In the world of sports, there are some events that are truly iconic, and which draw viewers who might only have a passing interest in a specific sport. We are talking about things like the Super Bowl, World Cup Final, the Kentucky Derby, and the Indianapolis 500. There is something about these great sporting events that draw in fans and make the average person want to wager on a sport that they know little about. This weekend, we will have the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500, which will draw a massive viewing and betting audience. You do not want to miss out on the action, so let’s see if we can help narrow down the field so that you might be able to cash a winning ticket against their IndyCar odds.
IndyCar Indianapolis 500 Betting Analysis
Scott Dixon (+450)
After some time off due to the cancellation of events at Mid-Ohio, the drivers are back this weekend, with Scott Dixon looking to maintain his lead atop the driver standings in IndyCar. Dixon got his season off to a blistering start, winning each of the first 3 races of the year, but he has cooled off a little since then. Still, he has a pair of top 5 finishes in the 3 races that followed his fast start, so he needs to be very much among the favorites on Sunday. He has not had a ton of success at Indianapolis, though, with his last win there coming back in 2008.
Alexander Rossi (+700)
After a very slow start to the season, Rossi is slowly starting to move up the river standings. He has landed in the top 10 in each of his last 3 races, which has him now sitting in the 10th spot in the standings coming into the weekend. He actually won the Indianapolis 500 in his first season in IndyCar back in 2016, and he has been consistently solid in that race, with a pair of top 5 finishes and a top 10 in each of the last 3 seasons, including a second last year. He is my pick to win on Sunday.
Marco Andretti (+800)
Andretti is up among the favorites this weekend mostly because he has earned the pole position for this race. If you look back at his history at Indianapolis, you don’t really get the sense that he can win here, although a top 5 finish might not be a bad way to go. He did go on a stretch where he had 3 top 10 finishes at this track from 2013-2015, but he has not had a lot of joy since then. He is coming off his best race of the season, a 10th place finish at Iowa. Definitely a longshot here.
Ryan Hunter-Reay (+800)
This is a driver who has had some serious success over the years in IndyCar, including winning a championship in 2012, his first season with Andretti AutoSport. Since then, he has landed in the top 10 in the driver standings in 6 of 7 seasons, so this is a guy who is certainly very consistent. He won at Indianapolis in 2014, and after a few years of poor showings there, ended up with top 10 finishes in each of the last 2 seasons. He is another one who might be a good top 5 bet this weekend.
