Eric Uribe
Three races have come and gone in the 2023 season. Eighteen are still on tap, and honestly, we wouldn’t be completely shocked if a surprise rider wins the world title this season. In this article, we’ll explain why that is and who our underdog picks are to become the next MotoGP champion.
But before we get to that, let’s take a gander at the current world championship odds. The top-used MotoGP betting sites have set the following riders as the biggest favorites to win the championship by year’s end:
| Rider |  |  |  |
| Francesco Bagnaia | -200 | -200 | -200 |
| Marco Bezzecchi | +520 | +520 | +520 |
| Marc Marquez | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Maverick Vinales | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Enea Bastianini | +1800 | +1800 | +1800 |
| Fabio Quartararo | +1700 | +1700 | +1700 |
| Jorge Martin | +2100 | +2100 | +2100 |
| Alex Marquez | +2100 | +2100 | +2100 |
| Alex Rins | +2400 | +2400 | +2400 |
2023 MotoGP Season Recap
Let’s quickly recap the 2023 MotoGP season up to this point. It will help level-set our underdog betting picks later on. Here’s how the standings shape up right now. The top-three riders are as follows — Bezzecchi (64 points), Bagnaia (53), and Rins (47). Each of those three has won a single race, while Bezzecchi is the only one with multiple podium appearances in the whole grid.
You saw the odds, pretty much everyone aside from Bezzecchi and Bagnaia is considered an underdog. Bagnaia is the defending world champion so he has to be in the mix one way or another. However, Bezzecchi has become the surprise story of the season. In only his second year at the MotoGP level, the Italian has burst onto the scene and it appears to be no fluke.
Look, either man is obviously a solid bet to take the championship in 2023. However, we don’t think either is a sure-fire bet by any stretch of the imagination. Bezzecchi’s experience is an obvious question mark. We mean, he just won his maiden title in Argentina a few weeks ago, is he really ready to win the whole title? It’s a serious unknown.
Then there’s Bagnaia, who just can’t get out of his own way. In the two races he didn’t win this year, Bagnaia was involved in a crash. Going back years now, Bagnaia has always had that boom-or-bust potential. It’s exhilarating to watch, but nerve-wracking to bet alongside. That’s why it’s always worth having a backup bet when money is on Bagnaia.
So think of our underdog world champion picks as backups too. We wouldn’t “bet the farm” on any of these riders, but you also don’t need to. Due to their long betting odds, even a few dollars could pay a hefty amount!
Underdog Picks To Win 2023 MotoGP Championship
When it comes to underdogs, we have two picks for the 2023 MotoGP championship. Both these riders offer the best balance of risk-reward at this stage of the season. Here’s who we got winning:
Marc Marquez
Before the season started, Marquez has the runner-up favorite to win the title. So at one point, he wasn’t an underdog. Now he is though and not necessarily to his own fault.
In another bad twist of fate, Marquez crashed out in the season-opener in Portugal. He’s not been back in the grid since then, robbing him of valuable world championship points. However, he’s trending towards returning at the next race in Spain (his homeland) on April 30. We’d abandoned this bet if injuries continue to keep him sidelined though.
But in the event Marquez returns soon, he’s a real danger. His teammate, Rins, won at COTA so there’s evidence to believe Honda is somewhat back. The machine is good enough for an expert rider like Marquez to make a world title run with. That’s why it’s a smart idea to lay some action on Marquez now while he’s down and out.
Enea Bastianini
We’re sticking with the injury plays for our second pick, and that’s Bagnaia’s Ducati teammate, Bastianini. The rider broke his scapula in the first sprint race of the season. So he has exactly zero points right now. Bastianini is said to be in Misano running some practice laps. The expectation is Bastianini ready for the upcoming Spain race too.
Obviously, Bastianini has a ton of ground to make up right now. But he is one of the few riders capable of doing so. He won four races a year ago, the second-most in the grid. Earning the full 34 points is what it’ll take to come back after this setback and Bastianini has that “killer instinct” so many other riders lack.
How To Bet On MotoGP Futures?
The absolutely best place to bet on MotoGP futures is one of the trusty online sportsbooks listed underneath. The great thing about these sites is they update futures odds at the conclusion of every race. Say Marquez comes back and wins in Spain, his title odds would shorten dramatically online. For this reason, it can be beneficial to lock in bets early because bookmakers will react fast to good or bad news.
If you’re unsure of which bookmaker to use, then pay close attention to the table that follows. Our listed reviews and sign-up bonus details will help you select the very best sportsbook for your money.
