The NASCAR Cup Series is at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Sunday for the 2022 M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400. The green flag is set to drop a little after 3 p.m. ET (USA Network). Below we analyze the 2022 M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 odds and lines, with NASCAR picks and predictions.
Sunday’s race is scheduled for 160 laps and 400 miles on the 2½-mile, 3-turn track, also known as “The Tricky Triangle.” The track has 14-degree banking in Turn 1, 8-degree banking in Turn 2 and 6-degree banking in Turn 3.
2022 M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400: What you need to know
- Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch picked up the victory in the second end of a Saturday-Sunday doubleheader at Pocono last June after starting from the 19th position.
- In the front end of the double dip last year, Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman posted a win after starting from the unlucky 13th position.
- The last 5 winners at Pocono Raceway have started from the 9th position or higher.
- Toyota has dominated in Long Pond, posting victories in 7 of the last 9 races at the track, while Ford and Chevy have just 1 win apiece during the span.
- JGR’s Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers with 6 victories and an 11.1 average-finish position (AFP), while leading 797 laps with 14 top-5 runs in 32 Cup starts.
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M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 – Expert picks
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 6:35 p.m. ET.
HAMLIN (+750) has dominated at Pocono over the years, and it’s difficult to bet against him. Two of those victories have been recent, in 2019 and 2020. He has had 3 DNFs in his 32 career Cup starts at Pocono, but he also had finished outside of the top 5 on just 18 occasions. He is a better bet than anyone in the field.
KYLE BUSCH (+750) is also a strong play. He is 2nd among all drivers with 4 Pocono wins. He has been up and down at this track, posting a 15.1 AFP with 6 DNFs while also leading 522 laps. What a perfect story it would be if the M&M’s-sponsored car wins the M&M’s race.
M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 picks – Long shot
Sure, KURT BUSCH (+2000) isn’t a super long shot, but he also isn’t among the favorites. He has been to Victory Lane on 3 different occasions at the Tricky Triangle, posting a 14.4 AFP with 14 top-5 finishes among 21 top-10 runs and 596 laps led.
M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 prop picks
WINNING MANUFACTURER – TOYOTA (+162)
Toyota has won 7 of the past 9 Cup races at this track, and Hamlin and Kyle Busch are 1-2 in terms of active driver wins in Long Pond. Toss in the fact Martin Truex Jr. also has 2 victories here with a 14.7 AFP in 32 Cup starts, and it’s hard to argue against Toyota.
ERIK JONES TOP-10 FINISH (+200)
The Petty GMS Motorsports driver had success in the JGR program in his recent Pocono starts. He has a respectable 14.4 AFP with 5 top-5 runs in 10 career Cup starts at the 3-turn track. For a chance to double up, Jones is worth taking a flier. He had a 4th-place finish in Atlanta 2 weeks ago, and he is 11th or better in 2 of his previous 4 starts.
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