Tag: Auto racing

NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway, with NASCAR betting odds, picks and best bets.

Say goodbye to those virtual races, as the NASCAR Cup Series returns for real at Darlington Raceway Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the betting odds and lines, with NASCAR picks and tips with odds from BetMGM sportsbook.

NASCAR changes: What you need to know

Sunday’s return to action after the pause due to COVID-19 will not have any practice sessions or qualifying. In fact, there will be no practice sessions for any May race, and qualifying will only be held for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte May 24. Here is what we know:

  • Positions 1 through 12 to be determined by a random draw from charter teams in those positions in team owner points
  • Positions 13-24 to be determined by a random draw among charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 25-36 to be determined by a random draw among charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 37-40 to be filled out by open, non-chartered teams in order of owner points

NASCAR standings & Darlington odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday, May 13 at 1:25 a.m. ET.

A quick perusal of the current standings after four starts shows Stewart-Haas Racing’s (SHR’s) Kevin Harvick (+600 for Sunday’s Darlington race) sitting in first, one point ahead of Penske Racing’s Joey Logano (+750). Hendrick Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott (+850), Alex Bowman (+1300) and Jimmie Johnson (+2000) are in third through fifth, respectively, while Penske’s Ryan Blaney (+2200) sits sixth. SHR’s Aric Almirola (+5000) is tied for seventh with Kyle Larson (more on him below). Matt DiBenedetto (+5000) of Wood Brothers is ninth, while Penske’s Brad Keselowski (+850) rounds out the top 10.

As for Larson, he was released by Chip Ganassi Racing and indefinitely suspended by NASCAR for uttering a racial slur during a live virtual racing broadcast during the COVID-19 pause. While he has completed a mandated sensitivity training course, Matt Kenseth (+2000) is coming out of retirement to join CGR in the No. 42 car.

Who is going to win Sunday at Darlington Raceway?

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch (+500) is noticeably absent from the top 10 in the standings, but he is actually listed as the race favorite due to his recent run of success at the track. While he hasn’t won in the past 10 stops, he has been 11th or better in each of those starts.

Busch has finished seventh or better in eight of his past 10 starts at Darlington, posting a stellar 11.1 Average-Finish Position (AFP) in his 15 overall runs at the South Carolina track.

Johnson actually leads all active drivers with three wins at “The Lady In Black,” and he has a 12.1 AFP in 21 starts with nine finishes inside the top 5. He has also led 554 laps, fourth-most of any driver. Busch actually leads with 716 laps led, followed by Harvick (581) and Denny Hamlin (+700), another driver currently outside of the top 10 in standings. That could change in a hurry, however.

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Martin Truex Jr. (+800) is also flying a bit under the radar – he won this race in 2016, followed by his JGR teammate Hamlin in 2017. So, definitely do not base your wagering decisions on starting position alone. The past two winners have come from a starting position of 15th and 13th, and the last five winners have been from eighth or lower in the starting grid, so the pole hasn’t amounted to much lately.

Darlington Raceway long-shot bets

If you’re looking to back a long shot, why not Kenseth? He is a rather moderate underdog in his return to the track. Kenseth won at Darlington as recently as the 2013 season, and raced a Cup car in 2018, albeit a 25th-place fun. He has five top-10 starts in his past seven Darlington runs, including the 2013 win, so how amazing of a story would it be if he won Sunday?

SHR’s Clint Bowyer (+5000) has been a disaster at Darlington in recent years, posting a 40th-place run in 2017, a 36th-place finish in 2018 before running sixth last season. He is a great driver, but a long shot for a reason, as he has found the title “Track Too Tough To Tame” apropos. In 14 career Darlington starts, he has a dismal 21.6 AFP with just two top-10 showings and only 17 laps led. Still, a driver of his caliber at this price is worth a small-unit bet, especially with all of the chaos and uncertainty heading into the season restart.

Want action on this race? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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NASCAR Betting: FanShield 500 odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway, with NASCAR betting odds, picks and best bets

The NASCAR Cup Series moves to Phoenix Raceway Sunday afternoon for the FanShield 500 at 3:30 p.m. ET in Avondale, Ariz. Below, we analyze the FanShield500 betting odds and lines, with NASCAR picks and tips.

Who is going to win the 2020 FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway?

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 10:20 a.m. ET.

