Pocono – GoBowling.com 400 Predictions
NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series heads back to Pocono Raceway this week as the race to the Chase continues with the running of the GoBowling.com 400. Sunday’s race is set to get underway at 1 p.m. and it will be broadcast nationally on FOX.
NASCAR Sprint Cup GoBowling.com 400 Preview and Prediction
Race: GoBowling.com 400 at Pocono Raceway
Date: Sunday, August 4, 2013
Time: 1 p.m. (ET)
Broadcast: FOX
Odds from Bovada
Ryan Newman threw his name into the hat for a spot in this year’s Chase with a victory last Sunday at Indianapolis. Jimmie Johnson raced his way to a second-place finish and Kasey Kahne ended-up third.
The following is a closer look at our favorite, contender, and longshot picks for this Sunday’s race with odds provided by Sportsbook.
The Favorite (odd of less than 10/1)
When the odds for a Sprint Cup race are first released, the name at the top of the list is usually Jimmie Johnson and that is the case again this week as a +300 favorite to win on Sunday. The No.48 car has dominated the Sprint Cup series this season with four checkered flags (five if you add in the victory in the non-point All-Star Race) and five additional top-five finishes.
This has made this team a permanent fixture atop the Sprint Cup standings all season long. What really adds value to Johnson’s odds this week is his victory at Pocono in the first race here this season. Before finishing 14th in this race last year, he also posted three-straight fourth-place finishes at this track. [ad-8757089]
His average finishing position at Pocono is an impressive 8.7.
The Contender (odds from 10/1 to 19/1)
There are a number of quality contenders to win this week, but we are going with veteran Sprint Cup driver Jeff Gordon as our top pick at +1000.
It has not been the best of efforts for the No.24 car this season with no wins and just four top-five finishes, but this team knows that Pocono presents the perfect opportunity to get back into the Winner’s Circle and drastically improve its chances to sneak into the Chase.
Gordon comes into the GoBowling.com 400 as the defending champion which also happened to be his sixth career Sprint Cup victory at this track. He has raced consistent here over the years with an average finishing position of 10.2.
The Longshot (odds 20/1 or greater)
It is hard to believe the second-place driver in the current Sprint Cup standings would be a +3000 longshot to win this week but that is exactly the case is with Clint Bowyer.
The No.15 car has yet to win a race this season but on the strength of seven top-five finishes this team is 75 points behind Johnson with a total of 665 points.
Bowyer has never won a Sprint Cup race at Pocono and he has an average finishing position of 15.1, but a sixth-place finish in the early race in 2012 followed by an eighth-place finish in this race last season adds some value to these odds.
Odds from Bovada
JIMMIE JOHNSON 3-1
KASEY KAHNE 7-1
TONY STEWART 7-1
DENNY HAMLIN 9-1
KYLE BUSCH 10-1
MATT KENSETH 10-1
JEFF GORDON 10-1
DALE EARNHARDT JR 12-1
KURT BUSCH 15-1
KEVIN HARVICK 15-1
RYAN NEWMAN 15-1
BRAD KESELOWSKI 25-1
CARL EDWARDS 25-1
GREG BIFFLE 25-1
JOEY LOGANO 25-1
CLINT BOWYER 30-1
MARTIN TRUEX JR 30-1
JAMIE McMURRAY 40-1
JUAN MONTOYA 50-1
MARK MARTIN 75-1
PAUL MENARD 100-1
RICKY STENHOUSE JR 200-1
JEFF BURTON 200-1
ARIC ALMIROLA 300-1
MARCOS AMBROSE 300-1
AJ ALLMENDINGER 500-1
DANICA PATRICK 1000-1
FIELD 300-1
