Preakness Stakes 2022 predictions, best bets: Expert picks for win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta

Pimlico Race Course has seen clear weather with fast track conditions the last two years for the Preakness, but those races had limited or no fans in attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

You have to go back to 2014 to find the last time the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown had pristine conditions with a full house, but that's what's in store for the 2022 Preakness Stakes on Saturday.

The expected heat could be worrisome for a colt like Early Voting, the only horse in the 2022 Preakness Stakes field who didn't spend the winter in a warm climate since he's only trained and competed in New York. Early Voting won the Withers Stakes in Queens and is 7-2 in the 2022 Preakness Stakes odds.

That only trails Epicenter, the 6-5 favorite, while other 2022 Preakness Stakes contenders include Secret Oath (9-2) and Simplification (6-1). Post time for the Preakness 2022 is 7:01 p.m. ET. With so much to consider while making your 2022 Preakness Stakes picks, a little expert help can go a long way.

The inaugural Preakness Stakes in 1873 was held at Pimlico Race Course, and the venue hosted every Preakness through 1889. After the race moved to New York, it returned to Pimlico and has been held there annually since 1909.

The official seating capacity for the racetrack is 12,896, but that doesn't take into account the over 100,000 spectators that pile into the infield or have standing room-only tickets. The 1873 Preakness had an estimated attendance of 12,000, and it wasn't until 1999 that the race reached a crowd of 100,000. Eighteen years later at the 2017 Preakness Stakes, Pimlico hosted 140,237 fans, which remains the race's all-time record.

Given all the history, there's a method to picking which horses to focus on for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets in a Preakness Stakes like this, and SportsLine expert Jody Demling knows what it is. He can help you make the best 2022 Preakness Stakes picks possible.

A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling has been on-point with his horse racing bets. In fact, this is the same handicapper who has called the Preakness winner nine times in the last 17 years. In the 2020 Preakness Stakes, Demling nailed the Swiss Skydiver-Authentic exacta.

He hit the exacta in the Wood Memorial in April. Last year, he hit the exacta, trifecta and superfecta in the Belmont Stakes. He's also hit the Derby-Oaks double at Churchill Downs 10 times in the last 14 years, including this year's massive upset with Rich Strike. That means he held a ticket with the winners of both the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby all but four times in his last 14 tries.

In addition, at one point in 2020, he picked the winners of six straight races: the Saudi Cup, Gotham Stakes, Rebel Stakes, Louisiana Derby, Florida Derby and Belmont Stakes. Anyone who has followed him on these races is way up. Now, he's sharing all of his 2022 Preakness Stakes bets here.