The Cup Series travels back to Kansas Speedway this week. They last raced in the Heartland in late July. Usually we do not see long shots in Victory Lane on a 1.5-mile track in the playoffs but anything is possible in the 550 HP aero package. Cole Custer won at Kentucky and Austin Dillon won at Texas so maybe it will happen again Sunday.
Las Vegas Odds for Kansas
Denny Hamlin (4-1): Betting the favorites is not very fun but it is hard to bet against Denny Hamlin at Kansas. He won the last two races at this track and he leads the Cup Series in Driver Rating, Laps Led and Average Running Position over the last two seasons at Kansas. Hamlin just led 121 laps and finished second at Las Vegas. That was on the same tire they will run this week at Kansas. There is a reason why Hamlin is the favorite, but 4-1 odds gives us a little room to make some money.
Brad Keselowski (8-1): I go to the races at Kansas every year and I always leave the track saying the same thing… “Why didn’t I play Brad Keselowski in Fantasy NASCAR this week?” Keselowski has two wins at Kansas on his resume, including a trip to Victory Lane last year. He finished second in the race at Kansas in July. I will take a chance with Keselowski at 8-1 odds.
Ryan Blaney (14-1): Ryan Blaney had one of the fastest cars at Kansas in July. He was racing Brad Keselowski for the lead when he overdrove the car and smacked the wall. It was a shame because the No. 12 looked like the favorite to win the race. Blaney has the best average finishing position in the Cup Series on the 1.5-mile tracks this season. He always leads a lot of laps. Now I just need him to keep his car up front at the end of the race so I can cash the ticket at 14-1 odds.
Erik Jones (22-1): If Erik Jones is going to win a race on a 1.5-mile track it will be at Kansas. It is by far his best track. Jones has finished 5th, 7th, 3rd, 4th and 7th in his last five races at Kansas. He also has a lot of momentum. Jones has finished 3rd, 2nd, 8th and 3rd in his last four races. No driver in the series is as good as Jones over the last six races. He is racing for a job so he will have a lot of motivation to get to Victory Lane. He is a good pick at 22-1 odds.
Kurt Busch (22-1): Kurt Busch always gets overlooked in NASCAR and the odds makers in his home town do not give him much respect either. Busch just won the race in Las Vegas. The Cup Series will be using the same tire that was used at that track. Las Vegas and Kansas are both smooth, high-speed track with about the same tire wear. If Busch can win in Las Vegas, he should have a good chance to win from the 3rd starting position at Kansas. 22-1 odds are too good to pass up on the No.1 car.
Austin Dillon (66-1): Austin Dillon will be my $2 long shot bet this week. His stats at Kansas suck but he has been outperforming his stats at almost every track this season. Dillon started 23rd and won the race at Texas in July. The Cup Series will have the same tire that was used in that race. The No. 3 team will likely gamble with their pit strategy Sunday. I will gamble along with them and hope they can give me a return on my investment.
Good luck this week!
Follow me on Twitter @MrFantasyNASCAR