The NASCAR Chase for the Cup reaches the halfway mark this weekend with the Geico 500 at the Talladega Speedway and while it is Joey Logano atop the standings right now he is not the favorite to win it all this season. There is still a lot of racing left with five more events to go and only 15 points separates the top seven drivers in the standings. While that should lead to another thrilling finish, we have keyed the four best bets to win this year’s Sprint Cup.
Kevin Harvick +200
Harvick is the outright favorite to win the Sprint Cup following his win at Charlotte last weekend. While the value isn’t anything special given his odds, the reality is that if he can avoid the fluke accidents that have plagued him at times he should be able to get it done. Harvick has the best car, an excellent crew, and if it weren’t for flat tires and speeding penalties he would probably already be ahead of Logano in the standings. Consistency will be key the rest of the way and as long as Harvick stays clean he is the best bet to win it all this year.
Jeff Gordon +300
Gordon had a chance to steal a win last week at Charlotte but got burned by Harvick and the faster car on the final restart and was forced to settle for second place. Tied with Logano for the most top-10 finishes all season there is no doubt about Gordon’s consistency. But, he will need to find a way to steal a victory over the next couple of races to boost his stock and close the gap on top spot. He may not be the best pick to win it all this year but it appears as though Gordon is the safest handicap option.
Joey Logano +400
Logano is the first driver to record a top-five finish in each of the first five races but he flirted with disaster again last week at Charlotte and both his age and relative inexperience have to be considered with such a tight race at the top. Logano’s consistency has been remarkable since the Chase got underway but it won’t be enough if Harvick and Gordon continue to finish ahead of him. The odds reflect the danger in taking Logano to win it all and unless he finds a way to win a race he could have a tough time holding off Harvick and Gordon at the top.
Kyle Busch +800
Even though he hasn’t gotten the same level of attention as the three drivers ahead of him on this list Busch has quietly had the best Chase start of his career and is only six points back of Logano for top spot. Experience and maturity have made a major difference for Busch this year and he has posted five top 10 finishes in a row heading in to this weekend at Talladega. Busch has preached patience heading in to Talladega and if he manages to pull out a win this weekend it would dramatically change his odds to win it all. It makes sense to throw a small amount on him now at long odds as it could lead to a big payoff.
