Skip to content
Categories IndyCar

Best IndyCar Bets for the 2023 GMR Grand Prix of Indianapolis

May 13, 2023 | 9:45 AM by Isaiah Sirois

The IndyCar Series is back for the GMR Grand Prix of Indianapolis this weekend. As the Greatest Spectacle in Racing approaches, the festivities at Indianapolis Motor Speedway are well underway. Will Power stands out as a sharp IndyCar bet for the GMR Grand Prix of Indianapolis, and he factors heavily into my predictions for this race.

The legal gambling age is 21+ in most states. Gambling Problem? Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.

IndyCar Predictions for the GMR Grand Prix of Indianapolis: Race Preview

What Can We Expect on the Indy Road Course?

The IndyCar series has held a May event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course each year since 2014 as a precursor to the Indy 500. Only four drivers have ever won the event: Simon Pagenaud, Will Power, Rinus VeeKay and Colton Herta. Two other drivers, Scott Dixon and Alexander Rossi, have won at the circuit in the summer event held each year since 2020.

The IndyCar Series runs on three types of tracks: street circuits, road courses and ovals. We’re four races into this year’s schedule, and we’ve seen events at all three types of venues. Scott McLaughlin won the only event held at a traditional road course, Barber Motorsports Park. Romain Grosjean led the most laps. Street circuits also compare favorably to road courses, and Marcus Ericcson and Kyle Kirkwood won at St. Petersburg and Long Beach, respectively.

With the exception of the COVID-affected 2020 season and Pagenaud’s dominant 2016 campaign, an as-of-yet-winless driver has won each GMR Grand Prix of Indianapolis every season. Caesars Sportsbook expects that trend to hold this weekend, as Pato O’Ward (6-1) and Romain Grosjean (6-1) are listed as the favorites.

Team Penske drivers have won four of the last eight traditional road course events. McLaughlin alone has won three of the last five: Alabama two weeks ago, Portland last September and Mid-Ohio last July. Josef Newgarden took the checkered flag at Road America last summer as well. However, Andretti Autosport drivers swept at this track last year — Herta won in May before Rossi won in July.

(function (d, w, c) {(w[c] = w[c] || []).push(function() {try {w.yaCounter92258009 = new Ya.Metrika2({id:92258009,clickmap:true,trackLinks:true,accurateTrackBounce:true});} catch(e) { }});var n = d.getElementsByTagName("script")[0],s = d.createElement("script"),f = function () { n.parentNode.insertBefore(s, n); };s.type = "text/javascript";s.async = true;s.src = "https://mc.yandex.ru/metrika/tag.js";if (w.opera == "[object Opera]") {d.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", f, false);} else { f(); }})(document, window, "yandex_metrika_callbacks2");

"}" data-sheets-format="{"2":641,"3":{"1":0},"10":1,"12":0}"> React App

IndyCar Predictions for the GMR Grand Prix of Indianapolis: Best Bets

Why On Earth is Will Power So Affordable?

It’s not every day that you can get the winningest driver at a venue at 12-1 odds, but that’s exactly what Caesars is offering up. It’s not like the 42-year-old Power has fallen off — he just won last year’s championship after winning once and securing nine podium finishes in 17 starts. Sure, he has just one podium to his name this year, but the same was true when he entered this race last year, and that didn’t keep him off the podium.

In addition to his IndyCar-leading five wins at this track, Power has notched a podium finish in seven of his 13 starts here, including four of his last five attempts. He owns an average result of 6.3 and an average starting position of 3.8. Team Penske has looked fast this season and already owns two wins, one of which came at the lone road-course event of the young season.

Power, usually a highly aggressive driver, adopted a more conservative mindset for the 2022 campaign after finishing the 2021 season ninth in points — his worst result as a full-time driver. The move led to a championship and podiums galore. With Power down in seventh place in the standings through four events, let’s back him for a good showing in Indianapolis.

Best IndyCar Bet: Will Power Podium 3-1 for 0.5 Unit at Caesars

Did you know you can get your name on Zane Smith’s No. 38 Ford F-150 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course — and $150 in bet credits? for can be found here.

