The NASCAR Cup Series will travel to Bristol Motor Speedway this week. This high-banked, short track is a rhythm racetrack. Drivers either know how to turn fast laps in Thunder Valley or they are likely to struggle all night. We likely will not see any surprise drivers in Victory Lane Saturday night so the favorites are the best bets this week.
Las Vegas Odds for Bristol
Chase Elliott (9/2) and Kyle Busch (6-1): Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch finished No. 1 and No. 2 in the All Star Race and these two drivers will likely be battling it out for a trip to Victory Lane Saturday night. You will need to bet a lot of money to win a lot of money with them but if you want to bet an “almost” sure thing, these are your two drivers.
Brad Keselowski (6-1): Brad Keselowski has a lot going for him Saturday night. He enters the race after a win at Richmond so he has momentum. He also won the last race at Bristol. He starts on the pole and has the No. 1 pit stall. Keselowski also has the best Driver Rating on the short tracks over the last 10 races. I will be putting some money on Keselowski in this race.
Ryan Blaney (8-1): Ryan Blaney is in a slump but that is good news for people who want to bet on the No. 12 car. Blaney is almost in a “must win” situation if he wants to advance in the playoffs. That means Team Penske Racing will be giving Blaney the best car they have in their fleet and using aggressive pit strategy to put Blaney in the best position to win this race. He has never won at Bristol but he led 279 laps in 2018 when this current aero package was last used in the race.
Jimmie Johnson (60-1): Will this be the week when Jimmie Johnson gets back to Victory Lane? He has always runs well at Bristol, even when he is in a slump. It has been 122 races since Johnson last went to Victory Lane. His last two wins were at high-banked, short tracks (Dover and Bristol). Johnson finished 3rd at Bristol in May. I only need him to improve by three spots to cash the ticket at 60-1 odds. I will take that bet.
Matt Kenseth (200-1): The best track for Matt Kenseth is Bristol. His four wins in Thunder Valley are the most he has at any track. He hasn’t been too good this season but this track is more about the driver’s rhythm to get into the gas and on the brakes more than it has to do with the car. Kyle Larson drove the No. 42 car to 2nd place finishes in both races at Bristol when this aero package was last used. I will put $2 on Kenseth and bet that he can beat Larson’s finishing position by one spot.
Good luck this week!
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