The Indy 500 takes place on Sunday at 11:45 a.m. CST. And, for only the second time, it’s possible to bet on the race in Illinois legally.
Illinois’ six online sportsbooks — DraftKings, FanDuel, BetRivers, PointsBet, Barstool and William Hill Illinois — all have odds on the race.
At some sportsbooks, you can only bet on the winner. At others, you can bet on certain drivers to place in the top three, five or 10.
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Here are the odds for the 2021 Indy 500.
Indy 500 odds
Take a look at the Indy 500 odds from DraftKings Illinois Sportsbook (as of May 28):
- Scott Dixon: +350
- Colton Herta: +700
- Patricio O’Ward: +1,100
- Alex Palou: +1,400
- Alexander Rossi: +1,400
- Rinus VeeKay: +1,400
- Josef Newgarden: +1,500
- Tony Kanaan: +1,600
- Graham Rahal: +1,800
Scott Dixon (pictured above) is the consensus favorite across the board, with shorter than +400 odds at every book.
It’s easy to see why. Dixon was the first driver to qualify for the Indy 500, and he’s a five-time Indy Car champion.
Although Dixon didn’t win last year’s race, he actually led for the most laps (111). He also won his fourth career pole at Indianapolis last Sunday.
For an event like the Indy 500, it’s a good idea to check out various sportsbook lines before making a pick.
For example, if you like Colton Herta to win, he’s going off at +750 odds at FanDuel in comparison to +700 at some other books. Obviously, +750 would net you more profit if he wins.
How to bet on the Indy 500 in Illinois
You can bet on the Indy 500 at every online legal sportsbook in the Land of Lincoln.
Of course, there’s a catch: If you haven’t downloaded a sports betting app yet, you will have to visit a casino or horse racing track in order to sign up.
That’s because Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker ended online registration in early April. But if you have already signed up for any of the Illinois sports betting apps, you’re all good.
As far as the books go, DraftKings has the most robust offerings for the race. Not only can you bet on the winner, but you can also wager on top three, five or 10 finishes. You can also bet on the team of the race winner.
At most of the books, you can only bet on the winning driver.
DraftKings is also offering a boost. You can take “any American to win the Indy500” at +175; it was previously +150.
How to watch the Indy 500
The Indy 500 will be broadcast by NBC. Live coverage will begin at 10 a.m. CST.
Driver introductions will begin at 10:50 a.m., with the national anthem following at 11:25 a.m. Twenty minutes later, the race will start.
There will be about 135,000 fans at the race on Sunday. And while that may sound like a lot, that’s only 40% of the venue’s capacity. Still, it is the largest sporting event since the pandemic began.
If you are from Illinois and are attending the race in person, you will be able to bet on most of the same apps you use in IL.
You can also download new sports betting apps while in Indiana. Be warned; if you download the apps in Indiana, you will not be able to use Indiana apps in Illinois due to state regulations.