Can Simon Pagenaud Turn Back the Clock — Again?

The only driver to rival Will Power at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course is Simon Pagenaud. Pagenaud owns three wins, five podiums and six top-5 in 13 starts here. Although he left Team Penske for the less-well-funded Meyer Shank Racing before the 2022 season, he still scored a podium in his first start for his new team here with a runner-up finish.

The 38-year-old Pagenaud left Team Penske after consecutive down seasons, but he isn’t quite washed. He recorded one podium (here) and seven top-10s with Meyer Shank last year in 17 starts. Considering Helio Castroneves and Jack Harvey combined for only one podium and eight top-10s across 23 combined starts for the team in the year preceding his arrival, it’s clear that Pagenaud still has something left in the tank.

Although Pagenaud’s No. 60 Honda likely won’t have race-winning speed, his impressive resume at this circuit makes him an appealing option on the top-5 market at odds of only +850 (9.5%) at Caesars. There’s a chance that his run here last season was a flash in the pan, but Meyer Shank is no stranger to the front here — the team has two podiums and five top-10s in 11 events here. The odds are friendly enough to warrant a modest longshot wager.

Best IndyCar Bet: Simon Pagenaud Top-5 17-2 for 0.2 Unit at Caesars

Categories IndyCar
Best NASCAR Xfinity Series Bets for the 2023 Shriners Children’s 200 at Darlington
Best MLB Parlay Today (May 13) Trust in Daniel Vogelbach
Isaiah Sirois

Author

Isaiah Sirois

Isaiah Sirois is a sports betting analyst at OddsShopper specializing in basketball, football and motorsports. Basketball is Isaiah’s favorite sport to handicap, and he has covered NBA, WNBA, NCAA and FIBA markets for OddsShopper and other sites. However, Isaiah’s favorite sport to follow is auto racing, and you can usually find him watching NASCAR or IndyCar on Sundays. He will be a fan of Team Penske and Ford Performance until the end of time. Isaiah graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history from Emory University and briefly attended Vanderbilt Law School before dropping out to work at OddsShopper.

Next Story

Why the Sportsbooks Hate You When You Actually Start Winning

Trending & Related

IndyCar Bets: Indianapolis 500 Odds, Picks & Predictions (2024)

Betting 101

Why the Sportsbooks Hate You When You Actually Start Winning

What is Portfolio EV? Guide to +EV Sports Betting

Sports Betting Software Showdown: Which Tool Is Right for You?

3 Betting Mistakes That Portfolio EV Catches Instantly (And How It Fixes Them)

Sports Betting Resources

  • Positive EV NFL Bets
  • Expert NFL Picks
  • Live NBA Odds
  • Positive EV NBA Bets
  • Expert NBA Picks
  • Live NFL Odds
  • NFL Parlay Calculator
  • Positive EV MLB Bets
  • Expert MLB Picks
  • Positive EV College Football Bets
  • Expert College Football Picks

Featured Articles

Why the Sportsbooks Hate You When You Actually Start Winning
May 20, 2025 2:17 pm | Dave Loughran
What is Dinger Tuesday? How to Beat FanDuel’s Promotion
May 20, 2025 2:10 pm | Isaiah Sirois
Get a 7-DAY FREE TRIAL Of Portfolio EV Today!
May 20, 2025 10:12 am | Sam Smith
How Portfolio EV Built My NBA Bankroll from $100 to $1,200
May 16, 2025 7:11 am | Greg Ehrenberg
You Don’t Need to Be a Genius to Beat the Books — Just the Right Tools
April 26, 2025 8:15 am | Dave Loughran
NBA Playoffs Are Heating Up — And Portfolio EV s Are Cashing In
April 22, 2025 3:02 pm | Sam Smith

Related Articles

Indy 500 Weather Report: Monster Storms Rolling into Indiana
May 26, 2024 7:07 am | Isaiah Sirois
IndyCar Bets: Indianapolis 500 Odds, Picks & Predictions (2024)
May 24, 2024 7:57 am | Isaiah Sirois
Best IndyCar Bets for the 107th Indianapolis 500 | May 28
May 27, 2023 3:28 pm | Isaiah Sirois

