Tag: Pocono

Pocono 350 odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Pocono 350 at Pocono Raceway sports betting odds and lines, with NASCAR analysis, picks and tips.

The NASCAR Cup Series is back at the Pocono Raceway for the Pocono 350. The green flag drops Sunday at 4:20 p.m. ET with the race televised on FOX. Below, we analyze the Pocono 350 odds and betting lines, with NASCAR picks and tips with odds from BetMGM sportsbook.

Pocono 350: What you need to know

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Sunday at 5 a.m. ET.

The NASCAR boys just ran on the track Saturday in the first doubleheader weekend in Cup Series history. Stewart Haas driver Kevin Harvick streaked to victory, holding off Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin by a few car lengths.

  • Leavine Family Racing driver Christopher Bell and Front Row Motorsports’ Michael McDowell showed Saturday that the little guys can compete, especially in these shorter-length races. The rookie Bell had a tremendous Cup debut at the “Tricky Triangle,” racing his way to fourth place, while McDowell finished eighth.
  • Toyota’s streak of five consecutive Pocono victories was snapped Saturday with Harvick’s win. Ford now has three wins in the past eighth Pocono runs, while Chevrolet hasn’t been to victory in Long Pond since the Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400 in the Spring 2016 race.
  • Lucky Nine? Harvick started in the ninth position Saturday and raced to the win, while Hamlin won from the ninth starting spot last July at Pocono. Penske Racing’s Ryan Blaney (+1200 for Sunday’s race) starts ninth in the 350.
  • Aric Almirola (+1600) recorded a third-place finish Saturday, his highest finish in a Cup car during a Pocono start. His previous best was seventh, set during the Spring ’18 run.

Who is going to win the Pocono 350?

HAMLIN (+500) was my top pick for Saturday’s race, and he was just edged out by Harvick. Hamlin could have used some lapped traffic to disrupt Happy’s flow, but it just never came into fruition and the No. 11 had to settle for runner-up.

Hamlin is 12th or better in seven of his past eight Pocono starts, including a win last July, and the runner-up showing on Saturday. He was the top finishing Toyota in Saturday’s race.

KYLE BUSCH (+550) was unable to pick up the checkered flag Saturday, but still has three wins in his past six Pocono starts. He ended up in fifth place Saturday, which isn’t too shabby. In fact, Rowdy has placed inside the top 10 in eight consecutive starts at the “Tricky Triangle” since a disastrous 31st-place showing in the Spring ’16 start.

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MARTIN TRUEX JR. (+1000) made his presence felt with a solid sixth-place run, giving JGR three cars – joining Hamlin and Kyle Busch – in the top six positions. Truex was third in last season’s summer race, and has been sixth or better in five of his past seven Pocono starts. At this price (+1000), TRUEX IS A VERY GOOD VALUE.

Pocono Raceway long-shot bets

BELL (+6500) turned in a fourth-place showing in his Pocono Cup debut Saturday, so he has to be on the radar of bettors at this price as we eagerly wait to see what he can do for an encore. Even if he falls a few positions, you can scoop him up and RING THAT BELL AT +310 FOR A TOP-10 FINISH.

WILLIAM BYRON (+2200) had a solid 14th-place showing Saturday, setting him up to start from the seventh spot in Sunday’s grid. He has a solid 10.2 Average-Finish Position (AFP) in five career Cup starts at the Pennsylvania tri-oval, so keep an eye on the No. 24 car. If you’re not feeling him for checkers, but perhaps to place inside the top 10, he is just about even-money at +105.

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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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Pocono Organics 325 odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Pocono Organics 325 at Pocono Raceway sports betting odds and lines, with NASCAR analysis, picks and tips.

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the Pocono Raceway for the Pocono Organics 325 in partnership with Rodale Institute. The green flag drops Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET with the race televised on FOX. Below, we analyze the Organics 325 odds and betting lines, with NASCAR picks and tips with odds from BetMGM sportsbook.

Pocono Organics 325: What you need to know

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday, June 26 at 8:20 a.m. ET.

Saturday’s race at Pocono Raceway will take place as a part of a two-day, four-race card in Long Pond, Pa. Saturday kicks off with the Pocono Organics 150 to benefit Farm Aid, a Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race at 12:30 p.m. ET. Then our Pocono Organics race follows. Sunday will feature the Xfinity Series’ Pocono Green 225 Recycled by J.P. Mascaro & Sons at 12:30 p.m., followed by the Cup Series’ Pocono 350 at 4 p.m.

  • Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin (+800 for Saturday’s race) won the July race at Pocono last season, starting from the ninth position. According to NASCAR’s Loop Data, he has averaged a 105.1 Driver Rating at Pocono Raceway since 2005 to lead the circuit.
  • Toyota has rattled off five consecutive victory at Pocono, all from the JGR stable of cars, including three checkered flags going to Kyle Busch (+500).
  • Kyle Busch was the last driver to win from the pole position at the Overton’s 400 during the July ’17 race at Pocono. He is the only driver in the past 13 starts to win from the pole in the shadows of the twin spires in Pennsylvania.
  • Erik Jones (+2000) is the only current JGR driver who hasn’t won at Pocono in the Cup series, but he leads all active drivers with an 8.3 Average-Finish Position, including four top-5 runs, in six career starts.

Who is going to win the Pocono Organics 325?

HAMLIN (+800) has been super consistent over the years at this track, rattling off five wins, 11 top-5 results and 18 top-10 showings with 726 laps led and an 11.96 AFP in 28 career starts. The driver of the No. 11 Toyota has finished 20th or better in 22 of his 28 outings at the track, too.

Hamlin is 12th or better in six of his past seven Pocono starts, including a win last July.

KYLE BUSCH (+500) has three wins in the previous five starts at Pocono, and he has been ninth or better in each of his past seven outings. He has posted a 100.7 Average Driver Rating since ’05 at the track, third among all active drivers. While he has five DNFs in 30 career starts, or roughly 16.7 percent of his starts, he is the one to beat at Pocono lately.

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BRAD KESELOWSKI (+800) is the best bet among non-Toyota cars. The Penske Racing driver hasn’t won at Pocono since the Good Sam RV Insurance 500 in August 2011, starting in a Dodge from the 13th position. While that was a while ago – and Dodge is no longer associated with the sport – he has been eighth or better in eight of his past nine starts with three runner-up finishes and one DNF.

Pocono Raceway long-shot bets

WILLIAM BYRON (+2000) has just four Cup starts under his belt at the three-turn Pennsylvania track. He has been a quick study, however, finishing sixth in the July ’18 race, ninth in the June ’19 run and fourth in the July ’19 outing. Overall, he has a 9.3 AFP in his four Cup starts, making him worth a small-unit investment.

ERIK JONES (+2000) is another young driver who has really turned heads in the early part of his career. In six Pocono starts he has been eighth or better in five of the outings, including three finishes inside the top 3. Jones was a runner-up last July to his teammate Hamlin, and his 8.3 AFP over the past 10 Pocono races is the best among all active drivers.

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

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

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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