after pulling off a late comeback win at Gulfstream last week over several Kentucky Derby hopefuls, and Tap It To Win showed incredible speed in a one-turn 1 1/16-mile race at Belmont on June 5.

The son of Tapit—trained by last year's Belmont and Preakness winner, Mark Casse—pulled ahead for a five-length victory and notched a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure.

Casse is not too worried about running Tap It To Win off of just 16 days of rest either, saying, "Sixteen days will be enough time."

"I thought that yesterday was a really tough race, but I believed we had a good chance," he added, per The Blood-Horse. "Johnny told me that he galloped out really well, so that makes me feel good."

SportsLine's Jody Demling, who has picked the winner in five straight races and has been covering horse racing for years, is also supposedly "high on" Tap It To Win and thinks Max Player won't even "hit the board."

While the 2020 Belmont Stakes may not include any Baffert horses or be the deciding factor in potentially deciding a Triple Crown winner, it's a race you won't want to miss. And you don't want to overlook Tap It To Win.