Best Indy 500 Bets and Predictions: Can Alex Palou Continue His Dominant 2025?

Auto racing's biggest day is the Sunday preceding Memorial Day.

Formula 1's Monaco Grand Prix is the appetizer, and stock car racing's longest night in NASCAR is a sweet dessert. However, the main entree is always the midday running of motorsports' most prestigious worldwide event, the Indianapolis 500.

The 109th running of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" should be a good one. Josef Newgarden looks to make history as the first driver to ever win three in a row, Kyle Larson is doing the double with NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600, and INDYCAR stars like Pato O'Ward and Alex Palou are looking to chug milk for the first time.

With Friday's "Carb Day" in the book, what are the best bets in this year's Indy 500?

Indianapolis 500 Betting Picks

Alex Palou to Win (+600)

This is the longest you've found Alex Palou priced in an INDYCAR outright market all year, but it's no free pass.

Palou, the two-time defending series champion, is dominant on road courses, which now comprise 9 of the 17 races on the schedule, including the first five to begin the season. That's how his average finish in 2025 (1.2) is insane. However, Palou isn't quite the same sort of lock on large superspeedway ovals like this.

Nonetheless, he's doing his best to make it seem that way. Palou's average speed across nine standard practice sessions (228.26 mph) is just slightly second to Josef Newgarden, who will start 32nd with brand new strategists due to the massive penalties levied against Penske Racing this week.

Newgarden (+1000) is capable of overcoming those disadvantages, but Palou seems equally fast without such handicaps. Plus, a third straight Indy 500 win is totally unprecedented.

In addition to his speed and starting advantage over Newgarden, he champ's Indy 500 track history is also stellar, amassing five top-six finishes in six tries. He'll start a respectable sixth on the grid.

Scott Dixon to Record a Top-3 Finish (+200)

Palou's teammate could find himself on the podium, too.

Scott Dixon is no stranger to success at the Brickyard, winning the Indy 500 in 2008. The six-time series champion has nine top-five finishes in this race all told.

However, his recent results have been a bit spotty. It's probably less to do with "The Iceman" being 44 years old than Chip Ganassi Racing being down on speed in recent runnings of the 500. The Honda team has only won once in the last 12 years; Penske and Chevrolet have won and largely dominated four of the last six races.

Like Palou, Dixon doesn't seem down on speed in this edition with the third-fastest average best speed in all practices (228.05). He starts fourth.

Dixon (3rd) was faster than Palou (14th) on a Carb Day where both didn't seem intent on flashing their muscle atop the charts. They've been two of the strongest cars all month, and I'm looking to back the pair of Hondas on Sunday.

Chip Ganassi Racing as the Winning Team (+320)

Here's another way to do it.

These 23.8% implied odds do encapsulate Palou's +600 (14.3% implied) odds as well as Dixon's +900 (10.0% implied). Mathematically, it might be the best way to back the tandem, but there's an added bonus. Kyffin Simpson is a total longshot (+12000) in a third CGR entry.

It's been a turbulent Brickyard lead-up for Simpson, who is more of a road course ace from his previous work in various Le Mans series. He started 18th and finished 21st last year in his only Indianapolis 500 start.

Still, Simpson's equipment should clearly be up to snuff given how his teammates have performed, and we've seen unexpected strategy calls put inexperienced racers in a position to win the 500 before. In 2022, Marcus Ericsson won for CGR in just his fourth Indy 500 start after having never previously recording a top 10.

If there's a best bet to support Ganassi's speed, it's this de facto double-chance market for Palou and Dixon -- with a bonus dart.

2025 Indianapolis 500 Average Practice Times

Note: This is an average across all nine practices for the driver's best time in each session. Not all drivers participated in all sessions.

New to FanDuel Sportsbook? You’ll receive $200 in Bonus Bets if your first $5+ bet wins! See here for full terms and conditions. Learn about today’s other offers at FanDuel Sportsbook Promos.

Which drivers stand out to you for Sunday's race? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest Indy 500 betting odds to see the full menu of options.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.