Talladega Drivers To Watch

Talladega Drivers To Watch
NASCAR Sprint Cup and Xfinity Series Betting Preview at Talladega Superspeedway
By: NASCARWagers.com

NASCAR’s Xfinity and Sprint Cup Series will be in action this weekend for restrictor plate racing at Talladega Superspeedway. The Xfinity Series will kick the weekend off with the running of the Winn-Dixie 300 on Saturday at approximately 3:18PM (EST) and the Sprint Cup Series will conclude the weekend’s race festivities with the GEICO 500 at just after 1:00PM (EST) on Sunday. As most bettors and fans already know, restrictor plate racing really levels the playing field amongst the competition. Therefore surprise winners and not always really “surprises.” However, Talladega does present the opportunity to bet on more long shots in hopes of catching a big pay day. Take a look at a few of the drivers to watch heading into the weekend that we think should have great odds by race time!

Winn-Dixie 300 – Drivers To Watch

The first race of the weekend will include a few of the Sprint Cup drivers mixing it up with the Xfinity Series regulars in the Winn-Dixie 300. Opening odds were not great for big long shots but there are some drivers that have some serious value even for an Xfinity Series event. Keep an eye on these two drivers throughout the week:

Regan Smith (+850 currently)

Over the past few years, nobody has been better at restrictor plate racing in the Xfinity Series than Regan Smith. In the last 5 starts for JR Motorsports at Daytona and Talladega, Smith has two wins, a runner-up finish, and a 3rd place finish. The only finish outside of that was earlier this year at Daytona when Smith finished 35th after getting caught up in an early race. For some reason, Smith always seems to fly in under the radar when these restrictor plate races roll around. However, he has been excellent in these races and his odds could get even better. At +850, I would not wait long to grab him if his odds start declining.

Elliot Sadler (+1950 currently)

Let’s also not forget the guy that won this race one year ago, Mr. Elliot Sadler. In fact, Sadler has had several good runs at restrictor plate races in recent years. Sadler has posted 4 top 5 finishes in his last 8 plate races and has consistently run towards the front in his most recent trips to Talladega. Sadler is currently listed at just less than 20-1 odds which is very good for an Xfinity Series event especially if you are looking to pull the trigger on a few long shots this weekend.

GEICO 500 – Drivers To Watch

First off, let’s state the obvious. Opening odds for this week’s GEICO 500 are ugly. Typically restrictor plate races open with some real juicy long shots that are just begging attention. Instead, it appears that odds makers have listed the majority of the field between the 13-1 and 23-1 odds. The good news is the odds will definitely get better as the week progresses. Consider keeping an eye on these guys below as we believe they will have some serious value as the week progresses:

Jamie McMurray (+2000 currently)

For one moment, let’s not even talk about Talladega. This #1 car driven by Jamie McMurray is becoming one of the surprise stories of the season. McMurray has posted some really strong runs in recent weeks and last week’s 4th place showing was just another example of how good this entire #1 team is performing. Now back to Talladega, this is the place that McMurray has scored 2 of his 7 career wins in the Sprint Cup Series. More importantly both of those wins have been relatively recent within the last 11 races at Talladega. At 20-1 odds, McMurray is worth a solid look not only for his Talladega resume but for his current form as well. Hopefully, his odds get even better as the week moves along.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr (+3300 currently)

I am personally a big fan of Ricky Stenhouse Jr when the restrictor plate races come around especially at Talladega Superspeedway. Stenhouse holds the best average finishing position (8.67) among all active drivers with at least 3 starts. As a rookie, Stenhouse drove his #17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford to a 3rd place finish in 2013 while leading 6 laps in that event. In both other events, he was able to keep the #17 towards the front of the field throughout the entire race and come out with some respectable finishes. I believe Stenhouse’s odds will get even better this week and if he approaches the 50-1 range, then he may be a driver that has a ton of upside as a big long shot.

Brad Keselowski (+1350 currently)

Ok, so this is not a true “long shot” driver but why would you pass up Brad Keselowski at +1350? Bad Brad earned his name at Talladega when he scored his first victory back in 2009 in his part time role with Phoenix Racing. Remember the finish where he sent Carl Edwards into the fence along the front stretch? Anyways, Keselowski has posted 3 victories in just 12 starts at Talladega including last year’s must win Chase victory that vaulted him to the Eliminator Round in the Chase. Still his 3 wins are very impressive in such a short time period and if not for a few wrecks, he could have even more. Keselowski’s odds may not get better this week but they deserve your attention right now!