Man, it’s been a fast season, there are only three races left in the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series! That means it’s time to check the AAA Texas 500 Betting Odds, the sixth of eight races in the new playoff format of the Championship Cup chase and second race of the year at Texas Speedway.
Kyle Busch was the first driver to nail down a spot at the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 19 after winning the First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway last Sunday. Now Busch can simply cruise over the next two races at Texas and Phoenix, knowing his spot is already assured, although he says that’s not his plan.
“I think the biggest thing we can do is to allow ourselves to look at the next two weeks and try to keep on winning and allowing the anxiety level of these guys to keep amplifying each and every stage and each and every race and to keep them on their toes as to whether they are going to advance or not,” said Busch.
The AAA Texas 500 gets underway on Sunday at 2:00 PM ET at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth while airing live on NBC. Now, let’s take a look at the auto racing odds and what is likely to go down this coming weekend.
Kevin Harvick finished fourth and had the pole position in this race back in the spring. Amazingly, Harvick doesn’t have a win at Texas. However, the veteran does have top-five finishes in two of the past three races on 1.5-mile tracks. Still, it would appear his best shot to reach the Championship 4 is next week at Phoenix where he’s won a track record eight times.
Jimmie Johnson has seven career wins at Texas and he’s a seven-time NASCAR champion, so you just never know. Plus, his AAA Texas 500 Betting Odds at +1350 offer a helluva’ return is he can pull off the win, even though it should be noted that he’s only recorded only one top-five finish since the first race at Dover when he finished third. an
If you didn’t know before, now you do. Denny Hamlin is the only active driver with a win in this race. Hamlin has three career wins at Texas, which just makes his +1350 odds look really good, not to mention the fact that he’s finished in the top seven in five of the seven playoff races this season.
2017 AAA Texas 500 Betting Odds, Preview & Prediction
.@blaney is fastest in first #AAATexas500 practice. Remember he won the first two Stages here in the Spring. pic.twitter.com/u8xrnXZq6q
— Texas Motor Speedway (@TXMotorSpeedway) 3 de noviembre de 2017
Race Information
- Venue: Texas Motor Speedway
- Location: Fort Worth, Texas
- First race: 2005
- Distance: 501 miles (806 KM)
- Laps: 334 (Stage 1: 85 / Stage 2: 85 / Stage 3: 164)
NASCAR TRUCK SERIES
AAA Texas 500 Betting Odds for Top Contenders
- Martin Truex Jr: +250
- Kyle Busch: +450
- Kevin Harvick: +500
- Kyle Larson: +650
- Chase Elliott: +750
- Brad Keselowski: +1000
- Denny Hamlin: +1350
- Jimmie Johnson: +1350
- Ryan Blaney: +1750
- Matt Kenseth: +2000
- Erik Jones: +3000
- Joey Logano: +4000
- Clint Bowyer: +4400
- Kurt Busch: +5500
Race Analysis
Let me get started by saying that Toyota drivers have won six of the seven playoff races to date and two of them are at the top of the odds board once again this week in Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch. Hell, let me just be honest and say that Truex Jr. and Busch have both won three of the last seven playoff races with only Brad Keselowski interrupting the pair by winning at Talladega on October 15. It seems as though Joe Gibbs Racing runs NASCAR nowadays that looks like a true statement. Truex, a member of the Furniture Row Racing satellite team for JGR, and Busch have both been almost impossible to beat this season, particularly in recent weeks. “If they all have to race for points and race for positions, that’s just going to make it harder for them,” Busch continued. “Anytime anyone automatically punches their ticket through, that gives them a breather and an opportunity to work on Homestead and what you need to focus on for that race. We’ll just keep racing hard and try and keep winning the next two weeks even though the pressure is off and see what we can do at Homestead.” Seven drivers are still eligible for the three available spots in the Championship 4 by winning at Texas on Sunday or Phoenix next week. It’s likely that one of the Round of 8 drivers will win both of those races, so the final spot or two will have to point themselves in. This weekend’s playoff race comes on the 1.5-mile oval in Texas, which means that it is tailor-made for Truex Jr. and Busch to be up front for the majority of the race again.Championship Bound
Eight drivers are still in the running for the championship with Truex Jr. leading the pack with 4,117 points, Busch second with 4,100 points, Brad Keselowski, third with 4,079 points and Kevin Harvick, fourth with 4,053 points. Jimmie Johnson is just below the cut line with 4,050 points. Ryan Blaney is sixth with 4,047 points. Denny Hamlin is seventh with 4,045 points and Chase Elliott needs a win with 4,027 points. Truex won at Chicagoland, Charlotte, and Kansas, which are the three 1.5-mile tracks that we have seen in the playoffs so far. Busch won at New Hampshire, Dover, and Martinsville and Keselowski won at Talladega. I love Keselowski’s +100 odds in this one.
Kevin Harvick finished fourth and had the pole position in this race back in the spring. Amazingly, Harvick doesn’t have a win at Texas. However, the veteran does have top-five finishes in two of the past three races on 1.5-mile tracks. Still, it would appear his best shot to reach the Championship 4 is next week at Phoenix where he’s won a track record eight times.
Jimmie Johnson has seven career wins at Texas and he’s a seven-time NASCAR champion, so you just never know. Plus, his AAA Texas 500 Betting Odds at +1350 offer a helluva’ return is he can pull off the win, even though it should be noted that he’s only recorded only one top-five finish since the first race at Dover when he finished third. an
If you didn’t know before, now you do. Denny Hamlin is the only active driver with a win in this race. Hamlin has three career wins at Texas, which just makes his +1350 odds look really good, not to mention the fact that he’s finished in the top seven in five of the seven playoff races this season.
2017 Expert Betting Pick
I’m going with Denny Hamlin for the huge AAA Texas 500 Betting Odds upset, followed by a pick for Brad Keselowski and last but not least a super longshot pick for Jimmie Johnson. Sure, I could have gone with Martin Truex Jr. or Kyle Busch for the win, but what fun would that be? Pick: Denny HamlinPast Winners
- 2016: Carl Edwards
- 2015: Jimmie Johnson
- 2014: Jimmie Johnson
- 2013: Jimmie Johnson
- 2012: Jimmie Johnson
- 2011: Tony Stewart
- 2010: Denny Hamlin
- 2009: Kurt Busch
- 2008: Carl Edwards
- 2007: Jimmie Johnson
- 2006: Tony Stewart
- 2005: Carl Edwards
