The week the Sprint Cup series returns to prime time for the running of the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta. Saturday night’s race is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. (PT) and it will be broadcast nationally on TNT.
Clint Bowyer made his way to victory
lane for the first time this season with a win on the road course at Sonoma in
last Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350. Tony Stewart finished second for the second
race in-a-row and defending champion Kurt Busch finished third. Our value pick
for the week was Kevin Harvick but he ended-up 16th after starting
26th.
NASCAR Betting Preview- Quaker State 400
The following is a look at a few of the favorites to watch in Sunday’s race along with our value pick according to their current odds to win as provided by Sportsbook.ag
Favorites
Jimmie
Johnson has been opened as this
week’s favorite to win at +500. The five-time Sprint Cup champion comes into
this race in solid form with two victories and seven other top-five finishes in
16 point races. He posted his fourth-straight top five with a fifth-place
finish in last week’s race. The No.48 car is currently in fourth-place in the
Sprint Cup standings with 571 points, which is just 25 points out of the lead.
The other reason he is favored is a third-place finish in the inaugural race at
this track last season after starting from the fifth position.
The second favorite to win on Saturday
night at +700 is Kyle Busch. He
comes in as the defending champion with a win from the pole position in last
year’s race. His immediate success at this new venue coupled with his current
form, adds some tremendous value to Busch’s odds. The No.18 car has struggled a
bit the last four races but this followed a string of fourth-straight top-five
finishes including a victory at Richmond. This team is 12th in the
standings with 459 points, but currently holding the first wildcard position
for the Chase.
There is a trio of drivers at +800 led
by Tony Stewart. Much like his run
to last season’s Sprint Cup title, he has been streaky all season long. He won
two of the first five races this season and as a result of his back-to-back
second-place finishes the last two weeks is in fifth-place in the standings
with 533 points. The No.14 car has a total of seven top-five finishes this
season. Last year in this race, Stewart started ninth but fell back to a 12th-place
finish.
Matt
Kenseth is another driver at +800. He
was in the news this week after deciding to leave Roush Fenway Racing at the
end of this season. Assuming this distraction does not linger onto the track,
he remains a solid choice to win this week given his current form. Last week’s
13th-place finish at Sonoma followed two third-place finishes in his
previous three races. Overall, the No. 17 car is the current point leader with
596 points as a result of one win and seven other top-five finishes. Kenseth
ended-up sixth in last year’s race after starting 13th.
Value
Pick
Denny
Hamlin is
coming off a couple of rough outings due to a wreck and a suspension problem,
but at +1000 he is our value pick to win this week. The No.11 car has returned
to the form that recorded eight victories in 2010. It has already made its way
to victory lane twice this season to go along with five other top-five
finishes. These last two races have dropped Hamlin to eighth in the standings,
but he remains in striking distance with 523 points. Last year in this race, he
finished 11
th after starting 26
th.