2014 NASCAR SPRINT CUP STANDINGS<\/a>\u00a0(Link)<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\nKevin Harvick was able to punch his ticket to the third round of the Chase with a victory last Saturday night at Charlotte. Jeff Gordon moved to sixth-place in the current Sprint Cup standings with a second-place finish at Charlotte and Jamie McMurray ended-up third.<\/p>\n
The following is a look at my top favorite, contender and longshot to win this Sunday\u2019s race based on odds provided by Bovada.<\/p>\n
The Favorite (odd of less than 10\/1)<\/h3>\n
There are no favorites with odds of 10\/1 or better for this week\u2019s race. <\/p>\n
You have Dale Earnhardt Jr.<\/strong> at 11\/1 to win followed by pack of seven drivers with betting odds to win of 12\/1. <\/p>\nCurrent form drains most of the value from Dale Junior\u2019s odds with just one top-10 finish in the first five races of this season\u2019s Chase. The only thing this No. 88 team has going for it is the motivation to keep its title hopes alive with a win on Sunday. <\/p>\n
Junior may have picked a good track to get it done after posting five career Sprint Cup victories at this fabled track. It also helps that he came real close to making six with a second-place finish in last year\u2019s race.<\/p>\n
The Contender (odds from 10\/1 to 19\/1) <\/h3>\n
One of the seven drivers at 12\/1 odds is Denny Hamlin<\/strong>. He has not done all that well in this year\u2019s Chase, but with his two top-10 finishes in the first two races in this round, the No. 11 car is currently holding down the seventh spot in the standings. <\/p>\n[dfads params=’groups=63791&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]<\/p>\n
Since only eight of the 12 drivers left in the Chase field will advance onto the next round, the motivation for a strong run this Sunday remains high. <\/p>\n
The main reason that I went with Hamlin this week is that his sole victory this season came in the first race at Talladega back in early May.<\/p>\n
The Longshot (odds 20\/1 or greater)<\/h3>\n
There is more than enough desperation in the front-end of this field to keep some title dreams alive that it will be might hard for one of the true longshots to break through the pack and garner a win. <\/p>\n
If you still insist on playing even longer odds than those of the favorites, then I would go with Ryan Newman at 33\/1<\/strong>. <\/p>\nHe has yet to win a Sprint Cup race this season let alone one in the Chase, but the No. 31 car has finished eighth or better in its last three races. This has the team in fourth place in the current standings. <\/p>\n
Newman finished ninth in last year\u2019s race and if he can run anywhere near the front of the pack at Talladega this time around he would still have a good chance to win.<\/p>\n
Free 4* Geico 500 Picks<\/h3>\n
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, & the longshot – Ryan Newman<\/p>\n