2018 Indianapolis 500 betting preview

It’s hard to believe, but race week for the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 is here. After six practice days for the big event, plus a weekend for qualifying, Auto Racing Advisor (Eric Smith) – has his eye on five favorites and five sleepers who could sip the milk in victory lane at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday.

Odds courtesy BookMaker.eu. You can find a review of this online sportbook at SportsBettingDime.com.

Favorites

Ed Carpenter (+1,205)

It’s cliché to pick the pole winner, right? They’re quickest in qualifying, so they must have the fastest car for the race too correct? Well, that’s not always the case. While the top starting spot has produced the most amount of Indy 500 winners (20) it hasn’t happened since 2009.

But, I have a feeling this year is different. Passing is harder. Chevrolet has more power. Carpenter knows his way around this track and has been very fast all month on race trim too.
Carpenter has finished fifth, second, eighth, fourth, 14th and 14th respectively in practice time this month. His No. 20 Chevrolet is fast and this could be the year that the hometown hero finally wins.

Helio Castroneves (+1,004)

Only four times since 1988 has a part-time driver won the Indy 500. Well, I have two of them on my favorites list. You can’t overlook Castroneves this Sunday. He was in the top 10 in two race day practice sessions and qualified his No. 3 Chevrolet eighth. He’s desperately trying to join that elusive four-win club and this could be the year.

Castroneves, finished second just last year and was second again in 2014. Combined, he’s lost those two ‘500’s by a combined 0.8011-seconds. He has a fast car and is close. I think he can get it done.

Will Power (+1,132)

Power has never won at Indy, on the oval that is, but this is the year that ends. Power, has won the last two INDYCAR races on superspeedways and three of the last four. He’s widely considered a road course ace and rightfully so, 19 of his first 20 series wins were on road/street courses. But, since then he’s come into his own on ovals too. Three of his last five overall wins were on ovals and Power told me that he’s so comfortable on those tracks now that he’d wish he could race on them every week. He rolls off third on Sunday.

Simon Pagenaud (+1,205)

Pagenaud told me on Fast Friday that he was very confident in his chances this month, saying this is the best he’s felt here since 2015. While he’s never finished inside the Top 5 in the ‘500, I think that comes to an end on Sunday. Pagenaud, starts second in the race and says that his race pace has been incredible this month.

Tony Kanaan (+1,002)

Kanaan, a former winner, was sixth in race practice last Wednesday and second on Thursday. During race week, he was second and first respectively in the two sessions. He also qualified his No. 14 Chevrolet 10th. That was because of rain messed up their setup in qualifying on Saturday. He had a car capable of being in the Fast Nine. He’s very confident and happy with his cars’ balance. Plus, he has five top five finishes in his last seven Indy 500 starts.

Sleepers

Gabby Chaves (+4,000)

Chaves’ team Harding Racing showed up for their very first Verizon IndyCar Series race in last year’s Indy 500. Chaves started 25th for them and drove all the way up to a ninth-place run. In their second race, another superspeedway a few weeks later, Chaves finished fifth. Chaves, will start 22nd for Sunday’s race and has a realistic shot of finishing well again. He goes a great job of finishing races.

Charlie Kimball (+4,000)

Indy has always been one of Kimball’s better tracks. In the GP, he has three fifth place finishes in five tries. In the ‘500, he has four top 10 finishes in seven career starts. In fact, he has two top five finishes in the last three years.

Kimball, has a good car on race trim this year and was in the Top 10 in practice twice last week and fourth on Monday and fifth on Carb Day. Look for him to contend in the closing stages on Sunday.

Matheus Leist (+10,000)

He’s quick. He’s bold. He’s everything that you need in a potential race winner. Leist has quietly been strong all month as he qualified his No. 4 Chevrolet 11th. He will start next to his teammate and mentor Tony Kanaan, so it’s a safe bet that he will follow him for much of the day. Plus, it’s not like Leist doesn’t know if way around the famed 2.5-mile oval, winning last year’s Freedom 100.

Sage Karam (+2,013)

It’s been a quiet yet great month of action for Karam. While he may be starting 24th, his car on race trim has been superb. He was fastest in practice on Monday and was in the top 12 in every practice session where race trim was run.

Marco Andretti (+1,482)

Here’s another one that’s flying under the radar. Andretti is always good at Indy, but the bad luck bug worked its way from his grandpa, to his dad and now to him. This could be the year that the bug finally is hexed. Andretti, is very happy with his race car. He told me as much. He was in the Top 5 in all four race practices last week and even led the way on Fast Friday too.
He had a problem with his setup in qualifying on Saturday, which kept him from the Fast Nine. They found it and he earned a Row 4 starting spot, best among all six Andretti cars.

I just have a feeling that this is Andretti’s year. Plus, his organization has won three of the last four ‘500’s.