Indianapolis 500: Picks, Predictions and Odds

The highlight of the US motorsports calendar, the Indianapolis 500, takes place on Sunday with a high-class field set to take the start including eight previous winners of the race.

Along with the Monaco Grand Prix (also taking place on Sunday) and the Le Mans 24 Hours, the Indy 500 forms a leg of the unofficial motorsport triple crown. The winner of the race will earn a place in history, as well as being immortalised in the form of a 3D likeness being added to the famous trophy.

After a month of practice and qualifying, albeit shortened by weather delays, Scott McLaughlan will start from pole position.

The New Zealander will be hoping to emulate his performance in last month's Children's of Alabama Grand Prix, which he won from pole position as well as setting the fastest lap.

However, the pole sitter has not won at Indy since Simon Pagenaud's victory in 2019.

The last six runnings of the race have seen six different winners, although Marcus Ericsson came within half a lap of repeating his 2022 victory last year before being passed by Josef Newgarden.

There will be plenty of attention on NASCAR points leader Kyle Larson, who is planning to compete in the Indy 500 before jetting off to North Carolina for the Coca Cola 600 the same day.

Double Duty, as the feat is known, has been attempted ten times previously, but only Tony Stewart in 2001 managed to complete all 1,100 miles of both races, finishing sixth at Indy and third in Charlotte.

Indianapolis 500 betting picks and predictions

Josef Newgarden +500

Follow-up victories are not the norm in the Indy 500. Helio Castroneves was the last driver to win in back-to-back years with his triumphs in 2001 and 2002, however the case for Newgarden repeating last year's win is a strong one.

The Penske driver hasn't had the strongest start to the IndyCar season, although he did finish first in the opening race in St Petersburg before being disqualified, along with Indy polesitter McLaughlin, for violating the series' Push to Pass rules.

However, Newgarden's Indy record speaks for itself. As well as his 2023 victory, the Tennesseean has five other top-ten finishes in the race from his 12 starts.

Newgarden came from a starting position of 17th to win last year, but he looked sharp in qualifying this time and lines up on the front row. 

The two-time IndyCar series champion is one of four drivers priced at lower than +1000 but he is preferred to his market rivals who all have question marks about them.

Pole-sitter McLaughlin's (+450) best result at the Brickyard is 14th place, while Will Power (+700), who qualified second, is a previous winner of the race in 2018 but has also not bettered 14th since then. 

Larson (+700) starts in the middle of the second row but his only previous open-wheel experience has been in dirt car racing and it would be an unbelievable achievement were he to win the 500.

Scott Dixon +1800

Age is no barrier to success in the Indianapolis 500. Helio Castroneves was 46 when he won the race for the fourth time in 2021 while Takuma Sato was 43 when he triumphed the year before.

So at 43, there's no reason to think Scott Dixon is too long in the tooth to repeat his 2008 Indy 500 victory.

Dixon qualified 21st, but with last year's winner having come from 17th on the grid, not too much should be read into that.

The Australian is one of the most consistent drivers on the IndyCar grid. The six-time series champion earned his most recent title in 2020, and finished fourth, third and second in the following three seasons. 

The Chip Ganassi Racing driver currently lies third in this year's standings and won the Grand Prix of Long Beach a month ago. He also led 95 laps of the Brickyard in 2022, and has led at least one lap in 10 of his 13 appearances in the race.

Obviously Dixon has work to do from his starting berth, but at +1800 the man who won the last time the series raced at an oval track should give his backers a good run for their money.

Indianapolis 500 odds

To win outright

Scott McLaughlin	+450
Josef Newgarden	+500
Kyle Larson	+700
Will Power	+700
Alex Palou	+1000

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.