IndyCar Odds - Franchitti will keep Texas trophy at Bombardier Learjet 550

IndyCar betting odds players will follow the series to Texas Motor Speedway for the Bombardier Learjet 550, which some believe to be second only to the Indy 500 on the circuit. Scott Dixon is the defending race-winner in this event, and while he’ll be busy battling for the lead, look for his teammate - another former series champion - to take the checkered flag.

• WHAT: The Bombardier Learjet 550
• WHEN: Saturday, June 6, 9:00 PM ET
• WHERE: Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, TX
• PICK: Dario Franchitti

Dixon, who won last week’s race in Milwaukee for his second victory of the season, will be near the top of the IndyCar odds list as he won last year’s race from the pole, leading 58 laps along the way. However, before that, Dixon was hit-and-miss on the high banks of Texas, posting three top-sixes in six races, while the other three results were 11th or worse.

Chip Ganassi teammate Dario Franchitti finished fourth in his last trip here in 2007, and he has three top-six results in four Texas races. Franchitti finished third in Milwaukee and has four top-10s this year, including a victory in Long Beach.

Penske’s Helio Castroneves was brought back down to earth after his emotional win at Indy with an 11th-place finish in Milwaukee, which was to be expected as he gave everything he had to win that race. Castroneves finished second to Dixon here last year, and he has five top-10s in seven Texas races, including a 2006 victory.

Ryan Briscoe finished where he started last year, which was third, and he came in second to Dixon last week in Milwaukee. However, 2008 was only his second trip to Texas, and his inexperience may hurt his IndyCar odds this week.

The Andretti Green stable, led by Tony Kanaan and Danica Patrick, will continue to push Ganassi and Penske for a win, and Kanaan is looking to bounce back from 27th and 19th-place runs at Indy and Milwaukee, respectively. Patrick, on the other hand, has four consecutive top-fives and she has two straight top-10s at Texas after finishing outside in her first two races there.

Lee-Roy’s Pick: Don’t look now, players, but Dixon is gaining steam after a rocky start to the year. But it’s difficult to pick a driver who is as inconsistent at a track as Dixon is at Texas. Castroneves will be better than he was at Milwaukee, but he’s still probably drained from the Indy 500. Therefore, the door is open for Franchitti to win his second race of the year, and first at Texas. He only missed last year’s race because of his NASCAR attempt, and he’s been as solid as anyone all season long. He should offer decent value as well, so go with Dario Franchitti.

For more IndyCar odds as we head towards the championship run, visit the offshore sportsbook at betonline.com.

Born in the betting capital of Las Vegas, Lee-Roy has grown to appreciate the likes of IndyCar and Formula 1 racing, but his first love is the high-speed ovals of NASCAR and he is a HUGE Tony Stewart fan. When it comes to motorsports handicapping, Buckles takes the checkered flag. Thoughts or questions?