Indy 500 Odds & Picks: Alexander Rossi Among Best Bets for Sunday’s Race (August 23)
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images. Pictured: Cars start their engines during the 102nd Indianapolis 500
- Check out our betting preview for Sunday's Indy 500, which officially starts at 2:30 p.m. ET with a 1 p.m. ET pre-race broadcast.
- PJ Walsh breaks down his two favorite bets, including Alexander Rossi at 8-1 to win outright and James Hinchliffe at 6-1 for a top-3 finish.
It's officially Indy 500 weekend!
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been almost 15 months since the 2019 edition of "the Greatest Spectacle in Racing," but practice is in the books, the starting grid is set and cars will go green Sunday at 1 p.m. ET (NBC).
In case you're just starting to put together your Indy 500 betting card, I first need to disclose I already bet Conor Daly at 50-1 back in March, then added Scott Dixon at +950 on Aug. 6.
With that said, everything below still holds value at the odds cited no matter what your overall Indy 500 card looks like. Let's take a look:
Indy 500 Odds, Betting Picks
*Odds as of Saturday at 8 a.m. ET
Alexander Rossi (+800)
Since cars hit the track last week, the story has been the speed of Andretti Autosport and lack thereof from Team Penske drivers.
It's really hard to argue against any of the Andretti cars at this point, but Rossi is my favorite bet after Carb Day practice on Friday.
Rossi finished third in the practice session, and even Marco Andretti’s team noted how fast Alexander’s car was in traffic.
The 2016 Indy 500 winner has been nothing but exceptional at the Brickyard, following up that victory with finishes of seventh, fourth and second; that’s an average finish of 3.5 in four career Indy 500 starts.
At 8-1, Rossi is my favorite bet on the board to win this race.
[Bet now at PointsBet and get $250 FREE.]
James Hinchcliffe (+600) for a Top-3 Finish
Just like Rossi, Hinchcliffe is piloting one of Andretti Autosport's five cars Sunday and, just like his teammates, has been fast since hitting the track.
I don't particularly dislike Hinch to win outright, but am opting to instead play him at 6-1 odds for a top-three finish.
Hinchcliffe hasn't necessarily dominated or seemed like the car to beat in any of his Indy 500 starts, but he does have plenty of experience here with some solid finishes through the years and will certainly benefit from the overall speed Andretti Autosport has brought to the Brickyard this year.
If you want to play this a little more conservative than betting on a top-three finish, Hinch +300 for a top five or +105 for a top 10 are also worth consideration.
[Bet now at PointsBet and get $250 FREE.]
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