Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
GEICO 500

Odds to Win Race

The historic Talladega Superspeedway will be the host of Sunday’s GEICO 500 for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Last week, the drivers competed in the Toyota Owners 500, and Joey Logano came away with the victory in that race. Now they’re on to this one, where Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be stoked. Like his father, Earnhardt Jr. has been exciting to watch at Talladega. That shouldn’t change this weekend, when he just might be competing in his last ever GEICO 500. Another guy that will be excited to be out there for this one is Brad Keselowski. Like Earnhardt Jr., Keselowski has won this race three times in his career. He also happens to be the driver that won this thing just a year ago, so he’ll be very confident. As for the team that has had the most success here, that would be Hendrick Motorsports. A lot of that has to do with the driving of Jeff Gordon, who won this race a record four times. The manufacturer that has done the best is, however, Chevrolet. It has been the car used by 19 winners, which is eight more than the second best make (Ford). With that out of the way, let’s take a look at this race’s best value plays:

Brad Keselowski (8-to-1) - As previously mentioned, Brad Keselowski has won the GEICO 500 three times in his career. He was also the winner here a year ago and there is just no reason that he shouldn’t be in contention once again come Sunday. He knows this track well and it clearly brings out the best in him. Keselowski also happens to be driving well heading into this one anyway. He came in second at last week’s race, and that was his sixth top-five placing of the season.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8-to-1) - Like Keselowski, Earnhardt Jr. has won this race three times in his career and is getting some favorable 8-to-1 odds. This is a track that he has really loved throughout his career, and he will definitely want to come away with a win on Sunday. This could be his last ever GEICO 500, as he is going to be retiring after the year. There is always a chance he ends up racing another time, but there is definitely no guarantee. For that reason, expect him to be extremely aggressive.

Joey Logano (9-to-1) - Logano has never won the GEICO 500, but that can easily change on Sunday. Logano has been on a tear lately, finishing inside the top-five in five straight races. He won last week’s Toyota Owners 500 and should be ready to compete once again on Sunday. Logano has finished outside the top-20 at five straight races in Talladega, but he is far too talented of a driver for those struggles to continue. He’s worth taking a shot on.

Austin Dillon (30-to-1) - There are no dark horse drivers that really stand out when looking at this race, but Dillon can certainly find his way to the front of the pack on Sunday. Dillon is a very talented driver and is coming off of a very good race in Talladega a year ago. Dillon finished in third in that one, and a minor improvement would mean that he could enter victory lane this weekend. He’s worth taking a shot on at 30-to-1.