Indy 500 2019: Latest Race Odds and Sleeper Contenders

The Indianapolis 500 is one of the most anticipated motorsports event of every year, the 103rd edition will be no different.  

Simon Pagenaud of Team Penske took pole position in qualifying and will be first on the starting grid, which has earned him a place among the favourites ahead of Saturday's big meet.

Josef Newgarden, Will Power and Alexander Rossi are the other standout names travelling to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but the Indy500 has historically been kind to sleepers in the past.

One high-profile figure who won't take part on Saturday is ex-Formula 1 star Fernando Alonso, who failed to qualify for the race in shock fashion:

A total of 33 drivers will line up hoping to take their chance in the sixth leg of the 2019 IndyCar Series, and several names stand out from the field as potential good-value picks who could make a run at victory.

Odds

Josef Newgarden: 8-1

Alexander Rossi: 8-1

Simon Pagenaud: 8-1

Will Power: 8-1

Scott Dixon: 9-1

Helio Castroneves: 10-1

Ed Carpenter: 11-1

Spencer Pigot: 12-1

Colton Herta: 12-1

Marco Andretti: 14-1

Takuma Sato: 16-1

Ryan Hunter-Reay: 16-1 

Ed Jones: 18-1

Sebastien Bourdais: 20-1

Graham Rahal: 25-1

Tony Kanaan: 33-1

Felix Rosenqvist: 50-1

Conor Daly: 50-1

Zach Veach: 50-1

JR Hildebrand: 50-1

Marcus Ericsson: 50-1

James Hinchcliffe: 50-1

Sage Karam: 66-1

Matheus Leist: 100-1

Oriol Servia: 125-1

James Davison: 125-1

Jack Harvey: 150-1

Santino Ferrucci: 150-1

Charlie Kimball: 150-1

Kyle Kaiser: 200-1

Jordan King: 200-1

Ben Hanley: 300-1

Pippa Mann: 300-1

Via Oddschecker.com

Colton Herta

One of the fastest-rising competitors in IndyCar and the best chance we have of seeing the record for youngest Indy 500 winner broken in 2019, Colton Herta is already breaking boundaries in racing.

The 19-year-old made his IndyCar debut for Harding Racing at the end of the 2018 season but truly announced himself when he became the youngest driver to win an event at the IndyCar Classic in March:

Herta started his season with an eighth-placed finished at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and won at the Circuit of the Americas one event later. However, he's since placed outside the top 20 in his last three races.

Nevertheless, the 12-1 shot looked very impressive again in Indy500 qualifying and has a prime spot on the starting grid:

The driver's father, Bryan, was an IndyCar driver and finished third at this race in 2005. He told NBC (h/t Yahoo's Bruce Martin) on Saturday of the pride he has for his son, who's ahead of schedule to accomplish what he could not and win the Indy500:

"I'm off the charts when it comes to pride. I've been here on a hot, windy day, fully trimmed out. I know how hard it is to put four laps together. And he did it twice under the most harrowing conditions that we've had in qualifying here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"I'm very, very proud of him. When I talk to him, he doesn't seem like a rookie. At no point did I ever feel he was over his head with this. You can win this race from anywhere, but he's doing all the right things. He has a great shot."

Tony Kanaan

Those seeking a little more bang for their buck might fancy 2013 Indy500 champion Tony Kanaan as a more likely threat on this year's crown.

Kanaan has won this race once in 17 visits—he's finished top five on seven other occasions—and posted a message of excitement as he returns to Indianapolis as a 50-1 outsider:

The Brazilian is now 44 years of age, although it's worth noting four older drivers have won the race. Brothers Bobby and Al Unser are the oldest to have ever emerged victorious, both aged 47 when they won the Indy500 in 1981 and 1987, respectively.

Kanaan is yet to finish inside the top 10 in five races this season, but he's shown a soft spot for Indianapolis and could be worth a small punt.

Matheus Leist

Another Brazilian worth keeping an eye on is Matheus Leist, who recently finished fourth at the Indianapolis Grand Prix to mark his best IndyCar Series result to date.

The South American could hardly have hoped for better timing in picking up form. It also seems like fate that Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosted the 20-year-old's first Indy Lights victory at the Freedom 100 in May 2017:

He returns to the venue at much larger odds of 100-1 this time around and will face a grand test in endurance, though he's one to watch leading Brazil's next generation of drivers.