Indy 500 Predictions, Picks, Odds & Race Start Time

• Engines will rev for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 Sunday, May 25, with the green flag dropping at 12:45 p.m.

• Pato O’Ward is the favorite to win the race, which has a rookie on the pole for the first time since 1983.

• I have Indy 500 predictions, picks, odds, start time, and who’s that guy singing Back Home Again In Indiana Sunday before the race

Hailed as the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, the Indy 500 rolls May 25 with a slight chance of showers in the forecast.

Josef Newgarden is trying to become the first racer ever to win three straight Indy 500s, but he will do so from the back of the pack, after a big controversy in race qualifying.

I’ve got the start time and look at the best odds and pick for the Indy 500, an American Memorial Day weekend tradition.

Indy 500 Predictions & Picks

Here are my top Indy 500 predictions for Sunday’s race, along with my reasoning and analysis:

Winner Pick: Alex Palou +600 at FanDuel

How can you not like Palou? The Indy 500 is the only big thing missing from his racing resume. He’s been the best driver in the series this year with four wins in five starts. He’s led 149 laps, most on the circuit. He has won the last two IndyCar Series titles.

At Indy, Palou has run well, just not won. His best finish in five tries is second back in 2021. He will start sixth in the field with a car that averaged 231.4 mph in qualifying. At these odds, he’s a great pick.

Dark horse pick: Colton Herta +2500

The American was the youngest driver ever to win an IndyCar race when he was 18 in 2019 and won the Circuit of the Americas. He’s been in the top 10 in three of the last four races. He’s starting in Row 9, which is pretty far back, but he’s going to win this race one day, why not Sunday?

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK

Offer

T&Cs

Get Up To $1,500 Paid Back in Bonus Bets

21+ only. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (US); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ); 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA); 1-800-981-0023 (PR), 877-718-5543 or visit morethanagame.nc.gov (NC). See BetMGM.com for T&C. US promotional offers not available in MS, NY, NV, ON, or PR.

LOCK IN PROMO

CODE: SBD1500

CODE: SBD1500

SIGNUP BONUS

GET $1,500
BACK

BET NOW

Indy 500 Odds

Odds courtesy of FanDuel. Floor it with our FanDuel promo code.

FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK

Offer

T&Cs

Bet $5 & Get $200 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins

Must be 21+. T&C Apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

LOCK IN PROMO

SIGNUP PROMO

BET $5
GET $200

BET NOW

Indy 500 Start Time

Race fans know that there’s plenty of pageantry before the Indy 500 each year. Here’s the schedule breakdown. All times Eastern

• 10 a.m.  FOX broadcast starts

• 12:24 p.m. National anthem by Natalie Grant

• 12:29 p.m. Drivers to cars

• 12:36 p.m. Singing of “Back Home Again In Indiana” by Jim Cornelison, who has been on the mic since 2017. He became famous for his national anthems before Chicago Blackhawk games. I miss Jim Nabors.

• 12:38 p.m. Roger Penske, Chairman of Indy Motor Speedway gives command to start engines “Drivers, start your engines.”

• 12:45 p.m. Green flag on the 200 laps of the Indy 500.

Aside from betting on the overall winner, one of the cool things about motor sports betting is the opportunity to bet on different aspects of the race. FanDuel has side bets on top three finishes for drivers and the chance to bet on the winning race team – Ganassi and Aaron McLaren are co-favorites at +320.

There was a huge controversy during qualifying when a pair of Penske cars driven by Josef Newgarden and Will Power had illegal modifications to help them aerodynamically. Penske then fired three execs on his INDYCAR racing team and Power and Newgarden have to start in the last row. Will it matter? They still had two of the fastest cars in the field.

The other story out of qualifying was rookie Robert Schwartzman winning the pole. He was born in Tel Aviv and raised in Russia. He’s not considered a true contender. He’s 24 in the NTT IndyCar Series points and his best finish has been 18th.