The NTT IndyCar Series heads to Troy Township, Ohio, this weekend to take on the 2.258-mile 13-turn Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The Honda 200 has been held here under the IRL/IndyCar banner since 2007, but CART and Champ Car races have existed on this course on and off since 1980. Six-time series champion Scott Dixon holds the record for most wins on the surface with six but hasn’t won here since 2019. Last year it was Team Penske Racing’s Scott McLaughlin who took home the top spot.
Two weeks ago, it was Alex Palou picking up his second win in a row and third road/street course win in a row as he came out on top at the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Palou now has a commanding 74-point lead in the points standings over Marcus Ericsson. Ninth place Colton Herta is closer to second place Marcus Ericsson than Ericsson is to Palou.
IndyCar Honda Indy 200 at Mid Ohio Odds and Best Bets
Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Betting Odds
Alex Palou +400
Josef Newgarden +550
Colton Herta +600
Pato O’Ward +650
Scott McLaughlin +750
Kyle Kirkwood +900
Alexander Rossi +1000
Will Power +1000
Scott Dixon +1300
Marcus Ericsson +1300
Romain Grosiean +1400
Christian Lundgaard +2500
Felix Rosenquist +3000
David Malukas +5000
Marcus Armstrong +5000
Rinus VeeKay +7500
Simon Pagenaud +7500
Graham Rahal +7500
Ryan Hunter-Reay +15000
Jack Harvey +15000
Callum Ilott +15000
Santino Ferrucci +20000
Helio Castroneves +20000
Beniamin Pedersen +30000
Devlin DeFrancesco +40000
Agustin Canapino +75000
Sting Ray Robb +100000
Alex Palou Podium Finish (+105 Barstool Sportsbook)
How can you not have some Palou action at this point? Three straight road/street course wins for the #10 Chip Ganassi Honda driver. After an eighth-place finish at St Petersburg to open the season, Palou hasn’t finished worse than fifth place in the last seven IndyCar races.
Looking back at the last two seasons here, Palou finished second place last year to McLaughlin and, in 2021, still made the podium with a third-place finish. Track history and current form suggest this might be the best bet on the board this weekend.
Romain Grosjean Podium Finish (+400 Barstool Sportsbook)
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for the Swiss-french driver from Geneva, Switzerland. Before this rough stretch, though, Grosjean had consecutive second-place finishes at Long Beach and Barber Motorsports park.
Grosjean also opened up the season with a very fast car at St. Petersburg, starting on the pole and leading 31 laps before a wreck in a battle for the lead cost him his day. Teammates Kyle Kirkwood and Colton Herta have shown speed, and if Grojean can recapture the magic he had earlier this season, a 4/1 bet for a podium finish isn’t bad at all.
Winning manufacturer Chevrolet (+105 Barstool Sportsbook)
Honda is the favorite in this section for one obvious reason, Alex Palou. Of course, with Palou’s record lately, it makes sense, as well as the great runs by the Andretti-Autosport team. However, if I get Chevrolet at plus money, and it gives me drivers like Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin, Pato O’Ward, and Will Power, I’ll take my chances.
McLaughlin won this race last year, while teammate Newgarden won it in 2021. Their other teammate Will Power won one of the two races in 2020, making it three of the last four for Chevrolet.
Josef Newgarden to Win (+650 Barstool Sportsbook)
It’s very tempting to bet on Alex Palou to win again, especially after he cleaned up good for us on the NASCAR GAMBLING PODCAST a few weeks ago at Road America. He could win another race very well, and I hope he makes the podium. This week though, I think it’s Newgarden’s turn to shine once again.
The Indianapolis 500 winner had a solid run at Road America, coming home in second place. It had been a little rough for Newgarden earlier in the season, with finishes of 17th at St Petersburg and 15th at Barber Motorsports Park. Newgarden finished seventh here last year but won the 2021 race from the pole position leading 73-laps that day.
Scott Dixon to Win (+1300 Caesars Sportsbook)
The six-time champion and six-time Mid-Ohio winner has yet to sit atop the podium in 2023 and only has one podium finish to his name this year. If Josef Newgarden doesn’t get it done, I think Dixon could be the man to cross the line first. At 13/1 odds, Dixon screams value to me.
The Iceman, who celebrates his 43rd birthday later this month, can still get it done. Dixon won two races in 2022 and has placed inside of the top 5 the last two times the series has visited Mid-Ohio. Despite his lack of podium finishes, Dixon only has one finish worse than seventh all season and currently sits tied for fourth in the championship standings. Watch out for Dixon to be the sleeper Sunday in Ohio.
