Paul welcomes JJ from the BetCrushers onto the Playing the Odds NASCAR Style podcast to talk Daytona and how the 2021 NASCAR season is shaping up. Before they get too far ahead, Paul recaps some recent news since the season preview pod dropped. It’s Episode #1 of the new season…
The defending Cup Series Champion Kyle Busch was dismissed from the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs along with three other playoff drivers at the Roval last weekend. A wet start ended in a decisive victory by - you guessed it - Chase Elliott. Elliott answered any remaining questions about his road course…
Fives races are in the books and five remain in the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs. Classic tracks, Las Vegas, Talladega, and now the Charlotte Roval. This hybrid track will axe four drivers from the postseason, leaving just eight teams fighting for the Cup Series Championship. Who survives elimination at the Charlotte…
One of the least likely contenders advanced to the Round of 8 last weekend by automatic bid. Kurt Busch returned to his home town of Las Vegas and proved that every playoff driver is alive if there's a race to be won. It's been The Outlaw's worst track until he…
The rich keep getting richer. Kevin Harvick held off a fierce bid from Kyle Busch to notch his ninth win of the 2020 season last weekend at the Bristol Night Race. Four drivers' Championship hopes were crushed, but there isn't much time for the survivors to catch their breath because…
With Richmond in the books, just one race remains before four teams find themselves on the outside looking in. The tracks have gotten progressively smaller as the Round of 16 plays out, which wraps up at The Last Great Coliseum Saturday night. Bristol Motor Speedway is one of the shortest…
The Southern 500 at Darlington ushered the 2020 postseason in style. Throwback Weekend at The Lady in Black delivered an excellent race where nearly all of the 16 Championship contenders were in the mix. Now the Cup Series moves north to Richmond for the second installment of the 2020 NASCAR…
What an odd way to get here, but the NASCAR Playoffs have arrived! The field of 16 contenders was set when William Byron survived Daytona's late fireworks and punched his postseason ticket with a big win. I expect that intensity to carry through on Sunday. The Cup Series returned from…
And then there was one. Only one automatic bid to the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs remains after an unusual season on the Cup Series circuit. After the COVID hiatus this spring, we've been treated to mid-week races, weekend doubleheaders, and a new venue in the Daytona Road Course. The postseason came…
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to a familiar track at Dover's Monster Mile this weekend. I am also back after a long road trip of my own through the heart of stock car racing. While I was away, Chase Elliott took down NASCAR's inaugural race on the Daytona Road Course…
It is often said that invention is the mother of necessity. NASCAR responded to the COVID curveball by scheduling mid-week races and weekend doubleheaders. With just six races to go before the playoffs, things look positive for completing the 2020 Cup season. This weekend, Michigan International Speedway hosts the FireKeepers…
It seems like an eternity since the Cup Series last raced. Last week's race at Kansas combined with MLB's Opening Night for a long-awaited sports overload. NASCAR gave the big boys the weekend off, so you know they're chomping at the bit to get back on the track. And so…
Whoever's idea it was to schedule these mid-week Cup Series races deserves a big pat on the back and a case of Busch beer. These night races have been a fantastic addition to the schedule, regardless of whether they are driven by COVID or not. The Cup Series now heads…
Things are looking up in the NASCAR world. Last weekend, Kentucky's Quaker State 400 fired up without a weather delay and ended a rookie crossing the line in first. Wednesday night's All-Star Race at Bristol was a spectacle for sore eyes with fireworks, underlighting for the cars, and 30,000 people…
The Summer of NASCAR heads to the land of thoroughbred horses and bourbon whiskey after visiting the Tricky Triangle and the hallowed ground of Indy. There is no doubt that last Sunday's rendition of the Brickyard 400 was a little more "exciting" than in previous years. You had a pit…
2020 is a year of change for the NASCAR Cup Series in many respects, one of which is front and center this weekend. For the last two years, Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosted the final race before the postseason. This year, the traditional July 4th weekend race at Daytona is now…
