Betting news, trends, odds and predictions from various handicappers and websites for Friday 5/24/19
by Kyle Markus
Indianapolis 500 Odds And Picks
Will Power is the defending champion of the Indianapolis 500, and the oddsmakers believe he could make another run at the checkered flag in 2019. Power is one of the co-favorites to win the prestigious race as the top IndyCar drivers in the world convene for this highly-watched race.
Power looked good in qualifying and would love to repeat as the champion but there is a strong field of contenders. Former winners and other upstarts will all be aiming to knock him off in IndyCar odds. There are plenty of big names in the field and there is no driver that is the clear-cut one to beat. This should be a fun and competitive race.
The Indianapolis 500 will be held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana at 12:19 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 26th, 2019. The race will be nationally televised on NBC.
Odds Analysis
Josef Newgarden +800
Will Power +800
Alexander Rossi +800
Simon Pagenaud +800
Scott Dixon +900
Helio Castroneves +1000
Ed Carpenter +1100
Spencer Pigot +1200
Colton Herta +1200
Marco Andretti +1400
Takuma Sato +1600
Ryan Hunter-Reay +1600
Ed Jones +1800
Sebastien Bourdais +2000
Graham Rahal +2500
Indy 500 Favorites
Power is a co-favorite alongside Josef Newgarden, Alexander Rossi and Simon Pagenaud. Power put up the second-best speed in qualifying at more than 230 mph, behind only Spencer Pigot. Power is currently sixth in the IndyCar standings with 119 points. He has two poles but has yet to claim a victory this season.
Newgarden is currently in the top spot in the standings, which is why he is expected to be in the mix for the Indianapolis 500 victory. Newgarden has 182 points on the year and a victory to his credit. He is an intriguing choice at these odds.
Scott Dixon sits in second place in the standings, followed by Rossi, Pagenaud and Takuma Sato. Sato captured the Indianapolis 500 in 2017 and he is hoping his Honda can return him to the top. Rossi, Dixon, Hunter-Reay and Tony Kanaan have also won this race in the past. Helio Castroneves is the only active driver with more than one victory at the Indy 500, but he is past his prime and hasn’t won here in a decade. His odds seem much too high as it is hard to imagine Castroneves winning again despite an illustrious history. The oddsmakers may be taking advantage of the betting public with that line.
Hunter-Reay is No. 9 in the standings and is a former elite driver, and with those bona fides he could be a popular underdog pick. Pigot’s qualifying time will likely turn some heads and he could also get some action.
Free Indy 500 ATS Picks
While there may be plenty of options, there is one driver whose chances stand out at the Indianapolis 500. Rossi is a former champion who has raced well this season and looked good in qualifying. While there will be plenty of focus on Power and Newgarden in this race, don’t be surprised if Rossi beats them both out for the Indianapolis 500 victory in IndyCar betting.
Indy 500 Pick: Alexander Rossi to win Indy 500 at +800 odds
The IndyCar Series’ premier event rolls out once again at The Brickyard, with 33 drivers starting their engines at 12:45 p.m. ET. Although the Indy 500 always takes place in the shadow of the NBA and NHL playoffs, along with baseball, Osterman said bettors have taken a little more shine to the event this year.
“It’s better action than I thought it would be,” Osterman said. “It seems to be the only race of the year anybody cares about in IndyCar. It’s getting some people excited. Overall, the handle has been pretty good.”
Will Power, starting sixth on the outside of Row 2, is the 7/1 favorite, followed by a trio of 8/1 shots – Josef Newgarden, Alexander Rossi and Simon Pagenaud. Newgarden and Rossi are side-by-side in the third row, in slots 8 and 9, while Pagenaud is the pole sitter for today’s race.
“We’re in a good spot with the favorites. The best for us would be Newgarden, but we win on all four,” Osterman said, noting the bulk of tickets are on longer shots. “Mostly, people are betting a little to win a lot, to cheer for something while they’re watching.”
Among those creating liability for The SuperBook are: Colton Huerta (12/1), starting in the middle of the second row; Takuma Sato (25/1), in the middle of Row 5; and Spencer Pigot (12/1), on the outside of the first row.
“Sato is getting a lot of support, on tickets and money,” Osterman said. “The most money is on Rossi, and the most tickets are on Rossi and Marco Andretti (18/1).”
A few bettors also took fliers on Santino Ferrucci, a 100/1 long shot.