O’Ward Leads Close IndyCar Leaders in Detroit Grand Prix Odds

The Indy 500 saw three red flags and a chaotic five crashes before Josef Newgarden took the chequered flag for his second win of 2023. He becomes the first driver on the grid to two wins this season. Both have come at ovals — his first came in Fort Worth in round two.

Newgarden’s last lap pass on defending winner Marcus Ericsson came with some criticism. Ericsson felt the decision for the final red flag following a crash involving Benjamin Pedersen, Ed Carpenter, and Graham Rahal. The ensuing final lap made for a dangerous end to a close race, Ericsson said.

“I don’t think that was fair,” he said post-race. “It feels like we did everything right and won that race, but it got taken away from us.”

With his second-place finish, Ericsson remains second in the IndyCar standings. Championship leader Álex Palou finished fourth after taking pole and has a 20-point lead over Ericsson at the top.

Pato O’Ward, who led the most laps in the Indy 500 but finished 24th after a crash with eight laps to go, bumps down to third in the IndyCar standings.

This week, the IndyCar schedule turns to Michigan for the Detroit Grand Prix. For the first time since 1991, the race will run through downtown Detroit. It’ll be a new layout for all of the IndyCar drivers to tackle and fittingly the Detroit Grand Prix Odds are very close.

O’Ward, Palou Lead the Way

O’Ward looked in great position to win his first Indy 500 last weekend before light contact with Ericsson sent him spinning into the Turn 3 barrier. That pace plus three podiums in the first six IndyCar races makes him as the favorite for victory at +600.

But O’Ward’s struggled at street courses lately. The most recent road course event on the IndyCar schedule (Long Beach) saw him finish 17th after contact with Scott Dixon.

He did take second in St. Petersburg in the 2023 opener but the prior street course race last year in Nashville saw him finish 24th. It hasn’t been easy going on streets. He has the car and talent to win in 2023 and will breakthrough. It just may not come this week in Detroit.

By contrast, championship leader Palou (+700) is best on street courses in his IndyCar career. He’s never won but has his best average finish (seventh) of any type of race on the IndyCar schedule. He finished fifth in Long Beach and eighth in St. Petersburg this year. He’s been the most consistent driver in 2023 and could start to pull away at the top of the standings with a win.

Scott McLaughlin and Romain Grosjean are tied at +750. The two had a close battle in Alabama with McLaughlin taking the win. Since then, both drivers have struggled in the two Indianapolis races. McLaughlin finished 16th in the GMR Grand Prix and 14th in the Indy 500. Grosjean took 11th in the GMR Grand Prix and crashed out of the Indy 500 last weekend.

Of the two, Grosjean may have the edge. He came close to the win in Long Beach, took pole in St. Petersburg, and has come close to victory multiple times in 2023. He’s overdue for his first IndyCar win. McLaughlin’s strong at new tracks historically but could find this week a bit tougher than usual.

IndyCar Winners, Contenders This Season Next-Best in Odds

Colton Herta, Ericsson, and Kyle Kirkwood are all tied at +800 for victory on Sunday.

Herta’s had a low-key start to 2023. One top-five finish (fourth in Long Beach) has him 10th in the IndyCar standings. He’s yet to put together a complete weekend in a car that’s a solid contender for wins on street and road courses. The pieces are there but he’s yet to put it all together in a race weekend this season.

Ericsson’s second to Palou in the championship thanks to his consistency. He’s finished no lower than 10th at any event this season. He won in St. Petersburg and podiumed in Long Beach and the Indy 500. A week after coming close to consecutive Indy 500 wins, Ericsson is in great position for a second win of 2023.

Kirkwood took a strong pole and victory in Long Beach but besides that has been middle of the pack. His best result outside of that victory was 12th in Alabama. So was that win a flash in the pan or a sign of what’s to come? It’s likely too soon to tell.

Newgarden (+1000) has two wins on ovals this year but he’s also tallied six career street course wins. The most recent of those wins came in Long Beach last year. He’s performed well in Detroit before with one win (2019) and three top-five finishes at the Belle Isle circuit. History is not on his side, though. The last Indy 500 to win the following race was Arie Luyendyk in 1997.

Longer Shots to Consider for the Detroit Grand Prix

Alexander Rossi (+1200) has jumped up the IndyCar standings over the last month. Eighth in Alabama, third in the GMR Grand Prix, and fifth last week in the Indy 500 have him up to seventh in the championship.

Last year in Detroit, he finished just one second behind winner Will Power in the final Belle Isle-course race. O’Ward is getting hype and rightfully so at Arrow McLaren but Rossi could spring a surprise this weekend.

Defending champion Power (+1600) took his only victory of 2022 at Detroit. Of his 41 career Champ Car/IndyCar wins, 16 have come on street courses. Two of his best results of 2023 so far came at street courses (Long Beach and St. Petersburg). He could use this race to improve his title defense.

Detroit Grand Prix predictions

The IndyCar schedule has not disappointed lately. A close battle in Alabama and a down to the wire Indy 500 have given fans plenty to be excited about. It’s a close field with plenty of drivers in position to fight for the title.

Of the favorites, Grosjean seems like the best pick. Andretti Autosport’s excelled at street courses this season and most of the paddock would likely agree it’s well past time for his first IndyCar win. Going one spot better than he did in Alabama or Long Beach would put him rightfully in the mix with Palou, O’Ward, and Ericsson at the top.

If you’re looking for a bigger payout, Rossi could spring a surprise this weekend. He came so close to victory last year in Detroit and momentum is on his side.

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