The 2023 Formula 1 season has just begun and there has been plenty of drama already. Whether it's the inner-Red Bull drama that has begun to bubble up or another round of Ferrari mishaps, the grid is full of things to feast your eyes on.
Saturday's qualifying was no different with Sergio Perez crashing out in the first round of qualifying and making way for teammate Max Verstappen to take pole position as he remains the Australian Grand Prix odds leader.
Meanwhile, Mercedes teammates George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished second and third respectively, creating an intriguing situation heading into Sunday's race. Continue reading for our free betting picks for the 2023 Australian Grand Prix.
Australian Grand Prix picks and predictions
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Australian Grand Prix picks and predictions
Race prediction: Verstappen outright
It is undoubtedly a chalk answer, but Saturday's qualifying results did no favors in terms of creating parity. Sergio Perez was gaining buzz as a potential Driver's Championship contender, trailing Verstappen by just one point in the standings after winning the last race.
But as seemingly has been the case in his career recently, things went south quickly the moment that buzz was palpable. Perez admittedly could have opted to cruise during qualifying in order to keep a top qualifying finish intact and his podium ambitions incredibly realistic, but he opted to push the pace and paid the price for it.
George Russell and Lewis Hamilton proved to be more competitive than anticipated, finishing second and third in qualifying, with Russell a respectable .236 seconds behind Verstappen.
But nevertheless, Max is Max. The only way this race goes south is if his choice to push the pace during the Saudi Arabian GP created understated car issues.
Pick: Max Verstappen outright (-300 at DraftKings)
Best bet 1: Russell podium finish
Despite what seems like an obvious race result for Sunday, there is still value and excitement to be found elsewhere.
George Russell currently sits sixth in the driver standings and has a realistic chance to make some serious ground, with just two points separating him and fourth place. Both Mercedes cars looked rather strong in qualifying, with Russell pacing 0.17 seconds better than the next-best non-Mercedes car (Fernando Alonso).
He also finished with the fourth-best lap times in the second and third free practices, displaying a level of consistency that favors a track like Melbourne's.
Pick: George Russell podium finish (+105 at Caesars)
