The field is set for the 109th running of the famed Indianapolis 500. For the first time in 43 years, a rookie will lead the field to the green flag in the Indy 500. Robert Shwartzman is that rookie, and he did it with a team that’s new to the grid in 2025, Prema Racing. For the first time, Underdog Fantasy is offering Indianapolis 500 fantasy plays! Let’s take a look at a few of my favorite Indy 500 picks on Underdog Fantasy.
“The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” will take place on Sunday, May 25th at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Two-time Indy 500 champion Takuma Sato and Pato O’Ward will join Shwartzman, who makes his first career start on an oval, on the front row for Sunday’s race. Scott Dixon, Felix Rosenqvist, and IndyCar points leader Alex Palou will make up the second row. Josef Newgarden will start at the rear of the field after a penalty, as he looks to become the first driver in history to win three straight Indianapolis 500s. His teammate Will Power will join him in the back. NASCAR’s Kyle Larson will start 19th.
The premise is simple for Underdog is simple each driver has a projected finishing position, and if you think they’ll finish better, you select them. You pick 2-8 drivers, and with each drive,r your multiplier grows. You can also mix your entry with NASCAR, F1, NBA, NHL, and a ton of other sports to build the best lineup. Then you choose if you want to let it all ride with a standard lineup, or go with the flex option, which allows you to miss some picks.
The best part, you aren’t playing in a big pool against a bunch of others with computer algorithms. It’s you vs you, if your picks are right, you get paid! Sign up today using the promo code “RACESGPN” to claim your Special Pick + First Time Deposit offer up to $1000 in bonus credits! at UnderdogFantasy.com.
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Indy 500 Fantasy: The 109th Indianapolis 500 Underdog Fantasy Picks
Pato O’Ward Better Than 5.5 (1x)
We’ll roll with my favorite driver to play in both the fantasy and betting world this weekend. O’Ward has been consistently good in the Indy 500. He’s finished second twice in the last three years and top six in four of his five career starts. The one time he didn’t finish well (2023), O’Ward led 39 laps before wrecking while battling for second place with Marcus Ericsson. One thing you know when you play O’Ward, he’s going to be in the mix late, and that’s all we need. He doesn’t have to win, just finish in the top five.
Santonio Ferrucci Better Than 10.5 (1.16x)
The A.J. Foyt Racing driver has never finished worse than 10th in all six career starts. Last season, he scored an eighth-place finish. In 2023, it was a career-best third as he landed on the podium. He’s never failed to finish better than 10th, and there’s no reason to believe that’ll change this year. Ferrucci is a long shot to keep your eye on that could just win it all.
Connor Daly Better Than 10.5 (1.19x)
This is the place to get your action on, Daly, in my opinion. The local kid from Indiana loves to shine in his hometown race. Daly led 22 laps last season and scored a 10th-place finish. In 2023, it was an eighth-place finish. A sixth place in 2022 means he’s scored three straight top 10 finishes in the event. Finishes of 13th in 2021 and 10th in 2019 make it five of the last six. Oh yeah, now he’s in the best ride he’s been in arguably in his career at Juncos Hollinger Racing.
Indy 500 Fantasy: The 109th Indianapolis 500 Underdog Fantasy Picks
Colton Herta Better Than 10.5 (1.12x)
Another driver I like to score a top ten is Colton Herta. A wreck caused him to finish 23rd last season, but he had a rocket ship before the wreck. He’s had some tough Indy 500s but had a ninth-place finish in 2023 and eighth in 2020. Herta picked up his first oval win the last time IndyCar took to an oval to end the 2024 season at Nashville. If he can just keep things clean, Herta should find himself in the top 10 at the end of the day.
Alex Palou Better Than 5.5 (1.05x)
Does this man even need an introduction? The three-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou has won four of the five IndyCar races thus far in 2025. None of those were ovals, but Palou has been great here in this race as well. He has five career starts, the last four have all been top 10 finishes, including three top fives. Palou has yet to win, but the smart champion knows how to put himself in place to have a shot to win at the end, and again, all we need is a top five from the champ.
My favorite way to play this is to take the first three together. O’Ward, Ferrucci, and Daly. After the first three picks, the multiplier is up to 8.97x, meaning a $10 entry would pay you $89.70. If you are looking to increase your payout, adding Herta increases your multiplier to 18.55x; now, $10 would pay you 185.50. Adding Alex Palou brings up to five drivers and a multiplier of 32.46x. A $10$ entry now pays out $324.60.
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