2015 Chase for the Sprint Cup Betting Predictions

2015 Chase for the Sprint Cup Betting Predictions
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Betting Preview
by Jay Horne of NASCARWagers.com, NASCAR Handicapping Service

Last week’s regular season finale at Richmond International Raceway officially locked in the contenders for the 2015 Chase for the Sprint Cup. 16 drivers are currently alive in this year’s championship hunt and the field will get narrower with each passing round of the Chase. At this time, we take a look at the championship odds since the Chase field has been set and provide a few early betting predictions before the 1st race of the Chase kicks off this Sunday with the MyAFibRisk.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. Take a look at our 2015 Chase for the Sprint Cup betting predictions heading into Chicago.

If you look at the table below, each driver has their odds for capturing the 2015 Sprint Cup Championship as they enter this 10 race finale. Kyle Busch is currently listed as the overall favorite at 3.5 to 1 odds with Kevin Harvick listed 2nd at 5 to 1 odds. Since Busch’s return from his injury at Daytona, he has been one of the hottest drivers in the sport and rightfully deserves the overall favorite spot. Harvick in my opinion still seems a bit over rated then again he is the defending champion. However, Harvick has not won a race since the 4th event of the year back at Phoenix despite numerous top 5 finishes throughout the season. Of course there is nothing wrong with top 5 finishes but the Chase is designed for wins and everyone remembers what 1 bad race can do to you in this format.

Outside of Harvick and Busch, the odds are pretty fair from Joey Logano on back. If you would have told me before the year that I could have got both Keselowski and Johnson at near 9-1 at the start of the chase, I would have never believed you. Of course if you want to go for a few really long shots, the potential is there as well. Remember how close Ryan Newman came last year to winning the Chase outright? Newman was listed at astronomical odds before the 2014 Chase so taking a gamble on one of this year’s dark horses may be worth the risk. In fact, let’s take a closer dive into the drivers that you should keep on your radar going into the Chase and the reasons why they should contend in this season’s Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Top Pick: Joey Logano +700

When betting for the Sprint Cup Championship you first have to be very familiar with the format and how the races align within the format. Competition is very strong and just 1 bad race can knock a driver out of contention which is why you have to make sure the odds give you some type of return if it cashes. Currently, I think Joey Logano has the best return on his odds among the favorites and also as good of a chance as any driver to win this year’s Championship. Logano is the only driver outside of the JGR bunch to have won a race in the last 9 events and he has won twice during that stretch. Logano has had a breakout year starting at the beginning with his victory in the Daytona 500 and he has continued that success with 3 total victories and 16 top 5 finishes which is 2nd only to Kevin Harvick. If you look at things on paper, Logano has excelled at tracks where he has never had success at in the past and found ways to get quality finishes when he did not have great cars. The #22 team and driver are doing all the things right to win a Championship.

Mild Long Shot Pick: Carl Edwards +1350

I almost picked Keselowski in this spot simply because I love the way he lets it all hang out in this format. The only thing is that he pissed a lot of people off in last year’s Chase and retaliation is still a possibility. Not to mention the #2 team has just been a touch off as compared to some of the other front guys. Instead, I like the way Carl Edwards has been running as this Chase begins. Edwards got the big win at Darlington a few weeks back and he has not finished worse than 13th in the last 9 races. We all know the JGR cars have been incredible. Obviously Rowdy and Kenseth could easily be factors in the Chase, but I think Edwards is the one people are looking past. If Edwards somehow gets to Homestead to the final 4, I like his chances considering he has the 2nd best driver average behind only Kevin Harvick.

Long Shot Pick: Dale Earnhardt Jr +2300

Forgive me everyone, but yes I do think Dale Earnhardt Jr can win this Chase. I know Hendrick Motorsports has not been on their “A” game lately but the #88 has been the best of the group down the stretch finding ways to get quality finishes out of seemingly average cars. Junior has finished 11th or better in the last 6 straight races and that is the type of consistency that will keep him advancing throughout the Chase. If you dive even deeper, this Chase is really setup for Earnhardt to make it to Homestead. With the way he has run at the restrictor plate races, I almost want to give him the win at Talladega. Not to mention he runs pretty well at Charlotte and Kansas which are part of the Contender Round. In the Eliminator Round (final 8), the races go from Martinsville, to Texas, and then conclude at Phoenix. All 3 tracks have been some of Earnhardt’s better tracks the last two years and I just have this feeling that the #88 car is going to make it to the final 4 at Homestead. If that happens, I love 23-1 odds in a 4 car race for the championship.

Bet now on the Chase for the Sprint Cup: