O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Picks
After a week off, the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series returns to action this weekend with the running of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500.
According to the latest oddsmakers at YouWager, Kevin Harvick is the favorite this weekend, as he has +260 odds to win. Other short odds are Martin Truex Jr. (+275), Kyle Busch (+500) and Kyle Larson (+700). The O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 takes place on Sunday, April 8, 2018 at 2PM ET from Texas Motor Speedway in Forth Worth, Texas. The race will air live on FS1.
90013 Kyle Busch +500
Busch has the second-best driver rating of anyone in the field at Texas, which sits at 100.5. He is a two-time winner at Texas with 11 top-5 finishes over 24 appearances. Busch has finished second or third in four straight races and I think this weekend is where he gets to the front.
90007 Denny Hamlin +1200
Like Busch, Hamlin is a two-time winner at Texas, one of few in today’s field. He has an average finish of 12.2 at the track and a driver rating of 90.0, which ranks sixth amongst active drivers. Hamlin has four top-10 finishes in 2018 and three top-5 finishes, so he has been driving well as is. I think he is able to continue that today in Texas.
90029 Jimmie Johnson +1600
Johnson isn’t having a great start to 2018. He has just one top-10 finish over six races and has been 15th or worse three times. Still, he has won this race two of the last three years and has great numbers at Texas. In total, Johnson is a 7-time winner at Texas with an average finish of 8.885 and a driver rating of 105.5. That driver rating is by far the best in the field today. I think Johnson gets himself on track this afternoon.