Dixon to Dominate Indianapolis 500
Experience to the Fore
Indianapolis 500 odds are out and it’s Alex Palou headlining at the sportsbook.
Palou is the +550 favorite to win the biggest race of the season, but hot on his heels and ready to overtake are Scott Dixon and Pato O’Ward, who are paying +750.
There is good value throughout Indianapolis 500 betting markets.
Dixon Overdue Second Win
Indianapolis lines are showing respect for Dixon, who won the race in 2008 after starting in pole position.
The 42-year-old New Zealand driver hasn’t won since, despite holding pole position four times. However, he’s easily one of the best and most experienced drivers, so that has to be respected.
After a disappointing 2021 and 2022, in which he started with pole but finished 17th and 21st respectively, he looks to turn those performances around.
He started in sixth, so perhaps the pressure of not starting in front could help the Kiwi. He’s confident with the car on race day but wasn’t happy with it in qualifying.
“The run for us was just too on the nose, man. It was super loose, just scrubbing speed from the get-go,” Dixon said. “But looking forward to next week. I think our race car has been very strong as have all the Ganassi cars have been. So, hopefully, we can be in that situation (fighting for the win).”
Sport betting markets have Dixon at +750, and although it’s the hardest IndyCar race to win, he’s a generational talent.
‘@FRosenqvist is fastest in the Fast 12!
Santino Ferrucci, Rinus Veekay, Alex Palou, Scott Dixon and Pato O’Ward also advance to the Fast 6. #Indy500 pic.twitter.com/KmVdhy9aFz
— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 21, 2023
Palou Peaking
There is plenty of hype around 26-year-old Alex Palou, who comes off a win at Indianapolis in qualifying, so there are no better form lines.
The Spaniard has been the most consistent driver this year, including a podium finish at Texas when finishing third.
The Ganassi Racing driver is making his fourth appearance in the Indianapolis 500, so he doesn’t have as much experience, but he’s a quality driver.
He finished 28th in his debut in 2020 before improving to finish second in 2021. He has had a taste of success here, so he’s the worthy +550 favorite with online gambling markets.
Palou claimed pole position, so he’s driving a fast car and could lead throughout most of the race.
“It means the world to me now,” Palou said. “It was really tight, but the 10-car crew did an amazing job. Super proud of the work they did all month, all year to get to this point. We knew we had to go aggressive, to trim the car a lot to get a good first lap and try to be consistent. The fourth lap was really tough to keep it flat, but we did it. I knew it was one chance only.”
The run that sealed it all. 😮💨#INDYCAR // @AlexPalou pic.twitter.com/glctRCavju
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) May 21, 2023
McLaughlin to Make Impression
If Kiwi driver Scott McLaughlin is anywhere near the pace in the early stages of the race, his Indianapolis 500 live betting odds will firm considerably.
He is another quality driver from New Zealand, and although he hasn’t been driving at IndyCar for very long, he has already made an impression.
He used to dominate motor racing in Australia and New Zealand before being signed with Team Penske.
The 29-year-old is a four-time winner on the circuit, including a win at Alabama earlier this year. Anything close to that effort could see him go close, so we fancy his odds to finish on the podium.
He is a +350 chance for a top-three finish, and although he qualified 16th, he is a good enough driver to make his way through the pack over the 500-mile distance.