Talladega. Must I say more? Mother Nature's lack of southern hospitality pushed Sunday's race into Monday. After waiting out another obligatory weather delay, we were rewarded by an evening of heart-pounding action. Ryan Blaney scored back-to-back wins at Talladega - both by a minuscule 0.007-second differential. Blaney, obviously affected by…
Good things come to those who wait. Mother Nature tested our patience with several hours of delays before delivering uninterrupted racing at Homestead-Miami. There's no mid-week Cup race in the meantime, so all eyes are on the 2020 GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Buckle up because this race is going…
After 18 years of hosting the NASCAR Cup Championship race, Homestead Speedway is now home to a mid-season 400-mile contest. At this point in the sports landscape, that suits me just fine. Miami may no longer be the center of a season-ending celebration, but plenty of eyes will be focused…
Atlanta gave us a clean race on Sunday with a ton of green flag laps. Happy Harvick walked away with the checkered flag for the second time this season and the second time at Atlanta in three years. The hot rods took over the race and held on, as you…
It was Bristol Baby! Brad Keselowski positioned himself advantageously and parlayed Chase Elliott's miscue into another Sunday win. Now NASCAR circles back to where it left off in March for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Let's see if the boys can keep the action hot.…
The whirlwind that is the 2020 NASCAR schedule takes us next to Blue Ridge Mountains for a Battle at Bristol. Charlotte treated us to a spectacular Memorial Day weekend Coca-Cola 600 and a rain-delayed 311-mile sprint on Thursday. Brad Keselowski won his first 600 and Chase Elliott pulled away with…
NASCAR's return has been nothing short of electric. Darlington's first race was action-packed and the mid-week encore was as tense as it gets, with rain was looming. Then Kyle Busch clipped Chase Elliott and sent him spinning into the wall. Sunday's thrilling Coca-Cola 600 was a fitting Memorial Day weekend…
Memorial Day can mean many things for Americans, but most important is commemorating our fallen military. A lot of traditions have grown up around the long weekend: time with friends and family, cookouts, camping, and (usually for me) catching a baseball game. For us race fans, Sunday means the Indy…
Sunday's action at The Lady in Black was fast, furious, and long-awaited. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. started off as only he could by hitting the wall then shedding flames on his way to the garage - all before completing a single lap. Later, Jimmie Johnson ruined his own day with an…
It's been one hell of a wait, but we're a couple days away from green flag racing at the track that's Too Tough to Tame. We've had more than enough time to dig into the pair of upcoming NASCAR Cup Series races and our betting card is just about filled.…
In case you missed the news, NASCAR is back in full force. The Cup Series may have missed a couple months, but the nation has a need for speed and NASCAR is delivering. Four Cup races will run over an eleven-day stretch at Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. Our…
We could all use some good news these days and boy did NASCAR deliver. Real-life, on-the-track, no-simulator-in-sight Cup Series racing is back, by God. NASCAR made the call to resume the 2020 season at Darlington Raceway on May 17th. Then the action moves to Charlotte for Memorial Day weekend. The…
I'll start by saying how competitive and entertaining the young 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season has been. Daytona - what can you say about that? Vegas - late caution forces a 2-lap sprint. Fontana - a huge, bumpy track made for flat-out racing. Three races into the season and the…
We move southwest from last week's high stakes action in Las Vegas to California for Sunday's Auto Club 400 at Fontana. We were treated to some spectacular racing in Vegas; three-wide, four-wide, and even five-wide action was not uncommon. There was just something about the competitiveness of last week's race…
Sunday's Daytona 500 was a prime example of superspeedway racing, also known as a 200-MPH crap shoot. Races at Daytona and Talladega are exciting as hell, especially in the later laps when guys are antsy and cars are nose-to-tail at extremely high speeds. The Cup Series circuit travels from the…
After a three-month layoff the NASCAR Cup Series is back, baby! The green flag drops on the Great American Race Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET and we've got you covered with the BetCrushers' Daytona 500 Betting Card. NASCAR's highest circuit continues to evolve with rules, race packages, and the car…
