Phil Agius
The 2025 Indy 500 takes place at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon with Josef Newgarden aiming to win for the 3rd straight year. The Team Penske star has a chance to become the first driver to win the iconic auto racing event three times in a row. However, his chances of achieving that took a major hit when his car was disqualified from qualifying for a technical infringement, which means he will take the flag from the back row as the 32nd of the 33 cars.
There’s another huge storyline at the front of the grid where rookie revelation Robert Shwartzman took a stunning pole position for what will be the first race of his career on any oval circuit. The Israeli driver was the 2019 Formula 3 champion and runner-up in the 2021 Formula 2 championship for the Prema Racing team, who have now made a sensational start to their time in IndyCar and target more success in the Indy 500. Shwartzman will be the first rookie to start in the pole position since Teo Fabi in 1983. With the first five rounds of the IndyCar series having been run on road and street circuits, the first oval challenge of the year could see some surprises but Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing has surged clear in the standings with 4 wins and a 2nd place.
2025 Indy 500 race winner odds
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook and available at time of publishing.
- Pato O’Ward +500
- Alex Palou +700
- Scott Dixon +900
- Scott McLaughlin +900
- Josef Newgarden +1000
- Takuma Sato +1000
- Robert Shwartzman +1500
- Kyle Larson +1600
- Felix Rosenqvist +1600
- David Malukas +2200
- Christian Lundgaard +2500
- Colton Herta +2500
- Santino Ferrucci +3000
2025 Indy 500 predictions
Indy 500 best bet: Alex Palou (+700)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Spain’s Alex Palou has won 3 of the last 4 IndyCar titles and arrives at the Brickyard with a huge 97-point advantage over McLaren’s Pato O’Ward. With wins at St. Petersburg, Thermal, Alabama and the road course at Indianapolis, he has only been beaten at Long Beach this year and even then he was 2nd to Kyle Kirkwood. Palou is seeking his first Indy success but he has shown on multiple occasions that he is capable of winning the famous race.
The 28-year-old qualified 7th in his debut attempt in 2020 and has finished in the top 10 positions each year since. Palau was a close second to Helio Castroneves in 2021 and the following year he qualified 2nd and came home 9th. In 2023, the Spaniard took pole and finished 4th, less than a second behind Newgarden, while last year he climbed from 14th on the grid to 5th place, again close up behind the American winner.
Palau has impressed in practice with the best time in the 3rd test before he was 3rd in opening practice, quickest in the May 14th practice and 3rd-best on Fast Friday. In qualifying, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver was fastest in the main session, 5th in Top 12 qualifying and while he was only 6th in the Fast Six, he is still well placed for a strong run in the race. When the cars reverted to race trim for post-qualifying practice on Monday, Palou was back on top of the timing sheets and he looks ready for a first 500 win.
Indy 500 prediction: Pato O’Ward (+500)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Race favorite Pato O’Ward will start from 3rd place on the grid and the Mexican star is hard to leave out of calculations. The McLaren driver has finished 2nd in the Indianapolis 500 in 2 of the last 3 years, after qualifying 7th in 2022 and 8th last year, and now he can start out from his best-ever grid position. The Mexican impressed in qualifying, taking 4th place, and was then 2nd in the Top 12 and it’s no surprise to see him at the top of the odds list.
Indy 500 best longshot bet: Santino Ferrucci (+3000)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Some drivers take to oval racing better than others and Santino Ferrucci has an awesome record in the 500 considering he has never driven for one of the elite teams. The 26-year-old has finished in the top 10 in all 6 of his Indianapolis 500 bids, taking 4th place in 2020 and finishing 3rd in 2023. He made a slower start to practice with this year’s car and is in the middle of the pack in 15th on the starting grid, but he and his AJ Foyt Racing teammate David Malukas have been improving their cars as the sessions have gone on and he could run well at attractive odds.
Indy 500 best prop bet: Scott McLaughlin top-three finish (+250)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
While none of the 3 Team Penske cars were permitted to run in the Top 12 qualifying session due to a technical infringement with their cars, Scott McLaughlin was able to keep 10th place on the grid while his teammates Josef Newgarden and Will Power were put to the back of the field. As the Penske car with the best starting slot by some distance, the New Zealander therefore appears to be a worthwhile bet for a top-3 finish. He took pole for the race last season but a clutch issue cost him and he finished 6th. He looks capable of another strong run.
