For all the diversity provided by the varying track types in the NASCAR Cup Series, intermediate tracks determine whether a racer is a season-long factor.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a 1 1/2-mile oval, is one such track. After the dice roll of the Daytona 500 and the rough surface of Auto Club Speedway, teams will find out how their cars behave on a more “normal” track this weekend.
Check out the betting picks we’re eyeing for the Pennzoil 400 on Sunday.
All odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Ben Watanabe
Martin Truex Jr., winner +1600
Truex is an intermediate-track wiz and historically strong at Las Vegas, where he has two wins to his name. Standout finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway have often vaulted Truex to hot streaks over the years; he placed sixth there last year, eighth in 2019 and fourth in 2018, and his 2017 victory at LVMS sparked his run to the Cup championship. The only active driver with better recent averages at LVMS lately is Brad Keselowski, but far too much is unknown with his new team and new race package to recommend a wager.
Mike Cole
Denny Hamlin, winner +1200
It hasn’t been a great start to the season for Hamlin, who has finished 37th and 15th at Daytona and California, respectively. But it’s been forever since we’ve been able to get him at odds this long. When he has it locked in, he thrives at Las Vegas, winning three of the last six races in the desert, and no one has led more laps in that time. Overall, his track record there is fine, at best, and obviously, it’s been a difficult couple of races, but the value is too much to pass up.
Dakota Randall
Brad Keselowski, top three +750
Unlike Ben, I’m willing to bet on Keselowski’s track record (pun intended) in Las Vegas. The new driver of the No. 6 has 12 wins, including eight top-fives and three victories, in 17 Cup Series starts at LVMS. In his last seven races at the 1 1/2-mile track, Keselowski has finished first, second, third, seventh, 13th, second and seventh. If you’re not comfortable taking Keselowski at +750 to finish in the top three Sunday, you should take him at +400 to finish top-five.
