F1 Podium: Three Bets for the 2018 Australian Grand Prix

There is plenty of betting value on odds to win the 2018 Australian Grand Prix with Lewis Hamilton as the betting favorite sitting at +115 and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel +325 to repeat as the winner in Formula 1’s first race of the season.

But that’s just the top of the oddsboard. Native son Daniel Ricciardo is there at +750 at online shop Bovada to win his first home Grand Prix while Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen can be had at +550.

You don’t have to bet on the winner, though, as each F1 race throughout the season provides ample opportunity to win big but you have to pick your spots. If you’re looking for the best betting value on the Aussie GP board, I’ve got you covered. Let’s take a look at all of the wagers available and find something a bit more appealing to spice up your Formula 1 weekend.

Keep in mind that this article was posted ahead of practice and qualifying so odds could look a lot different later this week.

P1: Both Force India Cars to Finish Top 10 (-150)

Ah yes. My favorite race prop early on last season until books caught on to just how capable the Force India cars were and how good both Checo Perez and Esteban Ocon were behind the wheel.

This was a profitable bet in 16 of 20 races one year ago (though value had evaporated after the first five or so races), including the Australian Grand Prix. Perez finished P7 in Melbourne in 2017 while Ocon placed P10.

These are two very talented drivers and the future looks very bright for the 21-year-old Frenchman in particular. But considering McLaren and Renault have each invested rather heavily into their campaigns this season, there will be competition here. With that in mind, this same wager on Renault (-140) and McLaren (+175) would be worth a look as well.

P2: Valtteri Bottas Top 3 Finish (EVEN)

Considering most folks in and around F1 view Mercedes to be “the team to beat” yet again in 2017 (despite the fact that Ferrari made great strides in 2017 despite a late-season collapse that all but did them in), Bottas to finish top three at EVEN money is great value.

The Finn recorded P3 here last year in his first season with the Silver Arrows and drove well here with an inferior Williams team (P5 2014, P8 2016) down the years. In 20 races with Mercedes last year, Bottas finished in the podium spots 13 times, so considering the value here, this might be the best play of the weekend.

P3: Daniel Ricciardo To Win (+750)

His best finish in his home Grand Prix is P4 back in 2016, but Australia’s favorite racing driver could be poised for big things in 2018.

There is a lot of expectation with this team (as there always is) but this could be the most competitive package Red Bull has put forward in a while. The team had 13 combined retirements last year (six for Ricciardo and seven for teammate Verstappen) but the team performed very well down the stretch. Ricciardo won in Azerbaijan while Verstappen captured the checkered flag in both Malaysia and Mexico.

Ricciardo himself feels confident heading into the season as he’s advised his own friends to take a futures bet on him, which can currently be had at +1100 at online book Bovada.

“I’m not personally a betting man,” Ricciardo said jokingly to reporters, “but a lot of my mates are, so if they’re listening, throw a cheeky $75,000 on it.”

It could very well be sound advice. And who are we to deny Danny Ric?

As usual, it’s important to note that all of these wagers could look very different come Sunday morning, but ahead of Friday’s practice, these are the bets I certainly have my eyes on for the 2018 Australian Grand Prix.

Odds as of March 20 at Bovada