NASCAR’s Cup Series wraps up this season’s two-race schedule at Michigan International Speedway with this Sunday’s Consumers Energy 400. The green flag is set to wave at 2 p.m. on NBC Sports Network.
Consumers Energy 400 Top Value Bets
Chase Elliott posted his second victory of the season by edging out my top-valued favorite Martin Truex Jr. on the road course at Watkins Glen this past Sunday. Denny Hamlin ended up third in that race coming off a win at Pocono on July 28.
Using the posted odds to win this Sunday’s race at 5Dimes online sportsbook, the following three drivers offer the best value on the board.
Consumers Energy 400 Top Favorite – Joey Logano +660
Logano has struggled to crack the top five in recent weeks since finishing third in Chicago at the end of June. Overall, the No. 22 Ford is second in the current Cup Series standings with 838 total points and just one of six race teams with multiple victories in a point race. As the reigning champion, this is also the time of year where Logano will be looking to return to form heading into the 10-race playoff to defend that title successfully. He is still one of the top favorites to win with slightly longer odds to add even more value to this pick.
The main reason why he is at the top of my list this week is the opportunity to pull off the season sweep at Michigan. His first career victory at this track in a Cup Series event was in 2013, and he also won the first race here in the 2016 racing season.
Consumers Energy 400 Top Contender – Denny Hamlin +1540
Betting on a hot driver is one of the most basic betting strategies for NASCAR. Victories do come in bunches for the Cup Series’ top drivers, and Hamlin belongs on that list. The No. 11 Toyota got this season off to a hot start by winning the Daytona 500. The team notched its second checkered flag at Texas ahead of that third victory of the year just two weeks ago at Pocono. Hamlin is as hot as he has been all season long with four-straight Top 5 runs. This hot streak started with a fifth-place finish at Kentucky followed by a runner-up finish in New Hampshire.
Moving on to Michigan, he faded to 11th in the first race this season after starting fourth. This track has not been one of Hamlin’s favorite over the course of his Cup Series career with a 14.3 average finishing position, but the value in his longer odds to win is mostly based on current form.
Consumers Energy 400 Top Longshot – Kurt Busch +2200
Younger brother Kyle garners most of the headlines in the Cup Series, but Kurt remains one of the most consistent drivers in this series on a year-by-year basis. This season’s resume includes a recent victory at Kentucky and four more Top 5 runs through the first 22 Cup Series events. His No. 1 Chevrolet race team is seventh in the standings with a total of 679 points. While Busch has been a bit hit or miss in recent weeks coming off a 10th-place run on last week’s road course, he still has a knack for staying on the lead lap in the majority of the races he runs.
The big reason he is on this week’s list as my top-valued longshot was a near-miss at Michigan earlier in the year with a second-place behind Logano. Busch has now finished sixth or better in his last three trips around this oval.
