During the 156-year history of the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown has been decided by a nose or less just four times. However, the 2025 Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course is set up for a showdown between Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty and Preakness Stakes winner Journalism that could come down to a photo finish. These two 2025 Belmont Stakes horses matched up at the top of the stretch at Churchill Downs and went stride for stride before Sovereignty pulled away for a 1 1/2-length win in the final furlong.

Journalism responded with a gritty, come-from-behind win at Pimlico and his connections are hoping he can avenge his loss at Churchill Downs. The latest 2025 Belmont Stakes odds list Sovereignty at 8-5 and Journalism at 9-5. The 2025 Belmont Stakes post draw is on Monday at 5 p.m. ET. Before making any 2025 Belmont Stakes picks, be sure to see the horse racing predictions and futures bets from SportsLine’s elite horse racing expert Jody Demling.

A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling hit the top three finishers at the Kentucky Derby in the correct order and then nailed the exacta in this year’s Preakness Stakes. He also predicted the winner of the Belmont Stakes four of the last seven years, including an exacta in 2022 with Mo Donegal and Nest. Anyone who has followed him on those picks is up huge and first-time users can boost their bankroll with the latest FanDuel Racing promo code.

Now, with the 2025 Belmont Stakes around the corner, Demling is sharing his 2025 Belmont Stakes betting picks and 2025 Belmont Stakes predictions over at SportsLine. Go here to see them.

Top 2025 Belmont Stakes predictions

One of Demling’s surprising 2025 Belmont Stakes picks: He isn’t picking Sovereignty or Journalism to win, even though they each won a leg of this year’s Triple Crown and are the two favorites. The rematch between these two champion three-year-olds is dominating the headlines, and with good reason, but they’re far from the only two serious contenders in the 2025 Belmont Stakes field.

Rodriguez went wire-to-wire to win the Wood Memorial and qualify for the Kentucky Derby, but he was scratched from the first two legs because of a quarter crack in one of his hind legs. Trainer Bob Baffert says that injury is no longer an issue at all and now Rodriguez will draw into the field on Monday and is likely to provide the early speed, which could pose problems for both Sovereignty and Journalism since they’re deep closers.

Also making his Triple Crown debut could be Grande, a Todd Pletcher-trained half-brother of Journalism who ran a solid second to Rodriguez in the Wood Memorial. He was also scratched from the Kentucky Derby because of a cracked heel and is likely to move towards the front early. Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Baeza will also return to the American classic trail and could be a threat to the two frontrunners. See which other 2025 Belmont Stakes horses to target at SportsLine.

How to make 2025 Belmont Stakes picks, bets

Demling’s top pick is an underdog who could be “the best value in the race.” Demling is sharing which horse it is, along with his entire projected 2025 Belmont Stakes leaderboard, over at SportsLine.

Which horse wins the Belmont Stakes 2025, and which value longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2025 Belmont Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling’s picks for the Belmont Stakes, all from the expert who nailed the top three Kentucky Derby finishers in the correct order and the Preakness Stakes exacta.

2025 Belmont Stakes horses, odds