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch (+325) has been at or near the top of the heap at Phoenix (previously ISM Raceway) for a while now. He has rattled off nine consecutive finishes in the Top 10, with eight of those runs resulting in a finish of fourth or better, with three runner-ups and a pair of checkered flags. Since the fall 2015 race he has an Average-Finish Position (AFP) of 2.9, which makes him the overwhelming betting favorite

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott (+1000) is on the pole for Sunday’s race. He has been a quick study at the track, posting an AFP of 13.8 in eight career starts with two top-5 showings, four top-10 finishes and 156 laps led, although he does have a DNF in that span. His teammate Jimmie Johnson (+5000) is looking to snap a lengthy winless drought, and Phoenix could be just the place for him. He has four career wins at the track, second-most among all active drivers. In 33 career starts, he has a 10.3 AFP with 15 of his runs resulting in a finish of fifth or better while leading 994 laps.

New to sports betting? A successful $10 wager on Busch to win would return a profit of $32.50.

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Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick (+550) is always a threat at this track as well. He has collected nine checkered flags at this flat track in his 34 career starts, with exactly half of his starts resulting in a finish of fifth or better. He also leads all active drivers with 1,595 laps led. And, most importantly, he has never had a DNF in his 34 starts at Phoenix, so you know he’ll be there in the end.

JGR’s Denny Hamlin (+800) is one of five active drivers with at least two wins at the track, four if you exclude the injured Ryan Newman. The driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota has registered 13 top-5 showings in his 29 career starts with an impressive 11.0 AFP and 821 laps led.

Also of note, JGR’s Martin Truex Jr. (+600) will start from the back of the field due to an engine change before pre-technical inspection Saturday.

2020 FanShield 500 longshot bets

Of the racers without a career win at Phoenix, Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson (+2500) has slightly longer odds than the four above. He is the best non-winner by the career numbers. In 12 career starts he has a tremendous 12.7 AFP with four top-5 finishes, six top-10 showings and 69 laps led. He was a runner-up in the spring ’17 race, and he has five finishes of sixth or better in his past seven starts.

If you want an even deeper sleeper, SHR’s Aric Almirola (+6000) could be a nice selection. He has never won at the track, but in 18 career starts he has a solid 15.3 AFP with 14 of his finishes coming in the Top 20, and two runs inside the Top 5. The ‘Cuban Missile’ had back-to-back fourth-place runs in the fall of ’18 and spring of ’19 race, too.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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NASCAR Betting: Auto Club 400 odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Auto Club 400 sports betting odds and lines, with NASCAR analysis, picks and tips.

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the Auto Club Speedway Sunday afternoon for the Auto Club 400 at 3:30 p.m. ET in Fontana, Calif. Below, we analyze the Auto Club 400 betting odds and lines, with NASCAR picks and tips.

Who is going to win the 2020 Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway?

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated Saturday at 12:05 p.m. ET.

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch (+500) won last season’s Auto Club 400, and he has also picked up three checkered flags across his past six starts at the California track. The defending series champ is off to a rather uneven start through two starts this season, so perhaps a start at ACS is just what is needed to jump-start his season. In 21 career starts at the track he has four wins, 10 top-five finishes, 15 top-10 runs and 807 laps led with a 10.0 Average-Finish Position (AFP), too.

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott (+800) has had some strong showings at this track in the past, but victory has eluded him thus far. In four starts he has a 10.8 AFP with a pair of top-10 finishes, five laps led and he has never finished lower than 16th. He’ll be one to watch. Elliott’s teammate Jimmie Johnson (+1600) is showing some signs of life early on, and he leads all active drivers with six California wins, 13 top-five finishes in 25 starts, 980 laps led and a 7.6 AFP.

New to sports betting? A successful $10 wager on Johnson to win would return a profit of $160.

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Penske Racing driver Joey Logano (+600) will be looking for checkers for the second consecutive weekend. He is seventh or better in each of his past five outings, including a runner-up finish last season. Logano has never won this race in 13 career starts, but he has 57 laps led and a 13.1 AFP, sixth-best among all active drivers.

Logano’s teammate Brad Keselowski (+800) won this race in 2015, and he has rattled off three straight top-five showings, and five top-10 finishes in a row. Kes has a 14.5 AFP in his 11 career starts with 81 laps led.

2020 Auto Club 400 longshot bets

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kurt Busch (+2500) is worth a small-unit wager, as he enters Sunday’s race with the fourth-best AFP among active drivers. In 26 career starts he has a win, seven top-five finishes, 13 top-10 finishes and no DNFs with a 12.6 AFP and 298 laps led.