NASCAR Playoffs mainstay Kevin Harvick earned his free pass to the Championship 4 with a dominant win at Texas last week. He joins Martinsville winner Martin Truex, Jr. with that distinction, leaving only two open slots for the finale in Miami. It's do-or-die for two-thirds of the contenders, so let's…
The NASCAR Playoffs intensity gets dialed up another notch this week at Texas Motor Speedway. Messin' with Texas is not a good idea, but it's not quite as bad as starting a slap-boxing match on pit road. The stakes are high so let's jump right into the BetCrushers.com NASCAR Texas…
Round 3 of the NASCAR Playoffs is here and the eight drivers still in the mix are staring down the O.G. short track of the Cup Series circuit: Martinsville Speedway. With rain in the forecast, Mother Nature may have the final say when the green flag will fly. Regardless, it's…
The Yellow Flag Fiesta at the end of Sunday's race at Kansas was a nail biter. Brad Keselowski's Championship hopes were dashed at the expense of runner-up Chase Elliott. Round 3 of the NASCAR Playoffs shifts from the speedy 1.5-mile tri-oval to the half-mile short track at Martinsville Speedway. It's…
The NASCAR postseason field will be slashed by a third when checkered flag flies at the Hollywood Casino 400 this afternoon. Two drivers are locked in for the next round of playoffs and four more are effectively in, barring some sort of disaster. Who will be in next week and…
Last week's race at Talladega was expectedly unpredictable. Only a handful of the top drivers made it across the line, and most of their cars were torn up. We doubt that Kansas will be as explosive as Talladega, which makes handicapping significantly more straightforward. That said, let's jump right into…
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. said it well before Friday's final practice that he expected an 80% chance of getting caught up in a crash at Talladega when he still raced. It's inevitable. It's The Big One. And this is the BetCrushers final NASCAR handicapping at Talladega. Weekend Recap The dual practice…
The NASCAR Playoffs action is getting intense in the lead up to the Cup Series' middle race of Round 2. After six months of regular-season racing, the circuit is back at one of the United States' baddest tracks: Talladega Superspeedway. Let's roll with the BetCrushers Talladega NASCAR race preview! We…
The Monster Mile is small but mighty, and there's no doubting that the racing action will be fierce to open Round 2 of the NASCAR Playoffs. We're looking to follow up a big handicapping week at the Charlotte Roval last Sunday with another one at Dover. Our card was limited…
What a way to end Round 1 of the NASCAR Playoffs at the Charlotte Roval last weekend with a huge performance from Chase Elliott. He persevered after a major miscue mid-way through the race to get the victory. This cemented his position in Round 2 (and a profitable day of…
It's been a full weekend in Charlotte, and now it's race day! The Bank of America 400 at the Roval is the last race before four playoff contenders are cut from the field. We detailed how unique this track is in our race preview, as confirmed by the weekend practice…
The NASCAR Playoffs move further south this week to one of the most unpredictable tracks on the Cup Series circuit, the Charlotte Roval. It's a road course and an oval jammed together, exactly like how a spork is both a spoon and a fork. Bottom line: the Roval debuted in…
The NASCAR postseason intensity grows as the Cup Series hits Richmond for a Saturday night showdown. We love the night races, although our time to prepare for them is compressed. They wrapped two practices and qualifying into Friday so there's plenty to break down to fill out your betting card…
Race #1 of the NASCAR Playoffs is in the books. Martin Truex, Jr. scored an impressive win at Las Vegas, punching his ticket to the Round of 12. The win also gained him significant ground in the playoff point standings against Kyle Busch. Our betting results were very kind to…
If there's anything far from a surprise in NASCAR these days, it is Kyle Busch having one of the fastest cars on the track. Friday's practice sessions showed that the Vegas native has the potential to make a strong statement in the opening race of the 2019 NASCAR postseason. The…
The playoffs are here, and there's no better place to kick them off than Las Vegas! At least from the perspective of a handicapper and bettor, it sure can't be beat. Several of our drivers have been on the wrong side of wrecks the last couple races and we're ready…
