The 140^th running of the Kentucky Derby takes place this Saturday from Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. We’ll take a look at some of the contenders in the field that makes this the most exciting 2 minutes in sports.

California Chrome (3.1 to 1 odds at 5Dimes Sportsbook) is the current favorite to win the race and for good reason. With 6 wins in 10 starts, the chestnut is running at a high level that could win the race. He won the Santa Anita Derby is dominating fashion, running the last quarter mile in 24.2 seconds winning by more than five lengths. Should he replicate that performance, he will certainly be hard to beat.

Trainer Bob Baffert is no stranger to the Kentucky Derby, with 3 wins in his career. Baffert once again has a contender in Hoppertunity (15 to 1 odds at 5Dimes Sportsbook) with 2 wins in 5 starts. Hoppertunity didn’t look too impressive in the Santa Anita Derby, yet he did have a strong finish rallying from a slow start. How Baffert trains at Churchill should be interesting, and with his experience could be a major factor in the race.

With 5 wins in 6 starts, Samraat (21 to 1 odds at 5Dimes Sportsbook) looks like an attractive play. All of his wins have been in New York, and his last race was a second place finish to Wicked Strong (currently 9.5 to 1 odds at 5Dimes Sportsbook) in Aqueduct’s Wood Memorial. The 3-year-old colt runs hard no matter what, and his last race was the first time he was surrounded and covered up, yet showed a lot of determination in rallying a few times. This colt definitely should not be overlooked. Samraat’s trainer Rick Violette believes the last race will only make him better, should that be the case, Samraat is a contender.

Trainer Todd Pletcher’s colt Intense Holiday (currently 29 to 1 odds at 5Dimes Sportsbook) is showing some value with his lifetime 2-1-1 record in 8 starts. The colt has an effective kick, and he does have a good amount of starts under his belt. Some have said that his style is a perfect fit for the Derby this year. If he can stay in the pack and not get in trouble early, he has the ability to make a good stretch run.

The 2014 Major League Baseball season is upon us, and we’ll take a look at the odds to win the World Series and some teams that present some value. The complete listing of World Series odds can be found at the bottom of this post, courtesy of JustBet.

The New York Yankees are currently 14/1 (@ JustBet) to win the series, and wouldn’t it be a great sendoff for the future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter? The Yankees made some big off-season acquisitions, signing CF Jacoby Ellsbury, RF Carlos Beltran, C Brian McCann, and Japanese pitching prospect Masahiro Tanaka. The Yankees lost Mariano Rivera to retirement, and 2B Robinson Cano to free agency. Their lineup looks potent and could be a factor in the loaded AL East if 1B Mark Teixeira and Jeter can stay healthy. Their rotation looks respectable, with Tanaka, left-hander C.C. Sabathia, and the young Ivan Nova, who looks like he could have a breakout season. New York has been planning for departure of Rivera, and David Robertson has been groomed well for the closers role. In a loaded division, any team could win and it could very well be the New York Yankees.

I’m seeing some value in the Pittsburgh Pirates at 28/1  (@ JustBet). The Pirates made their first postseason appearance in over 20 years last season, and look to get back to the postseason with a very talented, yet underrated lineup. They are led by 2013 NL MVP CF Andrew McCutcheon, and have the key parts to make a postseason run. Also in the order are 3B Pedro Alvarez, who hit 36 HR’s last season, and young LF Starling Marte. They have the pitching, with left-hander Francisco Liriano, and the up and coming Gerrit Cole. They also have another hurler in waiting, in young right-hander Jameson Taillon, the 2010 second overall pick. The bullpen was one of the best in the majors last season, with Mark Melancon and Jason Grilli pitching magnificently. Can we expect a repeat performance? Maybe, but at 28/1 the Pittsburgh Pirates deserve some consideration.

The Seattle Mariners look like an attractive play at 33/1  (@ JustBet). The Mariners not only signed the superstar second baseman, but also added some key role players in DH slugger Corey Hart and RF Logan Morrison. They also have LF Dustin Ackley, who could be poised for a breakout season, and 3B sparkplug Kyle Seagar. The promising 24-year-old centerfielder Abraham Almonte could be the centerfielder of the future, and will more than likely be called up at some point this season. The rotation is of course led by none other than ‘King’ Felix Hernandez, and Hisashi Iwakuma. Iwakuma should be ready to go in mid-April, as him and Hernandez pose one of the better 1-2 punch combo’s in the American league. In a division that has teams struggling with injuries (A’s, Rangers), Seattle could be one of the surprise teams this season.

Current 2014 World Series Odds From JustBet Sportsbook (as of 4/1/2013)
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Los Angeles Dodgers      13/2
St. Louis Cardinals           15/2
Detroit Tigers                     9/1
Washington Nationals    10/1
Boston Red Sox                 12/1
Tampa Bay Rays                12/1
New York Yankees          14/1
Atlanta Braves                   16/1
San Francisco Giants       16/1
Texas Rangers                   16/1
Los Angeles Angels         20/1
Oakland Athletics             20/1
Cincinnati Reds                 25/1
Toronto Blue Jays            25/1
Pittsburgh Pirates            28/1
Baltimore Orioles             33/1
Kansas City Royals           33/1
Philadelphia Phillies        33/1
Seattle Mariners                33/1
Cleveland Indians             40/1
Arizona Diamondbacks  50/1
San Diego Padres             50/1
Chicago White Sox           66/1
Milwaukee Brewers       66/1
Chicago Cubs                     75/1
Colorado Rockies             75/1
New York Mets                 75/1
Miami Marlins                   100/1
Minnesota Twins             100/1
Houston Astros                 250/1