Goodyear 400
3:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports activities 1
The variety of sensible first-time winners in 2021 is dwindling.
Kyle Busch grew to become the tenth driver to win within the first 11 races when he took the checkered flag on Sunday at Kansas. Busch and people 9 different drivers with wins thus far in 2021 are provisionally locked into the playoffs.
There are a couple of different drivers who you possibly can fairly anticipate to get a win earlier than the playoffs start this season. Will these wins occur? And can we be stunned by anybody else attending to Victory Lane?
All 10 of the drivers who’ve wins this season are within the prime 15 of the factors standings. For the time being, there’s no actual “fluke” winner. Michael McDowell’s win at Daytona was a shock, however he’s additionally at present thirteenth within the factors standings. His common end is healthier than the likes of Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell and Alex Bowman.
Of these 5 drivers within the prime 15 with out wins, you may confidently argue that three of them will win in some unspecified time in the future in 2021. Factors chief Denny Hamlin goes to win sooner moderately than later. So will Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick, even when Harvick isn’t his dominating self thus far this season.
The opposite two winless drivers within the prime 15 are Austin Dillon and Chris Buescher. It wouldn’t be a shock if Dillon bought a win earlier than the playoffs — he’s received a race in three of the final 4 seasons. However he’s led simply eight laps thus far and has only one prime 5.
Buescher could be a shock. He has simply two top-10 finishes and hasn’t completed any greater than seventh. He’s racking up factors at a good sufficient price to sneak into the playoffs in the intervening time, however he’s not difficult for any wins.
Barring a win by Buescher — or anybody else not talked about above — there’ll seemingly be 13 or 14 winners over the primary 26 races of the season. That would depart at the very least two spots accessible within the playoffs for drivers to make it on factors. It’s not inconceivable that 16 or extra drivers will win races earlier than the playoffs start. Nevertheless it’s nonetheless very, not possible.
Right here’s a have a look at the betting odds for Sunday’s race at Darlington. As at all times, these odds are offered by BetMGM.
The favorites
Kyle Larson, +400
Denny Hamlin, +550
Martin Truex Jr., +600
Kevin Harvick, +700
Kyle Busch, +800
Larson takes over favourite standing from Hamlin after his pace at intermediate tracks thus far this yr. Larson led over 100 laps at Kansas however didn’t win. Larson has only one win thus far this season however has clearly had the quickest automotive at tracks much like Darlington. He additionally has 5 top-10 finishes in six races on the egg-shaped observe.
Every of the opposite 4 drivers on this listing have wins at Darlington, although Busch’s win got here in 2008. Each Hamlin and Harvick have received thrice at Darlington and Truex received the 2016 race on the observe.
Good mid-tier worth
Alex Bowman, +1800
Ryan Blaney, +2000
Bowman has completed within the prime six in two of the three races at Darlington in 2020. He was second to Kevin Harvick and led 41 laps within the spring and was sixth within the fall. Blaney has struggled at Darlington all through his profession however has been one of many sooner drivers at intermediate tracks thus far this season. And his odds are fairly tempting for a flier.
Don’t wager this driver
Aric Almirola +8000
Almirola’s solely two Darlington prime 10s got here in 2020. He was seventh in Might and ninth within the fall, and he additionally completed twelfth on the observe final yr. However that’s about as shut as he’s come to a win on the observe and has by no means led a lap at Darlington in 11 begins.
Searching for an extended shot?
Ross Chastain, +25000
Chastain has completed within the prime 20 in every of his final 4 begins since he crashed out of the Bristol filth race. He’s getting first rate finishes regardless of not scoring any stage factors; he’s solely gone from twenty sixth to twenty fourth within the standings. These finishes are price making a $1 wager on in case you’re on the lookout for an enormous payoff that most likely received’t occur.
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