2013 Indianapolis 500 Expert Predictions – Overrated Drivers to Avoid: The Indianapolis 500 has produced unforgettable moments over the years, and many of the sport’s biggest names have had career-defining moments in the event. Recent series champions like Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon, the late Dan Wheldon and Sam Hornish Jr. have all also won the Indy 500. However, there are also several big names that have yet to add an Indianapolis 500 victory to their resume, and for some of them, Indy has actually been a house of horrors. For bettors, it is crucial to be able to identify the drivers that normally run well week in and week out that actually seem to struggle at Indianapolis. Looking at this year’s field for the 2013 Indianapolis 500, three drivers stand out as potential money pits for bettors. With that in mind, here is a closer look at the three drivers that bettors may want to avoid.
After he won the pole for Sunday’s Indianapolis 500, Ed Carpenter caught the eye of a lot of people, including oddsmakers. He is now getting 10/1 odds to win, but despite being one of the favorites, bettors could be asking for trouble if they decide to back the veteran this weekend. After all, we are talking about a driver that has managed just one top-five finish and two top-10s in nine career starts in the Indy 500. More concerning is the fact that Carpenter has led just six laps in those nine starts and has failed to even crack the top 10 in his last three attempts. Yes, pole-sitters have won four of the last nine races at Indy, but despite a lot of starts in the event, Carpenter has made very little noise. Since bettors aren’t exactly getting a huge payout anyway, there isn’t much incentive to take a chance on him breaking a career-long trend of mediocrity at Indianapolis.
Considering he is the defending IndyCar Series champ, there is no denying that Ryan Hunter-Reay is a talented driver. However, his 10/1 odds to win this weekend are more of a reflection of his overall accomplishments than of his performances at Indianapolis. In fact, he has had nothing but bad showings since a sixth-place finish in his Indy 500 debut. Hunter-Reay has finished outside the top 15 in his last four starts and has finished outside the top 20 three times during the stretch. For his career, he has an unimpressive 21.2 average finish and has never even led a lap. At this point, Hunter-Reay would be more likely to win another championship than to win the Indianapolis 500, and at his 10/1 odds, bettors are taking a lot of risk without the potential for much of a reward.
He has been the runner-up for the series title in each of the last three seasons, and much like a championship, a strong showing in the Indianapolis 500 has repeatedly eluded Will Power. Worse yet, he has actually been going in the wrong direction at the track in terms of his results. Since finishing fifth in his second Indy 500 start, Power has finished eighth, 14th and 28th and has finished off the lead lap in his last two starts. He did qualify sixth for this year’s race, but that is par for the course for a driver that averages a top-10 starting spot in the Indy 500 but has a history of fading on race day. Granted, he has won 14 races over the past three years, but a majority of those victories have come on road and street courses rather than the fast oval tracks like Indianapolis. Most weekends, Power would be a bargain at 12/1 odds. At Indy, he is a potential bust.
| 2 EASY STEPS to BET on the 2013 Indy 500 Odds! STEP 1: CLICK HERE to OPEN BOVADA Account STEP 2: Deposit with Credit Card or Deposit by Check and get a 20% BONUS instantly FREE. |
2013 Indianapolis 500 Odds – May 26th at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Driver Odds to Win the 2013 Indy 500
Driver to win the Indy Indianapolis 500
301 Scott Dixon +700
302 Dario Franchitti +800
303 Helio Castroneves +800
304 James Hinchcliffe +900
305 Ryan Briscoe +2000
306 Ryan Hunter Reay +1000
307 Tony Kanaan +1500
308 Marco Andretti +700
309 Will Power +1200
310 Graham Rahal +2000
311 AJ Allmendinger +1200
312 Takuma Sato +3000
313 Oriol Servia +2500
314 Alex Tagliani +5000
315 Justin Wilson +4000
316 Ed Carpenter +900
317 Field +700
Check the latest NASCAR Odds and Betting Lines and updated 2013 Indy 500 Odds from BOVADA below: