There is no shortage of storylines heading into Sunday's 106th running of the Indy 500 (12:45 p.m. ET, NBC).
Helio Castroneves looks to become the race's first five-time winner. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson makes his Indianapolis 500 debut. Six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon leads the field to green after a record-setting qualifying effort.
However, the value for today's best bets lie elsewhere in the 33-driver field.
Be sure to check back into this piece as more odds become available leading up to the race, but for now, here are today's best bets.
Indy 500 Picks
*Odds as of Sunday morning
Rinus VeeKay over Romain Grosjean (-170)
I don't typically enjoy laying a ton of juice on matchups, but I'll make an exception here for this matchup at Caesars Sportsbook.
VeeKay has consistently been among the fastest drivers all week, and his Ed Carpenter Racing team as a whole has shown a ton of speed.
Meanwhile, Romain Grosjean is racing in his first Indy 500 and has barely avoided the wall on countless occasions during the month of May, as well as the open test back in April.
VeeKay has been incredibly fast at high speed ovals in 2021 and 2022, leading last year's Indy 500 and this year's race at Texas until strategy caught him out in both races.
Grosjean, on the other hand, has only one high-speed oval race under his belt, where he retired after 103 laps due to mechanical issues.
I'll happily take the faster, more consistent and safer driver despite the -170 price tag.
VeeKay will win this matchup if he stays error free.
The Bet: VeeKay -170 over Grosjean
Graham Rahal to Win (+5000)
Since open wheel unification in 2008, every single winner of the Indy 500 has been a long-time veteran driver, with the exception of Alexander Rossi in 2016.
Rahal is racing in his 15th Indy 500 today, one year removed from nearly having the field covered for the win. Rahal had plenty of speed, and his team played strategy to perfection, only to see potential victory slip away when his team failed to attach his left rear tire properly on a late pit stop.
The wily veteran is as determined as ever, with redemption on the mind.
In addition to last year's close call, Rahal has two other podium finishes in this event. He's also scored wins at two other high-speed ovals, Auto Club Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway, in his career.
Last year at Texas he came home with third- and fifth-place finishes, but crashed out after rookie Devlin DeFrancesco's mistake at this year's event in the Lone Star State.
Rahal has the right combination of experience and relevant performance to make this 50-1 at Caesars Sportsbook a clear value.
The Bet: Graham Rahal +5000 to Win
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing to Win (+6000)
Sage Karam and Santino Ferrucci are two young drivers who have immense potential, but haven't secured full-time rides in 2022.
Both drivers are incredible at long, flat ovals and have shown speed this month.
Starting with the "veteran" of the team, Sage Karam finished seventh in last year's Indy 500. He finished ninth in his rookie year and was leading at Indy's most similar track, Pocono, until he crashed late in the race.
His teammate, Santino Ferrucci, has an even better resume. Ferrucci has never finished worse than seventh in the Indy 500 in three tries.
Additionally, Ferrucci finished fourth at Texas and Pocono in 2019 while driving for mid-tier Dayle Coyne Racing.
These two drivers defy the veteran experience we look for in a winner, but also come with immense upside. When I'm looking for a pair of drivers to win at long odds, I don't worry about finishing second or 33rd.
I'll happily take two drivers averaging 25 years of age who have shown the ability to run, and even finish, up front.
Take the teammates at +6000 at Kambi books, or find them individually at odds 100-1 or longer.
I personally prefer the simple single bet on the tandem.
The Bet: Winning team Dreyer & Reinbold +6000
