If the city of Indianapolis is known for one thing, it’s hosting great events. The Big Ten Football Championship, the NFL Draft Scouting Combine and yes, even Gary Vaynerchuk’s VeeCon, all call the “Crossroads of America” home for a week.
However, no event means more to the area than the annual running of IndyCar’s Indianapolis 500. “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” sees its cars consistently over 230 mph for 200 laps around the Brickyard. It runs this Sunday, May 28, after the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix and before NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 to make perhaps the greatest day of the year for race fans.
Let’s break down the meat of this Memorial Day Weekend racing sandwich with my best bets for the 2023 Indianapolis 500.
2023 Indianapolis 500: IndyCar Odds, Picks & Predictions
All bet recommendations are for 1u & courtesy of Barstool Sportsbook.
Top 5: Álex Palou (+105)
Across all racing series, momentum matters. And it’s no different this weekend for the Spanish driver wheeling Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 10 car. After winning the Grand Prix of Indianapolis earlier this month, Álex Palou now sits atop the IndyCar standings with four T5s in five races.
He then qualified on the pole, recording the fastest-ever four-lap average in qualifying for the Indianapolis 500. Despite Palou only being in the series since 2020, he has a second-place finish (2021) and a ninth-place finish (2022) in the 500. While I’m not sure if he’ll be able to completely hold off the pack of hungry veterans, he should be able to secure a T5 and cash this slightly plus-money ticket.
Top 10: Will Power (-117)
42-year-old Australian driver Will Power has been an IndyCar staple for over the last decade. Racing for Team Penske, Power currently sits in eighth in the standings after three T10s in five races. Power took home the Borg-Warner Trophy here in 2018 and has a T10 rate of 46.7% in his 15 career starts.
Power rolls off the grid in his No. 12 car starting 12th. What intrigues me to wager on Powers is that he was on top of Monday’s practice leaderboard. He has a strong car. He also has the veteran experience to make it to the end and finish in the top 10.
Team of Race Winner: Chip Ganassi Racing (+180)
Instead of taking the outright on Palou, I’m betting on his team, Chip Ganassi Racing. This Honda-driven team sports three additional drivers, my other favorite being Scott Dixon, who rolls off sixth and has the third-best odds to win the race. The 42-year-old New Zealand driver remains one of the sport’s best, sitting seventh in the standings with two T5s and four T10s this season. Not only has Dixon won the 500 back in 2008, but he sports a 40% T5 rate and a 60% T10 rate here.
This wager also equips gamblers with Marcus Ericsson, who is rolling off 10th and sits third in the IndyCar standings. Despite only racing in the sport for four seasons, Ericsson is the defending Indy 500 champion and should be a contender yet again.
Last but not least on this team is Takuma Sato, starting eighth in the No. 11 car. The 46-year-old Japanese driver only runs part-time on the ovals for Ganassi, but he is a two-time winner of the 500, being crowned in 2017 and, most recently, in 2020.
With this cast of past winners and the hottest driver in the sport, I feel confident that Chip Ganassi Racing will get their sixth Indianapolis 500 victory on Sunday.
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Seth Woolcock is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more sports betting and fantasy sports analysis from Seth, check out In-Between Media and follow him @Between_SethFF.