If you’re looking for a little bit more of a longshot, Erik Jones (+3300) fits the bill. He has finished 12th, seventh and 19th in three career starts at ACS with a solid 12.7 AFP, fifth among active drivers.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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NASCAR Betting: Pennzoil 400 odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, with NASCAR betting odds, picks and best bets

The NASCAR Cup Series moves to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sunday afternoon for the Pennzoil 400 at 3:30 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Pennzoil 400 betting odds and lines, with NASCAR picks and tips.

The weather won’t be a problem like it was in Daytona last weekend, when a surprise rain storm ended up pushing the race to Monday. The haulers had one less day to travel across the country, subsequently canceling the mid-week hauler parade down The Strip, but the cars and drivers will be ready to go Sunday with no interruptions.

Who is going to win the 2020 Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway?

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated Friday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

The winner of the most recent Cup race at Vegas, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. (+550), is among the favorites at this race. Only Vegas-born driver and teammate Kyle Busch (+500) and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick (+500) have shorter odds.

MTJ has posted two wins in 16 career starts in Vegas, with five top-5 showings and eight top-10 finishes with a 10.9 Average-Finish Position (AFP). He’ll be a very popular selection this weekend. Truex also tops the charts with a 123.8 Driver Rating across the past five starts in Vegas, according to NASCAR’s Loop Data. Busch has a win in 17 career starts, posting nine top-10 showings and a 12.7 AFP.

New to sports betting? A successful $10 wager on Truex to win would return a profit of $55.

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Penske Racing driver Joey Logano (+700) will also be a pick many gravitate toward, as he has a 5.0 AFP and 116.8 Driver Rating across his past five starts at LVMS while running a circuit-best 95.4 percent of his laps inside the Top 15 during the impressive span. He also has eight consecutive top-10 showings at the track.

Logano’s teammate Brad Keselowski (+600) is also a solid play, as he has three straight finishes of third or best at Vegas, including a win. He is a nice selection to finish in the Top 3 (+150).

2020 Pennzoil 400 longshot bets

Keselowski and Logano’s teammate, Ryan Blaney (+2000), kicked off his 2020 campaign with a second-place run at Daytona. He heads into this one with a 95.6 Driver Rating over the past five Vegas starts while posting an 8.8 AFP. He has finished seventh or better in five of his past six starts at the track, too, including three top-5 showings in the previous four.

Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron (+2500) and Alex Bowman (+3000) finished in the Top 10 in the second Vegas race last season, with Byron seventh and Bowman sixth. Those two are worth a small-unit bet with rather moderate odds. Tossing a little change on their veteran teammate, seven-time Cup champ Jimmie Johnson (+3000) is also worth a shot. He has four career wins at Vegas to lead all active drivers, and he is 12th or better in seven of his past 10 starts at the track.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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NASCAR Betting: Daytona 500 odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Daytona 500 sports betting odds and lines, with NASCAR betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Monster Energy Cup Series kicks off the 2020 NASCAR season at Daytona International Speedway Sunday afternoon for the Daytona 500 at 2:30 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Daytona 500 betting odds and lines, with NASCAR picks and tips.

The weather forecast is always important for NASCAR races, particularly in the early part of the season when the rains are a little more prevalent in the East. The good news is the temperatures will be in the mid-70’s with just a 20%  chance of precipitation for the first Monster Energy Cup Series race, and really the worst day for weather for Speedweeks appears to be Friday. While the Gander Outdoors Truck Series race might be affected Friday night, the Xfinity race Saturday and MENCS race Sunday look to be good to go barring a change to the forecast.

Who is going to win the 2020 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway?

Feb 9, 2020; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA;NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11) during qualifying for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. (Photo Credit: Mike Dinovo – USA TODAY Sports)

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated Wednesday at 9:45 a.m. ET.

Last season’s Daytona 500 winner, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin (+1000), as well as Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson (+2000), are the only active drivers with multiple victories at the Daytona 500.

According to NASCAR’s Loop Data, Johnson has an 85.3 Driver Rating over his past five starts at DIS, which includes the July summer races, to rank fifth among active drivers while leading 14 laps and running 57.1% of his rotations inside the Top 15.

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If you look at the Loop Data for just the past five Daytona 500 races, Hamlin goes from outside of the Top 10 in Driver Rating for all races, to second. He has a 99.4 Driver Rating over the past five February races at the track while leading a circuit-best 151 laps. He has also run 70.2% of his laps inside the Top 15 in the past five Daytona 500s. Hamlin not only won the 2019 installment of the Great American Race but also the 2016 version, too.

