Five Title Contenders Lead 2023 GMR Grand Prix Odds

Alabama Saw New Winner, Oddsmakers Point to New One in Indy

The fourth IndyCar Series race of the year in Alabama saw another new winner. Polesitter Romain Grosjean was holding on late in the race before Scott McLaughlin overtook him for the win. It came after a race of exciting overtakes by Grosjean and others in a competitive Alabama Indy Grand Prix.

Now, the first Indianapolis race of the 2023 IndyCar Series season is here. The GMR Grand Prix brings the grid to Indianapolis for the first of two road course races, the second coming in August for the Gallagher Grand Prix. This season’s been notable for parity. Four races have produced three different polesitters and four different winners.

Marcus Ericsson remains at the top of the standings after his 10th-place finish in Alabama. He’s three points ahead of Pato O’Ward and nine ahead of Álex Palou in third.

With how close things were in Alabama, we may see more variety this weekend in Indianapolis. Stay tuned for the upcoming IndyCar schedules to catch all the thrilling racing action!

Championship Leaders Tied at Top of The Odds

Five drivers are tied for the best odds at +650: O’Ward, Palou, Grosjean, Josef Newgarden, and Will Power. Those drivers are currently second, third, fifth, sixth, and seventh in the IndyCar standings.

O’Ward is one bad result in Long Beach away from likely leading the 2023 championship at this point. He’s the only driver on the grid with three top-four finishes this season. But he’s struggled on the road course at Indy. Eight career races have led to just three top-10 finishes. He’d be relying on this season’s consistency for a win this weekend.

Palou’s quietly been a smooth operator this season as well. He’s finished no lower than eighth in every race in 2023. No other driver on the grid can boast that. He’s led laps in both Texas and Long Beach and taken the fastest lap twice. But like O’Ward, he hasn’t had the best run of success at the Indianapolis Road Course. He’s better on street courses historically but, like O’Ward, would be relying on his form in 2023 so far.

Grosjean might be the hottest driver on the grid this season. He’s certainly been the biggest surprise. Like O’Ward and Palou, he hasn’t won yet in 2023. But two poles and leading in three of the four races is a good mark for the Andretti Autosport driver. He’s still waiting for his first IndyCar series race. He came very close last time out and could do one better this week.

Newgarden’s the only one of the favorites with a win in 2023. The two-time IndyCar champion won in Texas in what’s been another inconsistent season. That win made less of a difference due to his other results: 17th in St. Petersburg, ninth in Long Beach, and 15th in Alabama. An improvement on even one of those results and this season could look different already. He’s won once (2020) in 13 races at the Indianapolis Road Course. He’ll need another to inspire more confidence heading to the Indy 500.

Power may be the lowest of the top group in the standings but he’s by far the best driver at this week’s track. The defending IndyCar champion has won five times, notched six poles, and led 348 laps in 13 IndyCar races at the Indianapolis Road Course. No other active driver can match those numbers. Power’s been consistent to a lesser degree than the likes of Palou and O’Ward. He’s finished no higher than third but no lower than 16th this season. He’ll need a good result this week to make good on hopes for a title defense.

Trio Close Behind the Leading Group

McLaughlin and Colton Herta are next up at +700. The two have had very different seasons to start 2023. McLaughlin’s win in Alabama came after a pair of top-10 finishes that has him in the mix for his best result in the series. Herta, the top driver for Andretti at this point last season, comes into this weekend 10th in the championship behind two of his teammates.

McLaughlin has mixed results at the Indianapolis Road Course in his short career. Four races have yielded two top-10 results. By contrast, Herta won this race last year and has another four top-five finishes on his record. Of the two, Herta needs this win more than McLaughlin to stay in the hunt for a title in 2023.

Six-time champion Scott Dixon sits at +800 for the win this weekend. He’s consistently raced well at the Indianapolis Road Course but only has one win to show for it. Thirteen races have seen 11 top-10 finishes. Dixon is eighth in the IndyCar standings right now and only 32 points back from Ericsson. A win or good result would close that gap.

Longer Odds Worth Considering for win at GMR Grand Prix

Ericsson’s the championship leader thanks to his consistency instead of dominant wins. A victory in the season opener preceded eighth in Texas, third in Long Beach, and 10th in Alabama. He’s yet to win on a road course in his IndyCar Series career. Given how well he’s performing this year, +1200 odds for the win this week are enticing.

Christian Lundgaard has been a surprise this season in consistently outperforming teammates Graham Rahal and Jack Harvey. At +1200 for the win, it wouldn’t be a big surprise if he made it to the top step for the first time this season.

Predictions for the GMR Grand Prix

This is a loaded IndyCar Series field at the top with almost a dozen drivers fighting for wins. This weekend will likely be more of the same.

Of the five drivers tied for the best IndyCar odds, the choices here are either Power or Grosjean. Power gives you an outstanding track record at the track and improvement over the last couple weeks. Grosjean’s the hot hand and inching closer to his first career IndyCar Series win. We think it happens this week and will go with him.

If you want a better payout, look to Ericsson. He will likely need more than one win to take the 2023 title and being the first driver to two wins this season will solidify his advantage at the top of the IndyCar standings.

For IndyCar news, analysis and more, visit pointspreads.com

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