Indy 500 2016: Latest Race Odds and Sleeper Contenders
James Hinchcliffe headlines the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500.
He's not alone, of course, not with names such as Helio Castroneves, Juan Pablo Montoya and Will Power in the running for the historic right to grab a checkered flag at Sunday's event.
Hinchcliffe's return from a life-threatening crash last year won't fade as the headline act going into the event. For bettors who are hoping to come out of it ahead, though, it's always worth taking a gander at the odds out of Las Vegas and digging deep to find a few worthwhile sleepers with big returns.
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Here's a look at the odds with a few sleepers to know after the jump.
Indy 500 Odds
| Will Power | 6-1 |
| Simon Pagenaud | 6-1 |
| Juan Pablo Montoya | 6-1 |
| Helio Castroneves | 13-2 |
| Scott Dixon | 13-2 |
| Tony Kanaan | 9-1 |
| James Hinchcliffe | 12-1 |
| Josef Newgarden | 12-1 |
| Sebastien Bourdais | 16-1 |
| Ryan Hunter-Reay | 20-1 |
Full odds available at Odds Shark.
Sleeper Contenders
Ryan Hunter-Reay (20-1)
Ryan Hunter-Reay has already gone out of his way to prove these odds wrong thanks to his strong practice and qualifying runs.
He'll be close to the front of the pack when the event starts thanks to those strong performances, including besting the field last Wednesday, as Chris Hagan of Fox 59 noted:
It's no surprise to see Hunter-Reay performing so well at the track after he won it all back in 2014.
In fact, last year's 15th slot was a hiccup considering he had put together a pair of top-three finishes the two years prior. Since he's already running well and comes with a decent payout here, it's hard to ignore Hunter-Reay.
J.R. Hildebrand (33-1)
Bettors might not love the idea of J.R. Hildebrand, a guy who spends much of his time in the Formula Drift series.
But since 2014, Hildebrand has improved in this event, finishing 10th and then eighth last year. And he now sounds as if he hopes another strong performance in Sunday's event will lead to a full-time gig.
"I've had some leads on a full-time ride, but it just hasn't completely panned out yet. I think we're going to keep moving closer in that direction until it all comes together," Hildebrand said, according to Autoweek's Matt Weaver.
Steady improvement is always something bettors should look for alongside experience, which Hildebrand also has thanks to a second-place finish in 2011. It sure wouldn't hurt for bettors to get over the hump with him.
Charlie Kimball (40-1)
Charlie Kimball is an interesting name who is not getting enough coverage despite some impressive numbers.
For example, he has three top-10 finishes under his belt in five career runs at the Indy 500. And this year he's been on a roll, most recently posting back-to-back top-nine finishes while never finishing worse than 12th. He sits sixth in the standings.
Kimball seems close, and he also has an interesting story as a driver with diabetes.
"Physically, I don’t know if it’s any harder (on me) than the other drivers," said Kimball, according to Mike Brudenell of the Detroit Free Press. "I just have to work more and try and be prepared, and that’s getting the right nutrition and making sure I have the right balance of protein and carbs and stay hydrated."
After a third-place finish last year, Kimball looks ready to strike a checkered flag off his list of goals. Las Vegas doesn't seem to agree, but that could be a good thing.
Ed Carpenter (50-1)
Is this the year Ed Carpenter gets back in contention?
Las Vegas doesn't think so, and it's hard to argue when you consider Carpenter has finished 27th and 30th over his past two outings at the event.
Still, Carpenter finished 10th in 2013, and there's nothing like experience to help a veteran stay in contention. He's going into Indy 500 No. 13 and won the pole in 2013 and 2014. PaddockTalk.com provided his thoughts on this weekend:
"I've got a great car. That's as well of handling car as when I had the pole here. It just doesn't want to go fast this week. We'll hope for a little more speed next week but the handling is certainly there so I think we'll have what it takes to get to the front in the race. We'll have to pass more cars and be a little more aggressive than what I had anticipated earlier in the race.
"
Starting 12th Sunday, Carpenter could put his wealth of experience to use by sticking around and then making a late push. For those who are searching for a major payout, Carpenter sounds like he is ready to push his car to the limit.
Stats and information courtesy of IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com unless otherwise specified. Odds courtesy of Odds Shark.
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