2018 Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard NASCAR Betting Odds & Predictions

The regular season finale for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is this weekend’s Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard, since NASCAR’s yearly stop at Indianapolis Motor Speedway comes in September this year. Adjustments to the program have taken the July race into the next weekend in September. It won’t be hot at IMS as normal, so teams will have to make some adjustments to what they recall about the track.
Speaking of adjustments, NASCAR, as a whole, demands some. The announcement that Furniture Row Racing will cease operations due to a lack of sponsorship. NASCAR’s issues run deep, as even Jimmie Johnson, who remains a big name in the sport despite a lack of results, doesn’t even have sponsors lined up for next year. Martin Truex Jr. won last year’s championship with Furniture Row. He will stay with Toyota and proceed to Joe Gibbs Racing for 2019, but this really is a indication of larger problems for your game.
While our principal focus remains the conclusion of the regular season, NASCAR has a lot of things to figure out. CEO Brian France is still receiving treatment for substance abuse issues and the sport is damaging financially with diminishing attendance and a lack of sponsors. Some could even think about the situation dire.
In any event, we’re a betting information website, so our attention is that this weekend’s race. It is the 26th and last race of the regular season, with the playoffs beginning next week in Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This is one of the most iconic places in racing and that milk always goes good, irrespective of the temperature outside, for the winner of the one.
For all those on the outside looking in for the playoffs, that milk would go down real, real good. Only two playoff spots remain unclaimed. Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Martin Truex Jr. have 16 of the 25 wins. Clint Bowyer has two. Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, Erik Jones, and Austin Dillon have one win apiece. Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, and Aric Almirola are in based on points. Jimmie Johnson appears secure, with a 19-point edge on Alex Bowman. He will get knocked out if someone below Bowman wins. If not, he has a huge points advantage on Ricky Stenhouse Jr.. Kasey Kahne won this mess of a race last year, which had cautions, crashes, and poor weather. If that happens this week, he’d be in.
Not surprisingly, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Martin Truex Jr. are the best three on the board in 5Dimes Sportsbook. Harvick and Busch are equally +265 and Truex is +470. There is actuallyn’t much to say about these guys. Truex has some additional incentive to acquire each and every week for Furniture Row along with his hard-working crew, but that might not be enough from Busch and Harvick on a big, quick track. Harvick hasn’t won since 2003, Busch won here in 2015 and 2016, and Truex hasn’t won here.
Harvick won the Michigan race a couple weeks ago and was next earlier in the year. That’s the best barometer we’ve got for this 2.5-mile track since Daytona and Talladega are restrictor plate races and those are a completely different creature. Busch was fourth and third. Truex was 18th and 14th. Truex did triumph on the two-mile loop in Car Club Speedway.
The obvious pick for investment this week is Kyle Larson. Larson does not have a triumph, but swept nearly everything last week in Darlington. He simply finished third rather than first. He also led the most laps and won the two phases. He was third two weeks ahead at Bristol. Larson has been 17th and 28th in Michigan earlier this year, but he owns three career wins at Michigan and has run well at Auto Club Speedway. Larson is +660 to receive his first win and it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising when he got it here.
Brad Keselowski, last week’s winner in Darlington, is +1300. Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano are the sole others below 20/1. That is just another problem for NASCAR. It isn’t all that aggressive anymore. Fans of drivers not called Harvick, Busch, or Truex do not have a whole lot to see on a weekly basis.
There are a few non-household names which have won this race lately. Jimmie Johnson has four wins, with the final coming in 2012. Jeff Gordon won here five times, with the past in 2014. Ryan Newman won in 2013. Kahne won last year. Paul Menard won in 2011. Jamie McMurray won in 2010. There’s the chance for somebody to step up as a long haul, but it appears highly unlikely with all the equipment and the drivers that have mastered the game this year.
Coverage of this 2018 Massive Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard will be on NBC Sports Network on Sunday September 9 using a two p.m. ET start time.
Curious at September 5, 3:30 p.m. ET:
Kevin Harvick +265
Kyle Busch +265
Martin Truex Jr +470
Kyle Larson +660
Brad Keselowski +1300
Ryan Blaney +1600
Joey Logano +1600
Erik Jones +2200
Denny Hamlin +2200
Chase Elliott +2200
Kurt Busch +2600
Clint Bowyer +2600
Aric Almirola +4400
Jimmie Johnson +5500
Daniel Suarez +6600
Alex Bowman +8800
Paul Menard +10000
Austin Dillon +11000
Ryan Newman +11000
Jamie McMurray +11000
William Byron +20000
Matt Kenseth +30000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr +30000
Chris Buescher +50000
Kasey Kahne +50000
AJ Allmendinger +100000