The NASCAR Cup Series will travel to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for some Sunday afternoon short track racing. It has been almost a year since the Cup Series competed at the Magic Mile but the drivers who ran well in the North East last year, are the same drivers running well on the short, flat tracks this season.
Last week worked out great. I placed a $20 wager on Kurt Busch to win and his 30-1 odds returned $600. Two of my biggest hits of the season were on Busch and Michael McDowell at 66-1 odds in the Daytona 500 (I placed $20 on McDowell and won $1,320). That is nearly $2K profit in two races. That is enough to fuel my gabling habit (not addiction) for the entire season.
This week I am going to go heavy on the Joe Gibbs Racing cars. They have been the best team in the 750 HP aero package on the short, flat tracks. I like Kyle Busch from the pole, but I am not a fan of his odds. His teammates offer a bigger payout and they have a better chance of winning Sunday.
DraftKings Odds for Foxwoods Casino Resort 301
* 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 Larson you will win $4.
Here are my “Best Bets” for the race at the Magic Mile…
Denny Hamlin (8-1): Denny Hamlin has not been to Victory Lane yet this season but I expect his winless streak to come to an end Sunday. Hamlin finished 2nd in his last two races at the Magic Mile. He has also averaged 102 laps led per race and 7 Stage points in those races. Hamlin has also been good on the short, flat tracks this year. He finished 3rd at Phoenix, 3rd at Martinsville and 2nd at Richmond. He has averaged 183 laps led in those races. I will take a chance with Hamlin at 8-1 odds.
Martin Truex Jr. (8-1): Martin Truex Jr. won at Phoenix and Martinsville and he finished 5th at Richmond. He averaged 64 laps led and 14 Stage points on the short, flat tracks this season. Truex should lead some more laps and have a good chance to go to Victory Lane at the Magic Mile. I expect this race to be a battle between the No. 11 and No. 19 cars so I will just place a wager on both cars.
Joey Logano (12-1): Joey Logano is not a hard driver to predict this year. You need to fade the No. 22 car in the races where the 550 HP aero package is used and play him in the races where the 750 HP aero package is used. Logano finished 2nd at Phoenix, 6th at Martinsville and 3rd at Richmond. Logano has finished 12 of his last 13 short track races in the top-10. He should have a good chance to get to Victory Lane at his home track in New Hampshire.
Alex Bowman (14-1): New Hampshire is a similar track to Richmond so why not play the driver who won the race at Richmond? Alex Bowman started 24th in that race and was able to find Victory Lane. Bowman won the last two short tracks races (Dover and Richmond) so I will wager that the No. 48 car again Sunday.
Long-Shot Special: My Long-Shot Special this week is Christopher Bell (30-1). You cannot have too many Joe Gibbs Racing cars in your wagering portfolio Sunday. Christopher Bell has been good on the short flat tracks this season. Bell finished 9th at Phoenix, 7th at Martinsville and 4th at Richmond this season. I won with Kurt Busch at 30-1 odds last week. Hopefully I can have the same success Sunday.
Good luck this week!
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