Penske Racing driver Joey Logano (+1000) is actually listed as a co-favorite with Hendrick’s Chase Elliott, Hamlin and JGR’s Kyle Busch (+1000). Logano tops the charts over the past five Daytona 500 starts with a 102.7 Driver Rating while leading 61 laps and running 80.7% of his laps inside the Top 15. He has managed a 4.2 Average-Finish Position (AFP) during the five-race span, too. Logano averaged 161.939 mph in his 2015 victory at Daytona, the fastest average speed since Dale Earnhardt Sr. won Feb. 15, 1998 with an average speed of 172.712 mph.

2020 Daytona 500 longshot bets

Feb 9, 2020; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (right) wins pole award and driver Alex Bowman (left) is the runner up during qualifying for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. (Photo Credit: Mike Dinovo – USA TODAY Sports)

JTG Daugherty’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (+2000) is on the pole for Sunday’s race, the eighth consecutive season a Chevrolet leads the pack out. He’ll be right ahead of Hendrick’s Alex Bowman (+2000), who will be on the outside of Row 1. In the past four Daytona 500 starts, Bowman is closing in on a winner. He has averaged a 1.5 Average-Start Position while registering a 9.5 AFP. That’s good for a 93.4 Driver Rating, so he’ll be one to watch as he looks to earn his first checkered flag in the Great American Race. His best-ever finish in the 500 is 11th, so he’ll be looking to improve upon that dramatically.

Stenhouse leads all drivers with a 95.9 Driver Rating across his past five starts overall at Daytona International Speedway, leading 97 laps. While he isn’t rostered on one of the ‘power’ teams at JTG, he does have a Hendrick motor under his hood, so don’t discount him. Traditionally he has fared well at the superspeedways.

Don’t forget about Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon (+3500), the 2018 winner of this race. In 15 career starts at DIS he leads all active drivers (at least two starts) with a 15.1 AFP with seven Top 10 finishes in 13 starts.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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NASCAR Betting: Ford EcoBoost 400 betting tips

Breaking down Sunday’s NASCAR Monster Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 with predicted picks and betting tips

The Monster Energy Cup Series wraps up the 2019 season at Homestead-Miami Speedway Sunday for the Ford EcoBoost 400 at 3 p.m. ET, and we’ll crown a series champion after the sun goes down.

The four drivers eligible for the championship are Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick against the Joe Gibbs Racing trio of Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. Harvick won the series title in 2014, Busch won in 2015 and MTJ won in 2017. Only Hamlin has yet to nail down a championship, but he comes in hotter than anyone.

Who is going to win the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway?

For a full-set of today’s sports betting odds, access them at USA TODAY Sports.

Harvick enters Sunday’s race with a win, 10 top-5 finishes and 16 top-10 showings across 18 career races at Homestead with a 6.6 Average-Finish Position (AFP) with 373 laps led and zero DNFs.

NASCAR’s Loop Data shows Harvick with a 124.6 Driver Rating across the past five starts at HMS while posting a 2.6 AFP. He also leads all drivers running 99.6 percent of his laps inside the Top 15.

Busch ranks fourth in Driver Rating (111.1) across the past five starts at Homestead, leading 106 laps while posting a 10.4 AFP. He has also run 87.4 percent of his laps inside the Top 15. He has had mixed results over the years at this track, posting a win with four top-5 finishes and seven top-10 results, but he has two DNFs and a 17.4 AFP in 14 career starts.

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As far as Hamlin is concerned, he has two career victories at Homestead-Miami Speedway while posting an impressive 10.6 AFP in 14 career starts. He has led 254 laps, too. Across the past five starts he has a 102.6 Driver Rating while running 92.6 percent of his laps inside the Top 15. He is just as good a bet as any to win and claim his first championship. MTJ has a 98.2 Driver Rating, and he has a 13.6 AFP across the past five stops at Homestead while running 83.3 percent of his laps inside the Top 15.

Homestead-Miami Speedway long-shot bets

If you’re looking for a non-title contender to come and ruin the party, look to Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott. He has finishes of fifth, seventh and 11th in three career starts at Homestead. While he is certainly not returning big odds, and probably could have been in the hunt for a title if not for a wreck in Phoenix last week, he might have something to prove.

Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson is also a non-contender looking to capture checkers. He has six career starts at HMS, turning in three top-5s and three top-10s with an AFP of 8.5 while racking up 325 laps led. He has never won at Homestead, but he has a runner-up finish under his belt.

Now that you know which drivers you should consider to bet in the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, head to BetMGM and place your wagers today.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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