Indianapolis 500 Betting Odds, Picks, and Preview
Buckle up, racing fans, the biggest weekend in motorsports is on the horizon! The drivers of the NTT IndyCar Series are set to compete in the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 this Sunday afternoon. After getting bumped to late August last season, the Greatest Spectacle in Racing will reclaim its rightful spot as part of Memorial Day Weekend this year. All sorts of history, tradition, and remembrance of those who have served this great country will comprise what figures to be a spectacular day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
This Indianapolis 500 betting preview contains all kinds of information to get you set for the prestigious event. Read on for the betting odds, value picks to win, and best prop bets for the 105th Indy 500.
Indianapolis 500 Betting Odds and Top Picks to Win
The table below contains the betting odds to win the 2021 Indianapolis 500 for all 33 drivers in the field from three major U.S. sportsbooks.
Favorite: Scott Dixon (+350 at DraftKings or BetMGM)
After claiming the pole position in qualifying last week, it’s no surprise to see Scott Dixon as the betting favorite to win the Indianapolis 500. What is somewhat surprising is the gap between him and the next driver. Dixon drives for Chip Ganassi Racing, who stole the show in qualifying last week. All four of the team’s cars in the field will be starting in the top nine positions. Should the team and setup success from qualifying weekend be any indication, Dixon is a great bet to win.
In terms of history, the New Zealand native has a fair bit of it working in his favor. He has proven to be a threat to win every year at the Indy 500. He has three top-5s in the last six runnings, including a runner-up just last year. Dixon has also triumphed in this prestigious event before, capturing the checkered in the 2008 race. The moment certainly won’t be too big for the veteran. After winning one of two prior IndyCar races on ovals this season, Dixon is fast and hungry for more Indianapolis 500 glory.
Contender With Value: Rinus VeeKay (+1800 at BetMGM or FanDuel)
Speaking of momentum, young Rinus VeeKay certainly comes in with plenty of it. After winning the GMR Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course two weeks ago, the Dutch phenom threw down during qualifying as well. He will start on the front row in third, alongside Dixon and Colton Herta. The first three starting positions have combined to produce 45 of the previous Indianapolis 500 winners. At 18-1 odds, VeeKay holds much more betting value than Herta and is well worth a wager.
Longshot: Helio Castroneves (+4200 at FanDuel)
We go from a youngster making just his second career Indy 500 start to one of the veterans of the sport as our longshot pick. Helio Castroneves holds the most career Indianapolis 500 wins of any driver in Sunday’s field with three. Only defending champion Takuma Sato and Juan Pablo Montoya have matched Castroneves in winning the Greatest Spectacle in Racing multiple times. Driving for Meyer Shank Racing in a part-time role, Castroneves qualified well and will start eighth. Although his last win came back in 2009, he finished runner-up as recently as 2017. Don’t count out the savvy vet when searching for a longshot play.
Other Indianapolis 500 Race Props and Best Bets
All Indianapolis 500 race props come courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Race Matchup: Alex Palou (+105) vs. Patricio O’Ward
This head-to-head matchup seems to be putting a whole lot of stock in last year’s Indianapolis 500 results. Patricio O’Ward finished fifth on his way to rookie of the year honors. Meanwhile, Alex Palou wrecked out and finished all the way down in 28th. Then again, that was last year. Palou will start on the second row this Sunday after qualifying six spots better than O’Ward. Both drivers have already notched a win this season and are running well overall, making the discrepancy in these odds a bit of a head-scratcher.
Best Finish in Group E: Felix Rosenqvist (+285)
Felix Rosenqvist is matched up with IndyCar rookie Scott McLaughlin, Conor Daly, and two-time Indy 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya in Group E. Despite drawing a higher starting position in qualifying last weekend, Rosenqvist is one of the group longshots. His season has not gotten off to an ideal start, but the Swede finished 12th in this race last year. He carries under-the-radar value in this four-person horse race.
Top 10 Finish: Takuma Sato (+105)
Forget finishing in the top-10. In the last four editions of the Indy 500, Takuma Sato has bagged a pair of wins and three top-3 finishes. No driver in the field knows how to get around the Brickyard better than the Japanese veteran. Plus-money odds on a top-10 for the defending champion are just too good to pass up.
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Henry John is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Henry, check out his archive and follow him @HankTimeSports.