Las Vegas, known for its gambling, action events and lights will turn it’s attention to another action packed event. Sunday afternoon, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be the main focus in Sin City with the 22nd running of the Pennzoil 400. Let’s go ahead and mix racing with gambling and see what we can come up with in the city of lights.
These odds are from the William Hill Sports Book.
Pennzoil 400 Favorites
Heading to your home racetrack, you always want to be successful. Kyle Busch has been nothing short of spectacular this week in Las Vegas so far. The 2019 Cup Series champion has won on the Bullring and the Gander Outdoor and RV Truck Series race on Thursday and Friday nights respectively. He wants to add a Cup Series victory to his outstanding weekend. And he has a very good shot at doing it. Busch sits at +500 to win.
The only issue for Busch is inspection. His Toyota Camry failed inspection Saturday morning and he was scheduled to start on the pole. Qualifying was rained out and Busch was the champion giving him the pole. He surrenders that top starting spot because of failing inspection. Two of Busch’s Toyota teammates will go to the back with him. Levine Family Racing’s Christopher Bell(+6000) received the same penalty as Busch and will go to the back. Despite it all he is still one of the favorites to do it on Sunday.
Kevin Harvick is the hands down favorite at +400. His Stewart Haas Racing Ford has been fast all weekend long. Harvick runs well at Vegas too which makes him just that much more dangerous. With the front row moving to the back, Harvick will move up to the top spot and take the pole.
Denny Hamlin will also join Busch and Bell at the back and coming off of the Daytona 500 victory, his third of his career, Hamlin is +1000. He is a sneaky favorite despite the high number. He won’t fall into the value pick range but could try going for win two of 2020.
Obviously the Fords will be fast and this is a track that Team Penske has dominated at this track. A Penske Ford has won this race three times in the past six races. Brad Keselowski is +600 and Joey Logano is +650 and both will be very competitive come green flag on Sunday.
Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson are rounding out the favorites. They both go off at +1200 and its a track that has multiple lines and Larson has been winning races all offseason long. Expect him to be a formidable driver on Sunday.
Roll the Dice
Some of these drivers have good equipment and have the ability but just may not be enough with everyone in that first section. The car that stands out immediately in this group is Seven-Time Jimmie Johnson. He sits at +3000 and will be a huge value pick up in fantasy and on any sports book ticket. Johnson has won at Vegas four times in his amazing career and was fastest in practice. Look for that 48 car to make noise and erase the long winless streak.
Ryan Blaney, Erik Jones and Kurt Busch all go off as drivers to watch in the value range for Sunday. Each driver is in great equipment and going to a place that they know they can run well at.
Blaney is +1800 when the Pennzoil 400 goes green and has the car under him to compete at this track. His teammates have been good here and there’s no reason that Blaney can’t join them and give the Captain his fourth in the past seven years at this track.
Jones is still riding high after his successful speed weeks in Daytona. He comes into Vegas at +2200, with his car and equipment expect Jones to be near the front all day long and right there at the end.
Busch, the Las Vegas native, is +3000 at his home track and has struggled in recent years there but would like to change his luck with a roll of the dice and Sunday may be that chance.
William Byron and Alex Bowman will both go off at +3000 and both have good cars to win the race. They are fast and they have experience to run here and be successful. Certainly could be picks that can change everything and might win you a handful of cash along the way.
Long Shots for the Pennzoil 400
For the first time in his Cup career Ross Chastain will be in somewhat decent equipment to give him a chance at the win. He gets the break after some unfortunate circumstances. After Roush Fenway Racing driver Ryan Newman wrecked on the last lap of the Daytona 500 and had serious injuries, the team had to find a driver to fill the seat, Chastain was selected for the seat. The Alva, Florida native was humble about the situation and will be the fill in driver. Luckily, we saw Newman walk out of the hospital on Wednesday but he will not be in the car this week.
Ryan Newman has been treated and released from Halifax Medical Center pic.twitter.com/J0twhGgQm7
— RFK Racing (@RFKracing) February 19, 2020
Chastain is +7500 and knowing his driving style, he is going to get every ounce out of that Ford. His first Xfinity Series win came at Las Vegas, so he knows how to get around the place. Expect him to be at the front and there’s a solid pick.
He may be a rookie but he drives a Stewart Haas Ford, Cole Custer is an intriguing buy. Custer comes in at +10000 so there is a huge long shot but also a value get. The young driver has shown strides in his car so far and can only expect to get better.
It becomes harder and harder to take the long shot buys at mile and a half racetracks just because of the equipment. There are a few exceptions but this one will be tough.
Who to Pick in the Pennzoil 400?
This part is sort of difficult now. Prior to inspection on Saturday Kyle Busch would have been the easy pick to take but now he will come from the back. Harvick is a good pick but just won’t pay as well.
Will the Daytona hangover be real? That is the question with Denny Hamlin but he has a fast car and still has momentum on his side.
The Fords are capable to get it done again. A Ford has won this race four of the last six years making it hard to pick against the blue ovals. The Penske cars are good here but so is the Stewart Haas cars. Taking the blue ovals might be the best choice yet.
Value Pick and Upset Pick for Pennzoil 400
Let’s start off with the Value Pick and Upset pick of the week. Jimmie Johnson is hard to bet against at this track. He is riding that winless streak and in the midst of his final full season but at some point the seven-time champ has to come out of it. This week Johnson is the value pick. He is +3000 and has a fast car.
The upset pick will come from the Roush stable. Ross Chastain is +7500 and what a story that would be if the ‘Watermelon Man’ could fill in for the ‘Rocketman’ and win the Pennzoil 400? There wouldn’t be a dry eye in the entire building.
The Pick is…
This week the pick is much easier, yet much harder. Last week is a complete Roulette table of a race. This week they are just running in the city full of Roulette tables.
When you go to these type of tracks it becomes hard to pick one guy because of the quality on the track. There are many teams and drivers who can truly win on a weekly basis and it’s hard to go against one of those guys Sunday.
Kevin Harvick is fast and will start on the pole and it +400. All signs point to Harvick taking the cake. Kyle Busch will have to come from the back to get it done but it’s not impossible for the ‘Candy Man.’ Keselowski and Logano are strong here and really like the set-up they have brought. Hamlin is coming off of a week full of highs and might just be exhausted from all of the travel he has been on. This week’s pick is…
Joey Logano
Logano will go back to back in this event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and sits at +650. His car has been consistent in practice when he finished in the top 15 in both practices and will have a good starting spot. Joey Logano takes the Captain, Roger Penske back to victory lane in Sin City and win the 2020 version of the Pennzoil 400.
The Pennzoil 400 goes green from Las Vegas at 3:30pm EST on FOX and PRN.
*All odds are subject to change.
