The Cup Series heads back to Atlanta this week for the Quaker State 400. The last race at Atlanta was completely dominated by Joey Logano. The No. 22 car won the pole, led 140 laps, scored 19 of the 20 Stage Points and went to Victory Lane. The Fords have been strong on the Superspeedways because their cars have less drag in the draft. Will Logano be able to find his way to Victory Lane again, or will we have a first time winner holding the trophy Sunday night. We will find out in the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta.
Racing on the Superspeedways tends to be unpredictable. Atlanta Motor Speedway is a hybrid between an intermediate track and a Superspeedway. There have been three races at Atlanta since the track was repaved. They were won by William Byron, Chase Elliott and Joey Logano. These drivers were not long shots to win the race. There is a good chance that one of the favorites will win Sunday night, but one wreck could take out most of the good cars.
My advice this week is to spread out your bets. Do not put too much cash on one driver. You want as many bullets in the chamber as possible to secure the winning ticket at the end of the race.
Here are my Best Bets for the Quaker State 400…
DRAFTKINGS ODDS FOR ATLANTA
* The odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook. The odds could change between the time of this article and the time you place your bet.
** The first number is the amount of money based on the second number (the amount of the wager). So if you bet $1 on KYLE BUSCH at 10-1 odds, you will win $10.
CHASE ELLIOTT (11-1): Elliott currently sits 24th in the NASCAR Cup Series Points Standings. He is 55 points below the cutoff line, but that line could change if there are new winners in the final eight races. The No. 9 team can really use a win to take some pressure off of Elliott. A trip to his home track could be the winning ticket for Elliott Sunday night. He won this race last year by winning the pole, leading 96 laps and Elliott won both Stages too. I will bet that he can find his way to Victory Lane Sunday night.
RYAN BLANEY (12-1): There is a lot to like about Blaney this week. He is one of the best Superspeedway racers in the Cup Series and the Fords have had an advantage this year in the draft. Blaney finished second in the last Superspeedway race at Talladega and he finished seventh earlier this season at Atlanta. I want as many of the top Fords as possible on my betting card, so I will wager some cash on the No. 12 car this week.
JOEY LOGANO (12-1): How is Logano not the favorite to win Sunday night? Do the sportsbooks know something we don’t? Logano just destroyed the field at Atlanta earlier this season. I see no reason why he cannot do it again. Logano finished second in the Daytona 500 and won at Atlanta. His cars have been the best on the Superspeedways this year. I will bet Logano can sweep the races in Atlanta this year.
BRAD KESELOWSKI (14-1): Keselowski sits 13th in the NASCAR Cup Series Points Standings. He is 91 points above the cut-line, so he should be able to make the playoffs on points. The No. 6 team would rather win a race and take away the stress in the final eight races. I am sure they know the race at Atlanta is one of the best chances for Keselowski to get into Victory Lane. He finished second at Atlanta in March and Keselowski had the most dominant car in the Daytona 500. Keselowski leads the Cup Series with seven wins on the Superspeedways. I will bet he can get win No. 8 Sunday night.
ERIK JONES (30-1): I need some long shot bets on my card and I will do it with the No. 43 car. Jones has a list of tracks where he is really good. Atlanta is on the list. He finished fourth and eighth in his last two races at Atlanta. Jones sits 30th in the NASCAR Cup Series Point Standings. He is 137 points below the cut line. The No. 43 team is in a must win situation, so they will do whatever it takes to win Sunday night. Jones snuck into Victory Lane in the playoffs last year (at Darlington). I will bet he can do it again at Atlanta.
DANIEL SUAREZ (35-1): Suarez is not the first driver that comes to mind when people think of Superspeedway racers. Maybe he should be. Suarez finished seventh in the Daytona 500 and ninth at Talladega this year. He also finished fourth and sixth in the two races at Atlanta last year. I thought about betting Austin Cindric in this spot to give me another Ford on my betting slip, but I trust Suarez more than Cindric right now. I will bet my Amigo to win his first Superspeedway race Sunday night.
COREY LAJOIE (35-1): This is an easy bet. The first thing I did when the odds were released was to look at the odds for LaJoie. I thought, “Oh hell yeah!!!” when I saw the 35-1 odds. LaJoie had a great chance to win the race at Atlanta last year. He came back to the track in March and finished fourth. His team is desperate for a win and they know the race at Atlanta is the best chance for LaJoie to find Victory Lane. You may not see a more aggressive driver on the track Sunday night.
Good luck Sunday!
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