Formula 1 betting, odds: Max Verstappen looks to make it 3 in a row at the United States Grand Prix
Max Verstappen should make it three wins in a row at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday.
Verstappen is -400 to get his third win in a row and his 15th in 18 races this season at the United States Grand Prix. A win Sunday will tie the record Verstappen set in 2022 for the most wins in a single Formula 1 season.
The three-time champion has beaten Lewis Hamilton to the checkered flag in each of his first two wins at the USGP. In 2021, he held off Hamilton by 1.3 seconds to extend his points lead to 12. A season ago, Hamilton took the lead for nine laps thanks to a tire strategy call, but Verstappen passed him and led the final seven laps on the way to a win by over five seconds.
Hamilton has five wins at the Circuit of the Americas and is the track’s winningest driver. However, he hasn’t won at COTA since 2017 and he’s not the No. 2 favorite. That honor goes to McLaren’s Lando Norris at +1000.
McLaren has shown a lot of speed in recent races as its upgrades have made the team extremely competitive. Oscar Piastri won the sprint race ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix and finished second to Verstappen in the Grand Prix, while Norris was third. Piastri is +1200 to win Sunday’s race. Verstappen’s Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Perez is +1800 to win, while the Mercedes duo of Hamilton and George Russell are +2200 each.
The USGP weekend is also a sprint race weekend. Qualifying for the Grand Prix is Friday afternoon and there’s just one practice session for the race. Here are a few bets we like ahead of the race weekend. All odds are from BetMGM.
Max Verstappen to win the Grand Prix pole (-250)
Ferrari and McLaren have been able to put together quick laps during qualifying, but the long straightaways at COTA should benefit Red Bull and help Verstappen start first Sunday. You should also bet him to win the race.
Max Verstappen to win FP1 (-175)
We’re going with the hat trick for the 2023 champ — the fastest lap in practice, the pole and the race win. With just one practice session this weekend, most everyone will be working on their qualifying runs and that should benefit Verstappen.
Lewis Hamilton to finish ahead of Charles Leclerc (-155)
Ferrari is the only team outside of Red Bull to get a win this season, but COTA doesn’t appear to be a track that’s suited to its car. Hamilton may not be a top contender for the race win, but he could easily sneak onto the podium. We also like Mercedes (-140) to finish ahead of Ferrari if you want to take Hamilton and Russell against Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
Alex Albon to finish ahead of Lance Stroll (-135)
It’s been a brutal second half of the season for Stroll and we’re not sure it improves much this weekend. The straight-line speed the Williams has should be a major benefit to Albon, especially if the team can work a tire strategy like it did in Montreal.
Williams to finish ahead of AlphaTauri (-105)
We’re doubling down on Albon with this one as his teammate Logan Sergeant is unlikely to factor into this bet. We think Albon can beat both the returning Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda during the Grand Prix.