Best FanDuel Promo Code Today
May 24, 2025 6:51 am
Best Fanatics Promo Code Today
May 24, 2025 6:51 am
Best DraftKings Pick6 Promo Code Today
May 24, 2025 6:51 am
PrizePicks, DraftKings Pick6 & Underdog Cheat Sheet: Best More/Less Picks Today for NBA & MLB (May 23)
May 23, 2025 11:05 am
Sports Betting Without Knowing the Sport: How Market-Based +EV Betting Can Beat the Books
May 22, 2025 2:37 pm
Underdog Fantasy Pick’em Predictions Today: Anthony Edwards (May 22)
May 22, 2025 1:07 pm
Best ParlayPlay Promo Code Today
May 22, 2025 6:57 am
Best Sleeper Promo Code Today
May 22, 2025 6:56 am
Best Underdog Promo Code Today
May 22, 2025 6:56 am
Best Vivid Picks Promo Code Today
May 22, 2025 6:56 am

How Can I Find the Best Sports Betting and DFS App Bonuses?

If you're a new sports bettor, it's hard to know where to start. In fact, it's simpler than it seems, because there are use OddsShopper's Free Bet Converter to maximize your beginning bankroll

Get a bonus code for BetMGM

Get a promo code Caesars Sportsbook

Best DraftKings Promo Code

Get a promo code for DraftKings

Use a promo code for FanDuel

Claim a promo code for PrizePicks

Get a promo code for UnderDog

the ranks of the OddsShopper Hall of Fame

  • Free Expert Picks

    • Free NBA Picks
    • Free MLB Picks
    • Free NFL Picks
    • Free NHL Picks
    • Free NCAAB Picks
    • Free NCAAF Picks
    • Free Golf Picks
    • Free UFC Picks
    • Free EPL Picks
    • Free Tennis Picks
    • Free WNBA Picks
  • Positive EV Bets

    • Positive EV NBA Bets
    • Positive EV MLB Bets
    • Positive EV NFL Bets
    • Positive EV NHL Bets
    • Positive EV NCAAB Bets
    • Positive EV NCAAF Bets
    • Positive EV Golf Bets
    • Positive EV UFC Bets
    • Positive EV EPL Bets
    • Positive EV Tennis Bets
    • Positive EV WNBA Bets
  • Betting Tools

    • Arbitrage Opportunities
    • Parlay Builder
    • PrizePicks Entry Builder
    • Underdog Entry Builder
    • Sleeper Entry Builder
    • Free Bet Converter
  • Articles

    • All Articles
    • NBA Articles
    • NFL Articles
    • NCAAF Articles
    • MLB Articles
    • PGA Articles
    • NHL Articles
    • NASCAR Articles
    • MMA Articles
  • Betting Calculators

    • Expected Value Calculator
    • Hold Calculator
    • Parlay Calculator
    • Odds Converter
  • Live Odds

    • Live NBA Odds
    • Live MLB Odds
    • Live NFL Odds
    • Live NHL Odds
    • Live NCAAB Odds
    • Live NCAAF Odds
    • Live Golf Odds
    • Live UFC Odds
    • Live EPL Odds
    • Live Tennis Odds
  • Sportsbook Promo Codes

    • BetMGM Bonus Codes
    • Bet365 Bonus Codes
    • FanDuel Promo Codes
    • DraftKings Promo Codes
    • Caesars Promo Codes
    • BetRivers Promo Codes
    • Sleeper Fantasy Promo Codes
    • Underdog Fantasy Promo Codes
    • Betr Picks Promo Codes

    • Us
    • of Use
    • Stokastic
OddsShopper Logo
© 2024 Stokastic.All Rights reserved.
This site contains commercial content, We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. The content on this page is for informational purposes only. OddsShopper makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event. Please play responsibly. Only customers 21 and over are permitted to play. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.