The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series made its only stop at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brantley Gilbert Big Machine 400 last weekend. It’s safe to say that the race lived up to the hype. Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin were among those involved in wrecks at the Brickyard in what was clearly one of the wildest races of the season so far. With each of the top four names in the NASCAR power rankings crashing and burning last week there isn’t much change at the top. The lone exception is a new entry taking over the fifth and final spot on this list. Here is a look at the NASCAR top five power ranking for this week.
1. Martin Truex Jr.
Last Week: 1
NASCAR Championship Odds: +500
Truex was running at the front at Indianapolis when he got loose in Turn 1 and took out Kyle Busch late in last week’s race. It was a brutal turn for the NASCAR playoff points leader as he was on pace to finish either first or second. Truex ended up placing 33rd following the wreck, marking just the seventh time in 20 starts that he finished outside of the top-10. If there is a silver lining, it’s that the other drivers in position to challenge Truex at the top of the point standings didn’t exactly have the best outing at Indianapolis either.
2. Kyle Larson
Last Week: 2
NASCAR Championship Odds: +550
Larson placed 28th at the Brickyard following his own wreck. Larson had strung together back-to-back runner-up finishes at Kentucky and New Hampshire before the incident so it will be interesting to see if it hampers his momentum. Larson ranks second in the point standings heading in to this week’s race at Pocono where he will look to build on his success there following a top-10 finish in the June race at the track.
3. Jimmie Johnson
Last Week: 3
NASCAR Championship Odds: +600
The wild ride continued for the No. 48 Chevrolet at the Brickyard, where he placed a disappointing 27th following a wreck. Johnson has just one top-10 finish over his last five races and he hasn’t finished higher than 10th since winning at Dover at the beginning of June. Johnson has dropped to 10th on the points leaderboard and while he does have three victories he will need to improve his overall consistency to avoid falling any further in the standings heading in to the Chase.
4. Kyle Busch
Last Week: 4
NASCAR Championship Odds: +650
Busch’s quest for his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win took another hit when he was wrecked by Truex in last week’s Brantley Gilbert Big Machine 400. Busch had been running up front when he was taken out. While it is clear it wasn’t his fault the fact that he ran in to more bad luck is definitely a concern. Busch still ranks fourth in points but he is the only driver in the top-six in the standings without a win. Busch has had some success in the past at Pocono so perhaps this is the week that he finally breaks through and wins a race.
5. Kevin Harvick
Last Week: 5
NASCAR Championship Odds: +700
Harvick edged out Brad Keselowski for the final spot on this list following his third straight top-10 finish at Indianapolis last week. The driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford has climbed to third in the standings thanks to an incredible level of consistency this season. Harvick is tied with Truex and Keselowski for the most top-10 finishes in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series this season with 13 each. There is a big gap between Harvick and Larson in the standings. However, Harvick’s consistency has him in the picture as a driver that could contend for a championship this season.
Driver To Win Monster Energy Cup
| Martin Truex Jr. | 11/4 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 5/1 |
| Kyle Busch | 6/1 |
| Kyle Larson | 6/1 |
| Kevin Harvick | 8/1 |
| Brad Keselowski | 8/1 |
| Denny Hamlin | 8/1 |
| Joey Logano | 20/1 |
| Chase Elliott | 20/1 |
| Matt Kenseth | 20/1 |
| Ryan Blaney | 28/1 |
| Clint Bowyer | 33/1 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 40/1 |
| Kurt Busch | 50/1 |
| Erik Jones | 50/1 |
| Jamie McMurray | 50/1 |
| Austin Dillon | 80/1 |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 100/1 |
| Kasey Kahne | 100/1 |
| Ryan Newman | 100/1 |
| Daniel Suarez | 100/1 |
| A.J. Allmendinger | 250/1 |
| Paul Menard | 350/1 |
| Danica Patrick | 500/1 |
Click here to get all of the latest NASCAR betting lines at BetDSI including head-to-head matchups, props and odds to win each NASCAR and NASCAR Xfinity tournament!
