IndyCar champion completely disrespected in latest odds

Reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou is supposedly the least likely of the seven championship contenders to win the 2022 title.

Following the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway two Saturday nights ago, there are seven drivers still mathematically eligible to win the 2022 IndyCar championship with two of 17 races remaining on the schedule.

Team Penske’s Will Power has led the point standings after each of the three most recent races, but his lead is the smallest it has been during that three-race span.

Teammate Josef Newgarden sits in second place in the standings following his series-best fifth win of the year, and he is now just three points behind Power. Two other drivers, Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Scott Dixon and Marcus Ericsson, are within 17 points of the lead.

The three other drivers who have a chance to win the championship are Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou, Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin, and Arrow McLaren SP’s Pato O’Ward.

Here are the championship standings among the seven drivers still mathematically eligible to win the 2022 title.

Championship standings
1 – Will Power – 482 (0)
2 – Josef Newgarden – 479 (-3)
3 – Scott Dixon – 468 (-14)
4 – Marcus Ericsson – 465 (-17)
5 – Alex Palou – 439 (-43)
6 – Scott McLaughlin – 428 (-54)
7 – Pato O’Ward – 424 (-58)

A driver can score up to 54 points in each race, and all drivers who enter are guaranteed to score five points (25th place or worse), meaning that any given driver can make up 49 points on any other driver in a single race.

With two races remaining, this means that anybody within 98 points of the championship lead can still win the title.

Here are the current championship odds for these seven drivers.

NOTE: +180 odds mean that a successful $100 bet wins $180 (pays $280).

• Josef Newgarden: +180
• Will Power: +250
• Scott Dixon: +500
• Marcus Ericsson: +750
• Scott McLaughlin: +1000
• Pato O’Ward: +1000
• Alex Palou: +1400

Given the fact that Newgarden has won five times as many races as Power in 2022, it makes sense that he is the favorite despite trailing by three points.

At this stage, three points is practically nothing, considering the fact that a race win pays at least 51 points and a runner-up finish can pay no more than 44. It also makes sense that Dixon and Ericsson are ranked third and fourth, respectively.

But what doesn’t make any sense is the fact that Palou is listed at +1400, placing him below both McLaughlin and O’Ward.

What could possibly be the reason for this?

We’ve spent the last month and a half talking about the potential distraction factor faced by Palou and the #10 team, given the ongoing controversy surrounding his 2023 plans.

But in the six races that have been contested since those dueling press releases from Chip Ganassi Racing and McLaren, Palou has just one finish outside of the top 10 and has remained solidly in the championship fight.

While he does rank third among three championship-eligible teammates, which could lead to Chip Ganassi Racing focusing more Dixon and Ericsson, so does McLaughlin, yet he is listed ahead of the reigning champion at +1000.

Palou’s gap to the lead is also mathematically able to be overcome in one race, while McLaughlin and O’Ward effectively need two perfect weekends to have a chance.

Let’s also not forget what Palou did last year in his first ever starts at the two tracks scheduled to host this season’s final two races: Portland International Raceway and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Palou won at Portland International Raceway after starting from the pole position, despite early issues, and he finished in second place at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

He scored 92 points in these two races; none of the other six championship contenders scored more than 56.

Additionally, Team Penske scored just one total top five finish at these two tracks last year with their three drivers. Arrow McLaren SP scored just one as well.

So the idea that Palou is the least likely contender to win the championship at +1400 odds is simply ridiculous, even as the only one of the seven without a win this year.

He is the reigning champion for a reason, and let’s not forget that even without a win last year, he still would have won the title.

NBC is set to broadcast the 2022 IndyCar season’s final two races live beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET each of the next two Sundays. The Grand Prix of Portland is scheduled to take place at Portland International Raceway on Sunday, September 4, and the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey is scheduled to take place at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday, September 11. Start a free trial of FuboTV today! For various motorsports odds, visit WynnBET.