Six-time Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson did not waste much time making his presence felt this season with a victory last Sunday at Atlanta. The defending 2014 Sprint Cup Champion Kevin Harvick finished second for the second race in a row and Dale Earnhardt Jr. has now posted back-to-back third-place finishes on the year.
The following is a look at a few of the top favorites to win this Sunday’s race along with my top value pick of the week based on odds from Sportsbook.ag.
You would have to think that Kevin Harvick is due this week and the Oddsmakers obviously agree after listing him as a +450 favorite to win on Sunday. The No. 5 car posted five victories in last season’s run to a title and it has been able to carry that momentum into a new year with two solid runs. The only drain on Harvick’s value is his recent performance at this track in a Sprint Cup race. After taking second at Las Vegas in 2010, he has failed to finish any better than ninth in his last four runs here.
Jimmie Johnson is always going to be among the favorites, especially when he is coming off a victory. This week, he has been opened as a +600 second-favorite to win again on Sunday. The No. 48 car was also in position to win at Daytona before settling for fifth, so you know the current form of this team is rock solid right now. Johnson also had a strong run in last season’s race at Las Vegas by finishing sixth as part of a steady string of success at this track. He has won here four times during the course of his storied career and his average finishing position currently stands at 9.2.
The NASCAR world expected great things from Jeff Gordon this season in his final full-time run in the Sprint Cup series. Unfortunately that has not been the case after following-up a disappointing 33rd-place finish at Daytona with an even worse 41st-place run at Atlanta. That has not deterred Sportsbook.ag from opening the No. 24 car as a +700 third-favorite to quickly turn things around by taking the checkered flag in this Sunday’s race. It is hard to find any solid value in these lofty odds given Gordon’s current form and recent performance at this track. After finishing third in 2010, he has cracked the top 10 just once in his last four Sprint Cup races at Las Vegas with a nine-place finish in last year’s event.
- Kevin Harvick No.4 19/4
- Jimmie Johnson No.48 5/1
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. No.88 7/1
- Joey Logano No.22 15/2
- Brad Keselowski No.2 8/1
- Jeff Gordon No.24 8/1
- Matt Kenseth No.20 8/1
- Carl Edwards No.19 10/1
- Kasey Kahne No.5 10/1
- Denny Hamlin No.11 14/1
- Kyle Larson No.42 25/1
- Clint Bowyer No.15 33/1
- Ryan Newman No.31 33/1
- Tony Stewart No.14 33/1
- David Ragan No.18 40/1
- Jamie McMurray No.1 40/1
- Martin Truex Jr. No.78 40/1
- Brian Vickers No.55 50/1
- Greg Biffle No.16 50/1
- Paul Menard No.27 50/1
- Regan Smith No.41 75/1
- Austin Dillon No.3 100/1