A whole rack of drivers trying to punch their ticket to the 2019 NASCAR playoffs have officially reached desperation mode. Our Wednesday race preview touched on the troubles with this race from a race enthusiast's perspective, though most should agree there is no shortage of drama today. It's the final…
We've got an extra NASCAR feature this week because the matchups for Sunday's Brickyard 400 came out a day after we prepared our race preview. This is far from the most entertaining race of the season, but if there's an opportunity to find an edge we'll back it with our…
The NASCAR Cup Series' regular season finale is situated at one of the world's most famous tracks, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It's the last chance for many drivers to score an eleventh-hour victory and backdoor their way into the playoffs. Of course, this will be at the expense of someone…
There's nothing like a late summer night race on the Cup Series circuit, with the regular season fading into the postseason and the stakes getting higher. It's race day and you know that the BetCrushers team is serving up some last-minute NASCAR handicapping for this year's Darlington race. What the…
After a rare week off, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to action on Labor Day weekend. Our early handicapping of the NASCAR Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway will give you the insights to tackle Sunday night's race. We took advantage of the extra week to highlight the track and isolate…
The NASCAR postseason kicks in after upcoming Cup Series stops at Darlington and the Brickyard. We hold a few small Championship futures tickets made before the season began, but now it's time to look for value as we near the final ten races of the season. Handicapping the 2019 NASCAR…
Darlington Raceway: The Lady in Black. The Cup Series may be taking a week off, but The BetCrushers Team is revved up to give you our NASCAR race preview at Darlington. It's a good thing they give the teams a break after Bristol before heading to South Carolina. Darlington's tumultuous…
Corners, grooves, and grip. We've got it all in the BetCrushers.com final handicapping article for the NASCAR Cup Series Bristol Night Race. 500 laps on a Saturday night in The Last Great Colosseum? Count us in. Track officials applied the PJ1 traction compound (i.e. sticky stuff) on the low groove…
There's nothing like it in racing: the Bristol night race. Every August, the Cup Series teams duke it out in the northeastern corner of Tennessee as they jockey for playoff positioning. Our NASCAR race preview for Bristol will get you prepared to take advantage of betting opportunities Saturday night. It's…
It's race day and the weather looks beautiful for today's 400-mile race at Michigan International Speedway. We brought you a track overview and key driver analysis in Wednesday's preview, then made adjustments based on qualifications and practice sessions in yesterday's post. Saturday's duel practices told us a lot about how…
The stage is nearly set for 200 laps at one of the fastest tracks on the Cup Series circuit: Michigan International Speedway. Today's special Saturday BetCrushers.com NASCAR race update at Michigan comes at you because there's plenty to break down with this week's spread out schedule. Michigan native Brad Keselowski…
No mysterious late cautions, just pure hard racing by Chase Elliott and Martin Truex, Jr. closed out Sunday's battle at Watkins Glen. Elliott (+1000 pre-qualification; +500 race day odds) earned the pole on Saturday, then proceeded to dominate the race and take the checkered flag. Chase had struggled before hitting…
It's Sunday, and until the NFL season is up and running, Sunday is race day. Handicapping NASCAR at Watkins Glen is about as much of a challenge as racing it. OK, maybe that's a weak comparison. Regardless, this unique road course blends seven turns with long straightaways in a grueling…
It's road course racing time again as the NASCAR Cup circuit makes its annual stop at Watkins Glen, NY. The stock car boys have been racing here continuously since 1986 and on the track's current configuration since 1992. Road courses can be polarizing with NASCAR fans, but the BetCrushers team…
The NASCAR Cup series' second stop at Pocono in 2019 goes to green Sunday afternoon. Saturday marked two practice sessions capped off by a qualification run. As we detailed on Wednesday, Pocono Raceway is a unique 2.5-mile, three-turn track that can put added stress on inexperienced drivers and their teams.…
The NASCAR Cup series travels back to the Pocono Raceway for the second of two 400-mile races this season at the northern Pennsylvania track. The BetCrushers team is coming at you with a brief track overview and highlights of some interesting matchups we have our eyes on for Sunday's race.…