Indianapolis 500 Odds and Picks – Dixon Favored to Win Borg-Warner Trophy

• Scott Dixon is the favorite to win the Indy 500 on May 30th, 2021
• Josef Newgarden is fourth among all drivers as far as the odds and has two top-five finishes in consecutive years
• We’ve got you covered with all the odds and trends ahead of Sunday afternoon’s race in Indianapolis

The NTT IndyCar Series heads down to Indianapolis with a Sunday afternoon race at the famed Brickyard. Scott Dixon is a +350 favorite to take home the checkered flag in the Indianapolis 500 odds. Colton Herta (+700) is an intriguing pick to contend on Sunday, given how his odds have surged to second on the board. His odds to finish in the top three are listed at +200. Also, watch for Josef Newgarden at the Indiana track.

Let’s take a look at the odds for the Indianapolis 500 and figure out which drivers are the best bets.

Indianapolis 500 Odds

Odds as of May 27th

Scott Dixon Favored to Win Indy 500

IndyCar drivers run on the 2,5-mile-long oval track when the flag drops for the Sunday afternoon race beginning around 12:20 PM EST. The 2008 winner finished second last year while leading a race-high 111 laps. In the end, he just did not have the luck. Dixon has enjoyed five podiums in 18 races at the famed track.

No one could catch Rinus Veekay last week as he outlasted Romain Grosjean by 4.91 seconds as Alex Palou finished on the podium. However, the Indianapolis oval is a track more suited to Dixon’s liking.

He has the ability to perform quite well at the brickyard. Again, only Takuma Sato could really keep up with the Chip Ganassi Racing driver. They would switch positions a couple of times before Sato took the lead for good. Fuel concerns kept Dixon from winning the race. If it had not been for a final caution with five laps left, Dixon likely would have passed the Japanese driver for the win.

Here is row 1 for the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500!

Inside: (pole winner) Scott Dixon
Center: Colton Herta
Outside: Rinus Veekay pic.twitter.com/yCf7Abvv3L

— 1075 The Fan (@1075thefan) May 25, 2021

The driver has been excellent at staying near the front of the field. Dixon races in clean air better than most any driver in IndyCar over the past quarter-century.

Indy 500 Recent Winners

The race has featured two dominant performances in the last two years. Scott Dixon led all those laps last year and fell victim to fuel management issues. Two years ago, Simon Pagenaud did not have any such issues as he was at the front for 116 laps en route to victory. This year expects to be a bit more competitive as Colton Herta was a mere thousandths of a mile-per-hour slower than Dixon.

Colton Herta Has Great Shot at Indianapolis

Sports bettors shortened their odds on Dixon, but they seem to also be keen on Colton Herta.  The Andretti Autosport driver became the youngest IndyCar winner at just 20 years old. Also, Herta has a podium finish to go along with his win in just five races this year. He has that youthful enthusiasm and an uncanny knack to know where he needs to be on any track at all times. He will start in the middle of Row 1 sandwiched between Scott Dixon and young Rinus VeeKay.

A front row seat to “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”#ThisIsMay | #Indy500 pic.twitter.com/W7D1Ad885m

— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) May 24, 2021

Herta has the pedigree with his racing father but more importantly, is considered a phenom in the sport. He has this ability to race aggressively while being in control. Herta showed at St. Petersberg what he was capable of. The driver was dominant in leading all but three laps of the 100-lap race. It honestly was not a contest. Yes, Indianapolis is a different animal, but Herta was far from intimidated. If anything, he relished racing on the 2.5-mile track. If his pit crew is in good form, look out!

Takuma Sato Cannot Be Counted Out

The Rahal Letterman Lanigan driver ended up 16th last week at the Indianapolis road course but has a sixth-place finish at St. Petersberg, which is more suited to his driving style. The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner cannot be discounted.

He won the #Indy500 in 2017 & 2020….

Will Takuma Sato win again this Sunday in the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500?@TakumaSatoRacer @RLLracing @IMS @IndyCar @BorgTrophy pic.twitter.com/SFUWT4WLPq

— Steve H. Shunck (@SHUNCK) May 26, 2021

Sato has not had the greatest of 2021 seasons but then again, the drivers are only five races into the campaign. The driver excels on the 2.5-mile brickyard track. Even in 2019, Sato finished third and did manage to lead seven laps. On that afternoon, Sato had one of the fastest race cars but unfortunately ran out of race track err time late.

Aside from a crash in 2018 when Sato was running near the front yet again, Sato has enjoyed a nice run the past several years at Indianapolis. Last year, Sato only led 27 laps, but he led the final few laps while holding off Scott Dixon. He was one of the few drivers who held off one of the fastest drivers in Dixon. The fact that a multiple-time winner is still getting plus-money in the Indianapolis 500 odds to finish in the top ten is incredible.

The Picks: Scott Dixon to win (+350);  Colton Herta to finish Top Three (+200); Takuma Sato to finish Top Ten (+105)

Longshot: Josef Newgarden (+1400)

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