Though the 2024 open-wheel racing season is just five events old, it’s already time for some IndyCar Series futures.
Think this jumps that shark? Well, don’t. The betting odds for the IndyCar Drivers Championship are always at their most lucrative during the preseason or early into the schedule. Plus, we’ve already seen enough over the past two-plus months to know who we should be monitoring most closely.
On that note, let’s have a look at the latest betting lines for the 2024 IndyCar Series Drivers Championship:
Please remember to double-check these 2024 IndyCar Series futures until you actually submit your wager. Our IndyCar Drivers Championship odds are accurate entering the 2024 Indianapolis 500. (You can find betting lines for the Indy 500 here!) Since the 2024 IndyCar season champion will not be crowned until the start of the fall, this gives the top online sportsbooks in the USA plenty of time to adjust their odds.
Reigning champion Alex Palou (+160) is a fairly heavy favorite to repeat at the moment. But he’s still paying out better than even money at all the top USA sportsbooks. This suggests the field is pretty wide open.
Is that actually the case? Or is the 2024 IndyCar Drivers Championship actually Palou’s to lose?
Why Alex Palou Sits Atop the 2024 IndyCar Series Futures Pyramid
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why Alex Palou (+160) features so prominently in IndyCar futures. Not only is he the reigning champ, but he’s won two of the past three titles.
What’s more Palou is off to a scorching-hot start in 2024. He has placed first in one of the five races, ranked in the top five four times, is the heavy favorite to win the Indy 500 and currently sits atop the standings with a whopping 152 points.
At this point, Palou’s driving speaks for itself. His handling around corners is bonkers, and his maneuvering between acceleration and deceleration is top tier. As long as he’s paying out better than even money, he should be on your radar.
Can Josef Newgarden Win his Third Drivers Championship?
Josef Newgarden (+400) picked up Drivers Championship victories in 2017 and 2019. Can he get another in 2023?
Oddsmakers think so. His IndyCar Series futures are second only to Palou.
And yet, we feel like a market correction is in order. Newgarden is 17th in the IndyCar Series standings and has churned out just one top-10 finish on the season. He just so happened to grab a pole position in that instance, but he’s looked a gear or two slower overall this year.
Keeping him on your radar is fine. Encouraged, even. But we would approve Josef Newgarden IndyCar Series Futures with caution unless he blows everyone away at the Indy 500.
Which Contender is the Better 2024 IndyCar Series Futures Bet?
Four drivers near the top of the ballot currently have similar odds to win the 2024 IndyCar Series Drives Championship. They are as follows:
- Pato O’Ward (+650)
- Scott Dixon (+750)
- Colton Herta (+800)
- Will Power (+900)
So which one of these drivers is presently offering the best value? Scott Dixon will likely be the most popular pick. He has a first place finish under his belt and then two more top-five flags on top of that.
For our money, though, we prefer Will Power. Unlike the other three on this list, Power does not have a first-place finish to his 2024 resume. But that’ll change. He’s finished in the top five three times already, and there are no glaring holes in his driving this year to suggest he won’t continue hovering near the top of the field.
Best Dark Horse Option to Win the IndyCar Series
This category is tough to parse. So many of the top IndyCar Series futures bets are obvious choices. That’s the state of this season—in a good way.
Still, someone always winds up breaking through to surprise everyone. This year, that could be Santino Ferrucci (+800).
At just 25, the Chevy-driving wunderkind is really starting to come on. In fact, Ferrucci already has two top 10 finishes on the season—more than anyone who ranks outside the top 11 of the standings.
Indeed, Ferrucci has some ground to make up. And he’ll need to start making more sustainable runs at lap leads. But as far as dark horses go, his 80-to-1 payout has our attention.
Our Pick to Win the 2024 IndyCar Drivers Championship
Most of the action is currently being funneled toward Alex Palou. And look, we get it.
However, repeating as the IndyCar Series Drivers champion is difficult. It hasn’t been done since Dario Franchitti racked up three straight titles from 2009 through 2011. And before that, you have to go back to the mid-1990s to find another repeat champion.
This isn’t to say another Palou victory is impossible. He’s ranked No. 1 overall for a reason. But we continue to gravitate towards Will Power (+900). His 2014 and 2022 Drivers Championships certainly play a role. Mostly, though, we’ve been impressed with his functional stamina through the first five races. You don’t spend that much time driving near the front of the field by accident.
While he’s yet to bag a victory so far, it wouldn’t surprise us if we look back on this season as one of the most consistent of Power’s illustrious career.
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