NASCAR HighPoint.com 400 odds, favorites for Pocono Raceway

A trip to Pennsylvania for the HighPoint.com 400 will have the NASCAR Cup Series once again taking on Pocono Raceway. The Tricky Triangle is one of the most unique and interesting race tracks in America. It also makes for one heck of a venue for NASCAR. After last year’s wild drama after the race, who knows what we will get in 2023?

Pocono Raceway used to host 500-mile races. However, since 2012, we have only had the 400-mile versions, and sometimes shorter than that. The Tricky Triangle is at its best as a long-distance Cup Series race. You get blown tires, aggressive racing, and three turns!

So, who do the folks in Las Vegas and Bet MGM expect to see in victory lane on Sunday? Well, with the to streak that he’s been on ever since his win at Dover, it is no wonder why Martin Truex Jr. is the favorite. At 11-2 odds, the 2017 NASCAR champion could really set the series on fire by posting back-to-back wins.

He dominated at New Hampshire, and he might not be done with his stint in the northeast.

Truex Jr. isn’t the one true favorite this weekend, though. Both Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch, last year’s P1 and P2 before their disqualifications, are listed at 11-2 odds as well. With how well Joe Gibbs Racing has performed at Pocono Raceway, it will be interesting to see if Busch can take that success with him to Richard Childress Racing.

Rounding out the top-5 in the odds are Kyle Larson at 15-2 odds and William Byron at 11-1.

What drama will Pocono Raceway produce?

There is no doubt that Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch’s DQs last year were significant. It took away a win from Hamlin, who is still searching for #50. It also gave Chase Elliott a win and more playoff points. Not to mention, it was a bit embarrassing for Hamlin and Busch in the entire process.

So, what are we going to see this season? I’m not sure we will get quite the same amount of drama. However, after this race, there are only five more chances to make the playoffs for some drivers. That is not a lot of time and Pocono Raceway could be very consequential to the final standings.

Given his win last year at the track, Chase Elliott’s position is very interesting this year. He’s 60 points off the cutline, needs a win, and it isn’t really happening for him. Elliott also has an Xfinity Series start lined up this weekend. No matter what he and his team do, they just can’t seem to bounce back.

Pocono Raceway might be the chance that Elliott needs. Then again, it might be another week, like the last two, where he doesn’t even factor into the race.