Eric Uribe
We’re only a few short weeks away from the start of a brand-new IndyCar season. So why not spend this final stretch making forecasts for who could win the 2023 IndyCar championship? That’s exactly what we’re doing here. Keep reading for our expert betting advice on the 2023 title race!
2023 IndyCar Preview
If we’re going to preview the 2023 IndyCar season, we might as well start with the betting odds. Not every single driver in the grid is confirmed yet, but we definitely know most of the field. As it stands, top-used sites to bet on sports are pegging the following drivers as the biggest favorites to win the 2023 crown:
| Driver |  |  |  |
| Josef Newgarden | +425 | +425 | +425 |
| Will Power | +475 | +475 | +475 |
| Pato O’Ward | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| Colton Herta | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Scott McLaughlin | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Alex Palou | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Scott Dixon | +900 | +900 | +900 |
| Marcus Ericsson | +1300 | +1300 | +1300 |
The reigning champion is Power, who had a memorable 2022 season aside from the world title win. Power was consistently consistent all year long, finishing in the top-5 on 12 out of 17 races. Only one of those resulted in an outright win, but it didn’t matter. Power beat out Team Penske teammate Josef Newgarden by 16 points to win his second world title — but first since 2014.
The victory marked the 17th IndyCar championship taken by a Team Penske driver — extending the team’s record. That’s why it comes as zero surprises the Penske teammates, Power and Newgarden, are the two favorites going into 2023. Are they bet-worthy though? We have answers if you keep reading below.
Betting Picks To Win 2023 IndyCar Championship
You saw the 2023 IndyCar Championship odds above — they’re long across the board. Because of that, you can make multiple bets here and still have a “cushion.” With that in mind, here’s our three best bets for the upcoming year:
Josef Newgarden
Alright, you’re first and foremost IndyCar bet HAS to be a driver on Team Penske — Newgarden, Power, or even McLaughlin. Any of the three would be solid bets. However, if we had to choose only one of the trio, then we’re going with Newgarden. He’s finished second overall three seasons in a row, and is just knocking on the door. A third career IndyCar championship is knocking for Newgarden.
Alex Palou
Let’s face it — Palou had a rough go in 2022, mostly for non-track-realted issues. Of course, the 2021 IndyCar champion was embroiled in contract issues with Chip Ganassi and McLaren. The awkwardness surely affected Palou on the track as he didn’t get his first win of the year until the very end. However, those issues are behind him — Palou is sticking with Chip Ganassi after all.
Without any drama, we could see Palou returning to his dominant 2021 ways. A season in which he podiumed seven times with three wins on the way to a world title in only year No. 2 in the sport. We’ll take that bet, especially at rather long +800 odds given his championship pedigree.
Scott Dixon
Here’s another driver that made us do a double turn when we saw his odds. How in the world is Dixon the seventh-most-favored driver in the 2023 mix? Isn’t that selling the all-time great a tad short? We think so, which is why we’re throwing money Dixon’s way. Get this, Dixon has placed in the top four of the final standings each of the past 17 years aside from one time. Hell, he hasn’t finished outside of the top six since 2005. That’s unparalleled consistency in this unpredictable sport. A lucky break here and there and Dixon could reclaim title glory for a seventh time in his career, and we’ll have money on it just in case.
2023 IndyCar Schedule
The 2023 IndyCar campaign runs from March to September. Between then, you’ll get 17 different races to watch and of course, bet on individually. The 2023 IndyCar schedule includes seven road course races, five street circuits, and five oval races.
All the usual tracks are back for 2023. However, there is one new addition — the Streets of Detroit. The famed city for automobiles is getting its own street course that will dot around downtown Detroit. It replaces Belle Isle on the schedule.
Moreover, the majority of the 17 races will be broadcast on NBC, with a few others going to USA Network instead. NBC’s Peacock app will stream each event — no matter what TV channel it’s on. So you have no excuse for not turning in this season given the easy broadcast arrangements.
Here are a few 2023 dates and events you’ll want to mark on your calendar right now:
- March 5 — Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (season opener)
- May 28 — 107th running of the Indianapolis 500
- August 12 — Gallagher Grand Prix
- September 10 — Grand Prix of Monterey
How To Bet On 2023 IndyCar Futures?
To place your 2023 IndyCar bets, you can’t go wrong with one of the trusted online sportsbooks featured in the table below. Not only will you get updated futures odds, but you’ll find lines for individual IndyCar races the whole season. Any one of these bookies could act as your one-stop shop for IndyCar betting this year.
Speaking which, need actual help picking the best sportsbook for you? Then reference the underneath table. We’ve put two pieces of information on it that should guide your decision-making process — reviews and promotional offer details. Compare and contrast these two across sites to see which bookmaker is offering the best package for you personally. Once you’ve decided, just hit the “play now” button below to get fast-tracked into betting on IndyCar!
